Feeding the Birds

marmiterulesok

Hi rothko,

You could maybe have any foods that are on the ground scattered around the base of the scrubs.The ground-feeders won't be so exposed.

I always thought that fat balls were supposed to be suspended.When they are almost empty,I scatter what's left on the ground.You could have fat balls/peanuts suspended from the walls of the shed.Have you thought about getting a bird table?

I also put out fresh water daily in a deep plant pot saucer,and it gets changed every day.

I don't have a garden,I have a small balcony with a metal wall,so I can suspend things and also have little mesh trays on the ground.I get a lot of visitors.Today I had my first robin and also had seven pigeons all together.

If you live in an area that is quite 'barren',you might not get many birds.It can often take a few weeks for them to suss out that there's a regular supply of food.You just have to persevere.:)

Hippeechiq

I have a peanut feeder, but despite the feeder claims, the only birds that are able to feed from it are the blue tits, great tits and coal tits. So I feel really mean when I see our regular robin, wren and pied wagtail forlornly searching for crumbs beneath the feeder.

When I put out any other food on a plate, or just scattered in the garden, I have a pair of ruddy great wild pigeons that swoop down and eat whatever I've put out in about 6 gulps - the same amount of food they consume in seconds would feed several smaller birds for quite a while. And it does annoy me.

I appreciate that pigeons also get hungry, but the smaller birds never get a look in and I find it both annoying and frustrating.

Any suggestions?

You know the seed feeders that have tiny little perches on them - can robins, wrens, finches and the like feed from them? or is it just the tit family again? It's false advertising when manufacturers have pictures accompanying their products of various birds, giving the impression that all small birds can feed from the feeders when in actual fact, they can't.

tori.k

Please dont forget the water, im having to replace the water 3 times a day at the moment as it keeps freezing

emiff6

Hippeechiq wrote: »

...When I put out any other food on a plate, or just scattered in the garden, I have a pair of ruddy great wild pigeons that swoop down and eat whatever I've put out in about 6 gulps - the same amount of food they consume in seconds would feed several smaller birds for quite a while. And it does annoy me.

I appreciate that pigeons also get hungry, but the smaller birds never get a look in and I find it both annoying and frustrating.

Any suggestions?

You know the seed feeders that have tiny little perches on them - can robins, wrens, finches and the like feed from them?

What I have found in my garden:
Finches seem to prefer sunflower seeds to peanuts, preferably black sunflowers, which are softer than the stripey ones and easier to open. Expensive but loved best are ready shelled sunflower seeds.

Nearly all the finches, (including house sparrows) will use feeders, robins can learn to perch on the little perches, but prefer the ground, as do dunnocks, blackbirds, and chaffinches.

Wrens seem to have a wholly insectivorous diet and do not come to my feeders or ground food at all.

To discourage pigeons, cut 30cm lengths of bright red ribbon and knot the middle of the ribbon around sticks or canes shoved in the ground (or on bushes or low tree branches if you have them), so that both long ends can flutter in the breeze about 2 or 3 feet off the ground.

Pigeons (esp wood pigeons) are nervous birds and to them this looks like an injured bird fluttering in distress and they are scared to come down.

Surprisingly, it doesn't seem to bother any of the little birds. (Does this mean pigeons are stupid, or very bright?).

Edit; Pied wagtails adore fine biscuit crumbs - shake out the bottom of your biscuit tin for them!

rothko

marmiterulesok wrote: »

Hi rothko,

You could maybe have any foods that are on the ground scattered around the base of the scrubs.The ground-feeders won't be so exposed.

I always thought that fat balls were supposed to be suspended.When they are almost empty,I scatter what's left on the ground.You could have fat balls/peanuts suspended from the walls of the shed.Have you thought about getting a bird table?

I also put out fresh water daily in a deep plant pot saucer,and it gets changed every day.

I don't have a garden,I have a small balcony with a metal wall,so I can suspend things and also have little mesh trays on the ground.I get a lot of visitors.Today I had my first robin and also had seven pigeons all together.

If you live in an area that is quite 'barren',you might not get many birds.It can often take a few weeks for them to suss out that there's a regular supply of food.You just have to persevere.:)

thanks for the tips marmiterulesok

I bought a fairly cheap feeder today which I've hung from a nail banged into the side of the shed, it's a seed/peanut feeder which I've filled with sunflower seeds and oats. I'll see tomorrow how popular it is.

I've been putting down oats and fat balls (which I've now smashed up on the ground), but everything that's put out at night is frozen solid in the morning, but there isn't much that can be done about that I guess.

I spotted a couple of black birds this morning pecking around the dining area, but no flocks yet...but fingers crossed. Not sure how cold it has to get before they'll come to my garden for food!?

Thanks again

marmiterulesok

rothko wrote: »

thanks for the tips marmiterulesok

I bought a fairly cheap feeder today which I've hung from a nail banged into the side of the shed, it's a seed/peanut feeder which I've filled with sunflower seeds and oats. I'll see tomorrow how popular it is.

I've been putting down oats and fat balls (which I've now smashed up on the ground), but everything that's put out at night is frozen solid in the morning, but there isn't much that can be done about that I guess.

I spotted a couple of black birds this morning pecking around the dining area, but no flocks yet...but fingers crossed. Not sure how cold it has to get before they'll come to my garden for food!?

Thanks again

That's great!You might not get a lot of birds straight away,but in time they'll suss out that there's a new supply of food.

If you can,try and leave out water as well.

ljonski

On saturday , i managed to buy 12 fat balls for £1 in Netto !

Westywoodpecker

Our fat balls keep freezing so we alternate them twice a day.

I've also started to put a roasting tin on the floor with water/seeds/bread/apple cores in which they seem to love, especially the robin.

Yesterday I was rewarded by seeing a woodpecker feeding from the fat balls. We have obviously named him.............



Westy :rotfl:

hmc

never fed birds before,all our bits go to mum for her bird table, but i thought with this weather we would
well nothing has eaten anything, raisins,bread etc been put on my patio table. there is hundreds of cats round here i suppose this is why

Mrs_Huggett

hmc, as marmiterulesok posted, you really have to persevere with this, birds are quite cautious at first but once they get used to the regular supply they will be back, if you sta