Feed the birds ... what with?

[602]

Hi,
My wife is paying about £1 per kg for wild bird seed. What is the current price of seed from your local agricultural supplier, in big bags. And what seed is best for wild birds? Robin, sparrows, with the odd tit? Corn? Oats? Barley? Or what?
Also, she spent £10 on a load of fat-balls, and the birds are not really interested. ????

602

 

[LMH]

Hi

We buy 20kg of wild bird food (Harrisons make) for about £9. Fatballs, the birds which visit our garden can't get enough of them, we pay about £8 for 50.

Lisa

 

[RogerB]

Hi 602
Common garden birds usually love the fat balls.Have you tied them far enough from the house as the birds get nervous if they're too close.Mixed seed is fine but we find that if we give them sunflower hearts we get lots more unusual varieties such as Goldfinches,Greenfinches and Bullfinches.The Nuthatches love the peanuts as do the Tits.Bread is appreciated by the Blackbirds and Thrushes and fat from sausages etc mixed in with the bread is a favourite.Scraps of meat keep the Magpies happy but a bit at a time so as not to attract rats.
You really don't need to spend much to keep the poor little guys happy as our waste is almost all they need.If I had to choose one item based on price it would be peanuts.Cheap as can be in 5kg bags.
Happy twitching.

 

[Thedoog]

We mix sunflower hearts, sunflower seed and standard wild bird food mix.
We used to use only sunflower hearts but the price has gone through the roof.
Using a mixture attracts a wider variety of birds as a bonus, when we used hearts goldfinches were eating us out of house and home.
The cheapest way to buy fat balls is the unbagged ones, plus it is recommended that fat balls are removed from the plastic wrapper.

 

[Soozeeg]

More or less every week we buy from Wilkinsons a 2kg bag of bird seed (about £1.80 I think), bag of sunflower seeds (not the hearts, they cost too much and the birds eat them too quick), bag of peanuts and 4 fat balls. We've got about 6 assorted feeders in one particular tree and all the food goes pretty quickly. We also put out bread and cake crumbs, and if we've got any apples or pears going brown, we cut them in quarters and throw them onto the lawn, the blackbirds and thrushes love it. I sometimes tie bacon rinds to the tree branches, the tits especially quite like them, but if they're not eaten in a couple of days then I throw them away so as not to attract rats.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Like 602, and despite having coal, great, blue and long tailed tits visiting the garden, none bother with the fat balls. I'm always having to throw them away so have now changed to one of the square suet feeds that contain seed. Even the squirrel likes this as do the tits. You can get the same suet feed containing mealworm. Mealworms on their own are expensive so I can't afford them

I use grated peanut. Although it's more expensive it helps them conserve energy. As well as apples and pears blackbirds etc. like bananas. The problem I had today was a squirrel chewed through the grated peanut feeder and then had a feast off the ground along with a wood pigeon. They were within a few inches of each other but carried on feeding without squabbling.
What should be given, although difficult in this weather, is water. This is probably more important than food. There is no easy way to stop the water freezing unless you buy a heated birdbath. Putting glycerine in the water is a no no, it is harmful to birds and apparently affects the waterproofing of their feathers.
There are solar powered heated bird baths but somehow I wouldn't think that this is feasible in our climate with it's lack of sunlight. One thing that could be tried if your bird bath allows it is to cover the bath with polythene and then fill with water. The following day when it's frozen tip it out and refill. A lot better than chipping away at ice or using boiling water. Birds will eat snow but this uses up energy, something they really can't afford to do in these conditions.

 

[602]

Hi,
Thanks for replies. Our birds are not keen on peanuts either, though they used to be. Do not feed peanuts during the nesting season, the chicks can't digest them.
Yes, we feed close to the house, but that doesn't seem to bother them. There is a tall bush close to their table which attracts swarms of sparrows, who then scream abuse at each other. This winds the dog up, so he is underneath on his hind legs, telling them to "Go forth and multiply!"
We frequently hear a bang on the window, look out to see a sparrow perched in the bush, shaking his head, muttering "What was that? What was that?"
602

 

[Soozeeg]

The birds here in Somerset must either be very greedy or not as fussy as they are elsewhere, as all of the seed, peanuts and fat balls get eaten in my garden.

 

[Dustydog]

There must be a flock of 100 plus sparrows which enjoy Harrisons de luxe bird food. We get it at our local pet shop 20kgs for £20.00.
Unfortunately the dreaded predator the Sparrow Hawk knows where we live so he hasn't gone hungry

.
The fat balls are well liked especially by the few remaining starlings. The Robin waits his turn and goes for the bird seed once the sparrows have finished. They all get water at the pond.
As we are away for Christmas I've arranged for a neighbour to keep the feeders topped up as in winter the birds become dependent on that food and may starve if forgotten.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Do not feed peanuts during the nesting season, the chicks can't digest them.

Apparently the peanut swells in their stomachs. I take the peanuts down in March weather permitting. Tits are some of the earliest nesting birds hence they lose a lot to the cold weather or if they misjudge when their natural food is plentiful, again due to the weather. I suppose the reason they have such a high number of eggs per clutch is natures way of compensating for the high mortality rate. Even when successful there are usually a few casualties. I haven't cleaned a nest box out yet without finding one or two corpses

We still have some house sparrows with us but nowhere as many as we used to have. Like starlings their numbers are in decline. My own thoughts on it are the loss of nesting sites like under the eaves of houses due to the plastic soffits people now fit.
Our population of starlings usually increase in the winter due to those from Russia etc. migrating here but I've hardly seen many starlings at all

Maybe the early winter conditions have caught them out and they will arrive later with the fieldfares and redwings, fingers crossed. Our own starlings are definitely in decline but lets hope that they are like other species who have suffered in the past but are now on the way back up

Like Sooze I have a pond. I do keep it ice free with a heater which allows blackbirds, dunnocks, wood pigeons etc. to drink or bathe in the waterfall. The downside is it is close to the conservatory so I'm not convinced that birds like tits come down and drink from this. They are a bit nervous at ground level, unlike dunnocks and robins. Mentioning robins we have always had a pair in our garden since moving here 11 years ago but this winter I haven't seen any

They even successfully nested back in the summer.
It's nice to see so many care about our feathered friends. Life would be a lot duller without them.

 

[Countrylass]

This year we have had starlings and sparrows in the garden for the first time in 30 years. Normally it's mostly blackbirds, blue tits, great tits, coal tits, chaffinches and siskins. This morning we put out mixed seeds and peanuts on a board (can't get to the feeders for snow) and there were mostly blackbirds and starlings but a robin also appeared. In spite of there being plenty food, there were quite a few arguments and spats.

 

[Timbo1]

My better half cooked a chicken last night and decided to save the carcas overnight to put out to the birds in the morning. We are troubled with foxes at night and cats during the day so she decided in the wisdom to push the carcas onto one of the points of the presently redundant whirlygig washing line.

She came home at lunchtime and found the carcas had totally disappeared - no cat/wild animal footprints in the snow whatsoever, no carcas on the ground - work that one out?

 

[Timbo1]

My better half cooked a chicken last night and decided to save the carcas overnight to put out to the birds in the morning. We are troubled with foxes at night and cats during the day so she decided in the wisdom to push the carcas onto one of the points of the presently redundant whirlygig washing line.

She came home at lunchtime and found the carcas had totally disappeared - no cat/wild animal footprints in the snow whatsoever, no carcas on the ground - work that one out?

 

[forestgump]

muttonvindaloo naan rice bombay spuds popadoms keeps them warm but be ready for some bad bird droppings .

 

[Past_it]

We use Wilko's wild bird food and their sunflower hearts mixed together, every day I throw a handfull of raisins on the lawn for the blackbirds and I've a home made nija seed feeder for goldfinches.

 

[Soozeeg]

Been sat here as I type watching a male great spotted woodpecker on one of the fat balls, it's been there a good 5 minutes now. First time I've seen it here on the food, although it and a female are often around the garden, along with a few green woodpeckers. And there are now 2 long tailed tits on the fat ball directly outside the dining room window (my computer is in the dining room), and 3 or 4 others in the tree with all the feeders on.

Here on the Somerset Levels we have thousands of starlings, with more arriving all the time from Russia etc. That nice hairy man from AutumnWatch, Martin thingummy-whatsit, said he'd been down here looking for starlings and never saw any - well, he must have been looking in the wrong places!! A good website for starling watchers is http://www.foxybiddy.com/page/starlingspectacular/3, she's a local photographer who regularly visits the Shapwick and Ham Wall nature reserves and takes pics of the starlings.

 

[Damian]

Well, rather unusually, we have snow on the Isle of Wight which has meant putting out bird food for them, but I also have a family of foxes who are finding it very hard to find enough food too, so I have been feeding them and to see them is just wonderful.

Last night they were playing in the snow just like excited children, then tucked into their dog food which I had put out for them.
The Vixen is a beautiful red in colour whilst the Dog is a dark brindle and the youngsters are just like their mum.

 

[joeby]

We put fat balls out and they very rarely last a day , people say that sparrows are getting rare but we have lots in Swansea and lots of Starlings , we also get the squirrel coming down but my wife chases it off

 

[ValA.]

We've put some fat balls inside our beech hedge - the smaller birds can get to them, but it keeps the starlings away - and they seem to be very popular and last only a short time.
I've also broken up a couple of fat balls and sprinkled them on the patio, and there's a robin and a dunnock there at the moment. We've just filled up our seed feeder for the second time this week, and are going to buy some sunflower hearts when we're out this morning.
I'd love to see the starlings flocking - we've seen smaller scale flocks in Abersoch, over the marshy area, and in several parts of France, but never on the scale shown on Autumnwatch from Somerset or Gretna.
What's the weather like with you Soozeeg - my OH was supposed to be Boltonsborough, in Somerset on Wednesday, but put off his trip until Monday. He's staying for two or three nights working! Can you keep me informed about weather conditions over the weekend. If I had more time I'd go down with him, and we could combine a Starling Watch with his trip!

 

[Soozeeg]

Val, it's not actually too bad down here - we've got some patchy snow, but not a lot of it and not in all areas. Here in mid Somerset there's only a bit, whilst around the Weston super Mare area (we've got friends who live there) there isn't any. Baltonsborough is not far from here, so I would imagine it's ok there. Average daily temperature has been about 2 or 3 for the last week or so, night time it's been around 0 to -2. It's been sunny almost every day for the past week (as it is today). All the roads are passable (as far as I know), all the major ones have been gritted, and there are no shortages of fuel (so my husband says). Haven't heard of any food shortages down here either, we'll be going shopping tomorrow so I'll let you know on that one!

I'm happy for you to have my email addy, if the mods would be so kind as to pass it on thank you

, if you want further updates. Oh, and you can call me Sue or Sooze, you know, lol.

 

[ValA.]

Thanks for that Sue! I'll ask the moderators to pass on your email

! Thanks.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Thanks for that Sue! I'll ask the moderators to pass on your email

! Thanks.

It's....
soozedawurzel@zummerzet.co.uk

or ...
swedeysooze@turnipnet.com

 

[ValA.]

Thanks for the email address Lord B! I take it you're 'The Third Man'???

 

[Dustydog]

There must be a flock of 100 plus sparrows which enjoy Harrisons de luxe bird food. We get it at our local pet shop 20kgs for £20.00.
Unfortunately the dreaded predator the Sparrow Hawk knows where we live so he hasn't gone hungry

.
The fat balls are well liked especially by the few remaining starlings. The Robin waits his turn and goes for the bird seed once the sparrows have finished. They all get water at the pond.
As we are away for Christmas I've arranged for a neighbour to keep the feeders topped up as in winter the birds become dependent on that food and may starve if forgotten.

Just bought another 20kgs of Harrisons Deluxe. Whilst we are away my neighbour will be feeding the birds for us . Now £15.40. I think I misquoted the price earlier.

 

[Soozeeg]

It's....
soozedawurzel@zummerzet.co.uk

or ...
swedeysooze@turnipnet.com

Only just noticed this post (about time I went back to Specsavers, lol).
Now, now, LB, you cheeky thing, you know full well my email addy is ciderwithsooze@scrumpy.org