General Chat

Terence, Just a repeat of something I have written before. Lack of success with various bird feeders prompted me to use fat-balls(in netting) pinned to the ground with a cane. This is very successful and the birds ignore next doors hanging feeders to wait in turn at the one on the ground. Only the blue tits use one I have in a tree Possible the reason is that even for birds it,s much easier to feed with your feet on the ground. One other tiny thing - two robins use my ground feeder - I alaways thought you only saw one in any given area. happy days

Paul - we buy ours by the pound from the pet shop - guess it doesn't have any of that in because there doesn't seem to be any waste! LOL They do prefer stripey sunflowers seeds though - although the black hearts will do at a pinch! lol Magsxx P.S. (following your last message) - you ought to see the feeding frenzy that goes on on my Mahonia - a flock of blackbirds or starlings can strip all the ripe berries off in minutes! Good idea re dead flower heads - not only the seeds but lurking insects too and something I do do - not a lazy gardener honest! lol P.P.S. Oooooh! - forgot the green finches - lots of those - but no gold finches sadly

And what about planting a patch of native flowers, such as coneflowers, and allowing them to go to seed and stand through the winter? You may look out some snowy day and see a flock of goldfinches on the seed heads. Another bird-friendly tree is a dense evergreen that will provide chilled birds with a refuge from cats or hawks and a place to get out of the wind. Such amenities will attract uncommon species of birds to your yard and add considerable excitement to looking out your windows. There is no reason that urban habitat should be sterile and useless to wildlife. Indeed, a habitat that provides naturally for the needs of wild birds is a very pleasant place for humans, too. This kind of landscaping can add greatly to the value and enjoyment of your home. And if you ever want to sell, there's nothing like a yard full of singing birds to give a house curb appeal. Paul

What not to buy One caution. I'd like to warn you away from bags of mixed birdseed. These mixes usually contain a lot of filler, such as red millet. Most birds won't eat it. They rummage through the seeds in the feeder and kick the red millet onto the ground, where at best it lies until it rots and turns into pretty decent fertilizer for the grass. Mixed birdseed is not a bargain. Buy the seeds you know your birds want. Paul

So....seems I'm not the only one that's daft about birds lol! We make our own 'bird cake' too. We use a food mixer to reduce bread to crumbs and add kitchen scraps, peanuts, mixed seed and sunflower seeds to the mixer too - all held together with , for them, a healthy dollop of lard. A regular production line in our kitchen! We make sausage shapes and put them in two of several feeders. The birds go mad! I'm sure that one starling goes off and tells the others that the cafe is open and as for blue tits - I think we've got the fattest ones in the country! At long last we have a flock of sparrows, nice to see given their falling numbers. Plenty of tits - blue tits, great tits and long tailed tits. Two pairs of robins - that I thought were territorial birds - but they must have come to an arrangement! Blackbirds come so near the house now that I think they would come in for breakfast and afternoon tea if we didn't provide it!. Wagtails on the garage roof and two birds I have only just identified - black caps - one with (as the name suggests) a black cap and it's mate with a reddish one. I have not seen one before but they like our bird cake too! Oh - and no - We won't forget their water. Magsxx

sigh..well..i did try didnt i:):)..xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

thank you dee..your a star:):)xx

we have soo many this year...blackbirds were here before light this morning waiting...always have seed out and fat balls...:):)

sooo true ..yes...thank you:)xx

Terence Of course not , and just as important dont forget to leave them some water too, they need to bath in it so they can plump up their feathers to keep them warm. Deb X

pleaseeeeeeeeeee:):)