Any keen bird feeders out there?

WatsonNimrod

davenport151 wrote: »

WatsonNimrod -how lucky you are!
I'm guessing they have enough natural food in your garden atm. They may visit your feeders as it gets colder. Not sure what their speciality food is though.
Thats a bird I don't see very often when out and about (never had one in the garden) but I did get a lovely view of a pair in an old quarry area near me earlier this year.

Its just such a great looking bird, we back on to a wooded area so I'm guessing there is food for them in there.

Last winter I did buy some specific RSPB recommended food, but they didnt seem interested!!!!!

Its Redpoll's I would love to see this year, never seen one.

Ken68

My next project is to somehow get the birds to eat these worms from the compost container (ex water tank with bottom off). Tried putting them on the bird feeder, they just hide or drop off, now thinking of using an upturned dustbin lid on the grass. Ideas anyone.

cyclonebri1

Sorry guys, I'm logged into this topic but haven't read the last few pages.

I have a couple of comments for yous.

This year has given a bumper crop of almost every type of fruit and berry.

If the birds can't survive on that we just need to say "Hey, that's evolution"


But they can.
And they will.

So maybe we should reduce the feeding, save whatever we spend on feeding untill they really do need it?????

davenport151

Interesting point cyclonebri1 ; Though i'm not actually topping up much atm anyhow. Mind you the ones that visit the feeders come for seeds and peanuts they tend to eat this rather than berries. Thats more for the blackbirds and thrushes.

Thanks for reminding me WatsonNimrod -of the lovely redpoll. I think I have seen one of these in my garden (will have to check records to be sure). Am I right in thinking this is another species that may well join the tit flocks?

Rovver125

Tagging onto this thread late! In our garden at the moment I'm feeding sunflower hearts, nyjer seed, a general mix, occasional mealworms & some fat balls. Have a garden pond with waterfall, which all the birds love drinking from & bathing in. Several shrubs covered in berries which I've seen many of the birds taking advantage of!

Regular visitors are sparrows, dunnocks, goldfinches, greenfinches, chaffinches, siskins, blue, coal & great tits, several different blackbirds & one very territorial robin, occasional starlings & wood pigeons & collared doves cleaning up any leftovers on the ground.

Seems we have a sparrowhawk visiting as well. Seen it four times now, always comes from the south, straight into the privet hedge at the end of the garden where a lot of the smaller birds hang out, cue a sudden deathly silence & then it always heads off north. Not seen it take any of the other birds yet!

Chris25

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

This year has given a bumper crop of almost every type of fruit and berry.

If the birds can't survive on that we just need to say "Hey, that's evolution"

But they can.
And they will.

So maybe we should reduce the feeding, save whatever we spend on feeding untill they really do need it?????

Hi Cyclonebri1

On the whole, it has been a very good harvest this autumn, which is much appreciated by all. :T

I feed the birds all year round - although heavily reduced feeding in the summertime and autumn - and I always add things to encourage different species of birds to visit my garden.

Personally, I would rather do that so that when the worst weather comes, smaller birds in particular, know where to quickly obtain calorie-high food, rather than waste valuable energy trying to find something.

Like many other people, I get loads of pleasure watching the many different birds that visit at different times of year. Encouraging them also helps to keep down the garden pests.

I know that many would survive if we didn't feed them but many would perish too and it makes me happy to do a little bit to help prevent that.

jnrm24

This is an Amazon lightning deal right now. We bought a similar one last year; had to get it from America as I couldn't find one here. It's squirrel proof and rat proof when pole-mounted; best bird feeder I've ever had.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000A0OMSG/ref=gb1h_img_c-1_8827_537c7072?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1RQWJ1RGSDMEEDZ2RAJR&pf_rd_i=161428031&pf_rd_p=449478827

cyclonebri1

Chris25 wrote: »

Hi Cyclonebri1

On the whole, it has been a very good harvest this autumn, which is much appreciated by all. :T

I feed the birds all year round - although heavily reduced feeding in the summertime and autumn - and I always add things to encourage different species of birds to visit my garden.

Personally, I would rather do that so that when the worst weather comes, smaller birds in particular, know where to quickly obtain calorie-high food, rather than waste valuable energy trying to find something.

Like many other people, I get loads of pleasure watching the many different birds that visit at different times of year. Encouraging them also helps to keep down the garden pests.

I know that many would survive if we didn't feed them but many would perish too and it makes me happy to do a little bit to help prevent that.

Sorry, I hope that came over the way I meant it too:D, to explain a little further;

We don't feed birds in our garden in summer. It's a decent sized area that is backed onto by a later built estate. It 1 of only 2 large bird friendly gardens within the area.
Unfortunately that makes it an adventure playground for the estate cat population. I think it better that the birds keep away until they do need assistance, hence my comments.

Again on this year, we found a very cheap source of dried mealworms, the treat very few feathered chappis can resist, so far having fed a couple of times they are virtually being ignored, so I will wait untill later.
I am pretty sure the bird population has an inbuilt sense of the danger from cats in urban gardens, so they themselves stay away until they find food getting short. Then again I could be talking total rubbish:rotfl:

While I'm here, I know it's not good for the individual specimen caught, but I've had the pleasure of seeing on 2 occasions a sparrowhawk drop from the skies onto an unsuspecting house sparrow.
I have had a kestrel take a mouse or vole as I've sat reading on the lawn, and also a hawk that I didn't recognise zap a ringed dove about 5ft from the ground, amazing sights and all in the back garden :j

davenport151

Funnily enough cyclonebri1 - I do stop feeding towards july/august. After the birds have had their young when they tend to not be around our garden I do hold off. Then only really begin again in october time. When once again they begin to visit for food.

I love that i can spot something that other people will probably walk right by. Had a lovely view of a sparrowhawk in a tree just round the corner from us. Though not as dramatic as your sightings.

Similar with the first sighting of a waxwing a few years back. My son spotted it out the back patio doors in a tree opposite -having been brought up by my interest in nature he sussed it straight away as something different. Of course the next week there was a group of about 20 or so but I reckon he was one of the first to spot them

Chris25

hurrah :j

just noticed a blur through the window & realised that a couple of goldfinches are eating the nyjer seed - and it's almost empty! They must have been taking it over a few days. :T
Shame, I was at the garden centre this morning & i could have got a top-up; don't want to lose them now


Noticed lots of chaffinches this morning & blue-tits too. In one of the fields, saw what must have been around 150 rooks :eek: