Feeding wild birds leftover food scraps?

NualaBuala

HI Linda,

The cranberries sound like a festive treat! Lucky you having a squirrel, I haven't seen any in the garden.

I know I've seen mealworms and other bird food in Homebase - we've no Home Bargains over here - I wish! I must see how much they cost. I'm also contemplating trying to make my own bird feeder to hang from tree branches.

paddypaws101

I think my Dad invented Moneysaving....and I seem to recall local wild birds enjoying the treat of an empty half coconut shell hung upside down filled with whatever fat we had over from cooking roasts etc. Unsalted nuts or seeds could be added to the fat before leaving it to set.

NualaBuala

paddypaws101 wrote: »

I think my Dad invented Moneysaving....and I seem to recall local wild birds enjoying the treat of an empty half coconut shell hung upside down filled with whatever fat we had over from cooking roasts etc. Unsalted nuts or seeds could be added to the fat before leaving it to set.

I guess that was the original version of the fat and seed balls I bought in Lidl! Good on your Dad!:T If I have the ingredients I might try doing my own.

Mutter_2

They love suet, it helps keep them warm too.
Nothing's infallible, my patio is littered with maize that none of them will eat from seed mix.
The birds range from Pheasants, Wood Pigeons, Magpies and all the little ones.

I used to make bird cake, melting suet with seed in a yoghurt pot with string threaded through. Turn out when cold and hang up. Now I'm lazy and buy fat balls.

Far more important though is water, and is free. I could hardly believe last week in zero temperatures, the number of birds bathing. Think it's to get rid of parasites isn't it?

As for Foxes and Rats? Depends whether Town or Country perhaps. Never had a Fox in my garden, too many wild rabbits for them to bother with food scraps. Rats are more likely to come in if the food scource outside dries up, never been a problem.
It's Wood Mice that are the bane of my life. Come October they enter the wall cavity. Lucky so far this year, no scratching and scrabbling yet.

NualaBuala

Hi Mutter! The fat balls I got were quite cheap, I might just stick with them apart from the occasional extra.

I'm in a suburban area and I've been told it's not uncommon to have foxes. Haven't seen ours since the summer though, guess he's got a cosy den somewhere. I had mice, caught one in a humane trap and after that they ALL disappeared which was weird. I'd heard them behind the skirting and there was definitely more than one.

I've made an improvised bird bath with a bit of wood and a basin. It hasn't been frozen for the past few days but when I took off the ice and topped it up with leftover hot water from the kettle.

Thanks for all the bird-care tips, I'm learning slowly but surely.

Buttonmoons

Aww that's so nice. I always think I should make fat balls but have no clue where to start, and I also live in a skyscraper so can't hang them outside my window.

I buy in fat balls and on the way to nursery with DD we hang them on bushes where we have seen little birds before, and she takes great delight in seeing them all eating at it on the way home!

My nana has 7 cats but that's not enough, she has stray cats coming to her house for a feed everyday, she has a seagull that taps on her kitchen window 3/4 times a day for food (It's highly amusing actually!) and a fox started appearing in her garden so she fed that too, and now it brings it's cubs with it (2 of them) and they all get a scoff! I think they are beautiful, and it's really quite tame, comes quite close when you are there because it knows we aren't a threat!

NualaBuala

I bet your DD loves that - I know I would have when I was that age. I still love watching them now - the robin seems especially tame and I was thrilled to be able to see it so close (I guess I'm easily pleased!). Your Nana's place sounds like quite a wildlife haven! It's funny, foxes were not welcome at my Nana's. She kept hens and Mr Fox had a habit of helping himself to a poultry dinner!