Yesterday morning I was called to the bathroom by Mrs Orcs to deal with a rather large spider, probably 2" ling including legs  (Blue job)

I dutifully caught said spider using a glass and sheet of paper. I took the spider out to the garden where I flicked him onto the grass. no sooner had  I done that than one of the resident robins swooped down while I stood there and seized the spider for breakfast.

So I had done a good deed for  Mrs Orcs and the Robin. The spider much less so as releasing him outside was very bad for him.

Given that, if it was a house spider, it's life expectancy is short in any case it may have been a mercy killing.

...With a 99% probability of it being a male, looking for a mate...As Mike says.....he wouldn't have lived much beyond that point.

If you want to feed robins, Mark....buy a bag of mealworms, from your local pet store, and simply fling those around, in the garden.

Cheers - Phil. 

Quote from: Techno II on 25 April 2021, 03:04:45 PM
...With a 99% probability of it being a male, looking for a mate...As Mike says.....he wouldn't have lived much beyond that point.

If you want to feed robins, Mark....buy a bag of mealworms, from your local pet store, and simply fling those around, in the garden.

Cheers - Phil. 

They get Mealworms, seed mix, fat balls. Just have to try and keep the Magpies off of it

Good man. I also 'rescue' spiders...also Bees, Moths, Mice... 
BUT... Flies, Wasps, Slugs, Rats... are 'Shoot To Kill'... or Splat, Pfft, plop, snap, hit with a brick...whatever.
I don't 'like' doing it... just don't want them around.   

Makes you wonder, really... maybe not a good idea to get 'disliked' by 'A God'. 

But, Orcs... you NOW HAVE A PROBLEM! 'Somewhere...' there will be a BIG, ANNOYED, HUNGRY and FRUSTRATED (!) Momma Spider. I suggest a shotgun. 

Sheesh! Just realised... a BLUE SPIDER ?  
Never seen one... yet... Nice to know that when it happens it won't be the Whiskey!  

Quote from: Orcs on 25 April 2021, 03:57:56 PM
They get Mealworms, seed mix, fat balls. Just have to try and keep the Magpies off of it

Good man, Mark !

Ours 'wildies' get the same with the addition of sunflowers hearts.
The biggest 'problem' for us are the damn flying rats that swoop down, when I chuck the feed on the ground.......

Been noticeable recently that the smaller birds aren't about quite so much...we assume they're taking a lot of time raising their broods...But then you'd think they'd be after even more grub.

We reckon that the nuthatches, Great, Blue and Coal-tits  are snacking on stashes of peanuts they've been taking.
Our peanut holder isn't in the best of condition, and the birds can, and have been taking whole peanuts, from the bottom and then flying off. (Over and over again)
Up until recently, I've been re-filling the peanut holder at least once a day....but more often twice.
I'll only need to top it up this morning, they took so few yesterday.

Cheers - Phil.

The birds are gobbling up our feeders at the moment. Them and the squirrels. And the dog likes to hoover up any dropped peanuts. We've been seeing the elusive blue jay quite a few times lately. And a lot of small starlings poking their breaks into the lawn.

Quote from: Heedless Horseman on 26 April 2021, 02:11:04 AM
Sheesh! Just realised... a BLUE SPIDER ? 
Never seen one... yet... Nice to know that when it happens it won't be the Whiskey! 

A blue job means one for orcs to do as opposed to a pink job that Mrs orcs does, not a blue spider! (I think)

We get gulls (not too surprising) Magpies and Crows. Lots of Geese overfly - some stop in Birkenhead Park....

If you're looking to feed the robins exclusively, you can't beat digging the garden.
You'll be turning up worms, and before you know it the local robin will hop nearby and eat its fill.

They're a lot more tolerant of people than the other birds, so not too shy to move in close to score a meal.

Our local robin was hopping around yesterday during the day and getting pretty close.  We did have to point out that he needed to be aware of the cats.  Luckily they were mainly in mouser mode I think. 

I've seen quite a lot of smaller birds in the last couple of weeks, including blue and great tits, chaffinches, a nuthatch, sparrows (which I haven't seen for a while here - no idea why).  Of course we get the blackbirds, starlings, magpies, occasional jay, crows plus overflights from red kite, heron, occasi9nally geese or ducks.

Got to go - one of the cats has come through my study window and is demanding food!

Edward

Send him my regards.

Quote from: mmcv on 26 April 2021, 06:55:28 AM

A blue job means one for orcs to do as opposed to a pink job that Mrs orcs does, not a blue spider! (I think)

Correct. 'Blue' jobs are mine, 'Pink' jobs are Mrs Orcs.  Some jobs could be either depending on whose free

Is that an evil grin I can see Alexander

Quote from: FierceKitty on 26 April 2021, 08:58:59 AM
Send him my regards.

Looked out the window and saw a great tit preening himself in the car wing mirror. And crapping all down the side of the car...