Feeding the Birds

frosty

I always buy blocks of dripping,melt it, add wild bird food and let it set,I put handfulls of the mix onto the bird table and some on the floor for ground feeders,our birds cant get enough of it.

Glad

Birds in our garden have been feasting on the large peice of rind from the gammon we had xmas eve

Pink.

This thread has some good ideas for anyone wanting to feed our feathered friends:

Feed The Birds Day


Pink

in_my_wellies

Just a reminder, please NEVER put out mould bread (even a little bit mouldy round the edges) for the birds. It can infect their bones and they die quickly.
Thank you

savingpennies

The RSBP actually recommend that you feed the birds all year round. There is a serious decline in a number of what used to be common species e.g. sparrows, starlings. The reason for this is not clear but it is thought that it's because there are fewer natural food sources because of what has happened in the countryside ie hedgerows being torn up (though this is changing farmers can now be paid to look after them I believe), different farming practices. In towns also more areas are being put under tarmac, concrete, chippings. Look at the modern phenomenon for low maintainance gardening and covering the front garden to create a parking space. A lot of birds find their food in lawns, flower beds and shrubs. At my old house our back garden was all paved and I had few birds visiting although I put out food. At my current home with a large lawned area the garden is teeming with bird life. Feed the birds please it's much better than the telly!

gemmaj

There is a serious decline in a number of what used to be common species e.g. sparrows, starlings.

If anyone would like any starlings I have a huge extended family of them living around my house. They come with warnings - they are noisy and devour fat balls like they are going out of fashion.
No excess sparrow population at the mo but last summer I also had a mob of sparrows (small number = flock, the number I had = mob!!) so if anyone wants some, just wait till spring and I'll catch em and ship em to you!!
I suppose thats what happens when you back on to a mini nature reserve!!

beadysam

The birds round me hate lard! But they love fat from the roast - so do my chickens. I make all the fat balls etc with meat juices and they always polish them off. I'm just on my way out now to break the chickens icey water and leave some food scattered for the little birdies...
SAM xx

superscotsman

I don't know about the RSPB, but I have a friend who is a biologist and he told me not to feed them unless there's snow but to leave water out for them. I did hear another "expert" on the radio the other day, who said that they have difficulty digesting salt, so don't leave things like bacon rinds out for them.

thriftlady_2

I have a book called The RSPB Birdfeeder Handbook by Robert Burton, and in it are lovely pictures showing all suitable 'bird-table fare'.The list includes;stale cake,biscuits(they look like digestives),jacket potato,uncooked pastry,cooked rice and pasta,stale cheese,apples,pears,bacon rinds,tinned catfood,marrow bone,meat bones(these meaty things are good for tits,woodpeckers and the crow family apparently).

The book goes on to show various grains,seeds and nuts(including popping corn) as being suitable.

Which experts are right I wonder?

Alison_B

If anyone is interested, I went to ASDA last night and got a pack of fat balls. They had 20% extra free and there were 12 balls in total and they scanned in at £1.00.