Goldfinches?

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

What are they doing?

Those, and siskins too. On the grass in my compound. It's short, raggedy stuff. Without stating the obvious; I've looked very closely. There's not a seed in existence.

My guess is it's hairs? Dogs hairs. I have one particularly sheddy fukker here. Have to sweep the floor daily after him. Figure he's dropping hairs out there too. And they've holding in the short grass. Birds are gathering them. Can't think of any other reason.

I saw eight goldies out there, yesterday. All at once. Oh! Bless! Pair of siskins on the hedge now They gathering for their nests then?

[Arry 18,590]

Reckon you're right Ken nest building.

Cheers Arry

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

Pair of the little fukkers out there doing it as we speak, Harry.

Try as I might though, I can't discern anything in their beaks. I'm sure I used to see chaffies with bunches of hair in theirs. Maybe they preferred horse hair ~ thicker and more visible? Maybe it's just my eyesight these days?

[zandy01 3,575]

You can hang a mesh feeder (peanut feeder) and fill it with brushed dog hair/horse hair  or wool/yarn or garden string etc and the birds will more than likely start to pluck away at it for nesting material

[cragman 2,635]

Watched similar in a keepers yard once…though the hair was coming from a dead fox! 

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

Now ye mention that? I think I still have a photo, lifted from here, where a guy had caught a squirrel and, by the time he checked the trap, small birds had plucked it virtually bald!

It's only that I imagined they might have done their nests, by now. Seems not.

[BEARINATOR 2,825]

40 minutes ago, Ken's Deputy said:

Now ye mention that? I think I still have a photo, lifted from here, where a guy had caught a squirrel and, by the time he checked the trap, small birds had plucked it virtually bald!

It's only that I imagined they might have done their nests, by now. Seems not.

Goldies are normally late nesters but this weather has them messed up 

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

Well, this is fun, lads! I've got a dunnock, building a nest in my hedge, right opposite this window! Spotted the little bugger largely because of the large ball of Dog hair in its mouth.

That's what I was saying earlier, see? I've seen even small birds holding visible hair. Those goldies and siskins seemed to be gathering invisible stuff. Weird.

Anyway, yeah, there he is. I notice he goes in at the bottom, any spot within about a short foot. Then, he pops out nearer the top. And I can see the hole from here.

And yep. Messed up is right! He should have young in the nest, by now! Gonna be the wrong end of the month before that happens.

Be a wonder if my Dogs don't find him, sadly. Dunno if there might be anything I can do to stop them.

[Astanley 11,465]

Ken ,this morning I brushed my whippets ,I never think I'm getting much read hair ,this morning because the sun was still low I could see thousands of individual short hairs floating down ,the ground is covered in that shale type stone ,(pictured )half an hour later goldys were all over the stone ,...got to be dog hair .

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

That'll be it, mate. I'm half inclined to give my big one a hit with the shedding comb. Just because.

Every day here I have to get up. Put the kettle on and sweep this floor. Visible clumps of it come together in the night. I can easily fill a dust pan each day. Fukker. He just has that certain sort of coat on him.

Here he is now! Hairy fukker! Yeah. Took notice this time. It's probably most like a foxes. Soft, and not long, per se. But, nor would it be as short as your whippers. Hairy though.

Horse was hairy, yesterday. Something in her had said to drop that winter coat. Fukk Me!!! Looked like she was absolutely smothered in black and white Post It notes!

I hit her with the comb. Paper sack to hand. Then did a tour of my perimeters. Chucking bunches and tufts of her hair against every hedge. No bird'll need go without, now.

Starlings have chicks. today.

 

[Leo Sayer 1,704]

5 hours ago, Astanley said:

Ken ,this morning I brushed my whippets ,I never think I'm getting much read hair ,this morning because the sun was still low I could see thousands of individual short hairs floating down ,the ground is covered in that shale type stone ,(pictured )half an hour later goldys were all over the stone ,...got to be dog hair .

Stan is the stocks from your bondage room ? 

[Astanley 11,465]

2 hours ago, Leo Sayer said:

Stan is the stocks from your bondage room ? 

Sometimes the rhohypnol wears off ,and they start to struggle 

[fireman 10,774]

Do not any of you put out horse hair or any other long hair like stuff for the birds,it tangles round chicks feet and they can loose the whole foot or just toes.Iv'e had it happen in a aviary with sizzel or how ever you spell and that is sold for nesting birds and i learnt the hard way along with a few poor birds.If your going to put out hair or fur make sure it's fluffy type fur and in short lengths...