Any keen bird feeders out there?

chickaroonee · 18 August 2013 at 10:50AM

Just wondered really. We started feeding the birds last winter after we lost one of our (keen hunter) cats. I was amazed at the number of variety of birds who started coming, really quite quickly.

We've seen several juveniles this spring and really looking forward to winter to see who visits again. I'm hoping the goldfinches come back as they were just beautiful to watch,

Ken68 · 18 August 2013 at 11:38AM

Yes Chick...they cost a fortune, lol. Neighbour is an entomologist so lots of natural food about as well.
We have seen a willow warbler and a family of reed something (buntings perhaps).Usual sparrows and pigeons. Out fair share of swifts which don't cost us anything. Dunnocks too.
Starlings have gone to the fields now but they raised their young here. Great hobby. Bins. essential.

chickaroonee · 18 August 2013 at 12:41PM

They do, don't they?! I'm wondering how I'll afford it too!

I've seen blue tits, coal tits, great tits, sparrows, dunnocks, robins, goldfinches, chaffinches, nuthatch, thrush, blackbirds, wagtail, pigeons, doves, starlings and jackdaws in our garden - off the top of my head, may be more. We often hear owls (think they're tawny owls) at night too.

Wondering if we'll get a lot this winter, hope so.

ukmaggie45 · 18 August 2013 at 2:36PM

If you have L*dl or Ald* near you it's worth subscribing to their email lists and watching for when they do cheap bird food. They seem to do it a bit before the big bird counts from RSPB, we try and stock up then! Also random other times, and sometimes it hangs around in the shops for a while - guess it partly depends on how many keen garden birdwatchers there around down your way!

We get a fair few birds in our back garden, but except in winter can't seem to attract them to front garden. Mind you, a couple of local cats seem to haunt the front. We take a water pistol to any that come into the back! :rotfl: It does seem to have put them off a bit! (BTW we are catlovers, but don't have a cat at the moment, we would never hurt a cat.)

jenie_2 · 18 August 2013 at 4:54PM

Home Bargains is really cheap (pardon the pun):D for wild bird food, I always stock up there when I go into town, the birds here go crazy for sunflower hearts, suet nibbles and fat balls.

chickaroonee · 18 August 2013 at 6:28PM

Thanks! I did know home bargains were good for bird food, but unfortunately we're out in the sticks and miles away from hb

Wish we had one closer as it is my favourite store!

We do have an Aldi nearby though, so will definitely keep my eye out for them selling bird food, thanks for the tip.

The birds here love sunflower hearts too jenie, I have just bought a larger feeder with several ports and filled it with them. The sparrows were funny at first, they clearly wanted to get the hearts but were worried it was some kind of trap and kept flying away as soon as they got close! They're all on it today now though.

Favourite food at the minute is pizza crusts, cheese and for the blackbirds, grapes. The male blackbird in our garden will always appear within 20 mins if some grapes are put out!

gpc273 · 18 August 2013 at 8:57PM

I love to feed the local birds, we attract numerous types including nuthatches and woodpeckers.
SWMBO picked up a 20kg sack of seed at B&M last week for £4.99, not "high quality" but it'll attract birds for a fraction.
I used to purchase my peanuts at our local Wilko's, but they seem to have noticed how it flew off the shelf and nigh on doubled the price!

shegar · 18 August 2013 at 9:14PM

I too love feeding the birds, I know that some of the feeds are expensive , but the cheaper stuff contain so much wheat plus they bulk it up with dog biscuit crumbs which the birds dont like, so its a false economy to buy the
cheaper branded food.........Plus it doesnt attract the birds....

I go to the local animal feed shop where I get my hens grub and they do whatever mixture you want ........Sunflowers go down very well, nyger for the siskins and goldfinches........I do mix hemp, millett, rape seed, which the sparrows love a lot and put that in a long feeder, suet and porridge oats on the tables for the blackbirds.......Birds eat better than we do here ....:D

SailorSam · 18 August 2013 at 9:34PM

I boil a handful of basic white rice for the birds, (40p kg in Asda/Tesco) of a morning and again in the afternoon. Soon goes and costs next to nothing.

RuthnJasper · 18 August 2013 at 9:51PM

They also go for suet, grated cheese, etc. Not too pricey. I've also made my own "fat balls" in the past, after learning to make them when I was in the Brownies (about a million years ago)!! Here's a link to the nearest recipe/method I use: http://www.rspb.org.uk/youth/makeanddo/activities/birdcake.aspx

I love feeding the birds in the Winter. My dog likes it too, as the feeding birds lure her 'nemesis', Peaches the cat, towards our little garden - where she can shout rude things at him from the safety of behind our French windows!

I tend to stop feeding in the Spring, so that the fledeglings don't become dependent on the feeders and learn to find food for themselves - or so that they don't choke on larger nuts before their gullets are fully-developed.

But I do enjoy feeding the birds - it's a (relatively) inexpensive way to make a difference and feel good about yourself.

chickaroonee · 19 August 2013 at 9:00AM

SailorSam wrote: »

I boil a handful of basic white rice for the birds, (40p kg in Asda/Tesco) of a morning and again in the afternoon. Soon goes and costs next to nothing.

We find the birds love rice too, especially the sparrows.

Any keen bird feeders out there?

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free