Any keen bird feeders out there?

Gers

Here on the west coast of Scotland there are buzzards aplenty - sometimes there are 'crowds' of them overhead. Plus other raptors which are more elusive.

There are always herons around too, in one day I saw seven in different locations locally. I can't be confident that there wasn't more than four. Sometimes they are just feeding during the outgoing tide and sometimes just perching on a wooden post or tree. So lovely to see.

cyclonebri1

mrsscattercushion wrote: »

Have never had any success with nyger seed ~ pure sunflower hearts have generally been the best thing.


My birds are eating more now than during the winter ~ seed feeders need topping up daily and either fat balls or suet pellets being hovered up too. Chopped up apple, left over grapes and sultanas also a hit with the blackbirds ~ did have a song thrush in the garden over winter but now back out in the fields.


PS, living near to the grouse moors on border of South Yorks/Derbyshire, I would love to say that raptors, including buzzards were plentiful. Sadly not and definitely still persecuted to too high a number for the "threat" they supposedly cause...

That's been the case here too, mid derbys. I've held back a few fishing maggots and fed these recently, almost everything goes wild for them.

We had a bluetit nest in the new box I set in the wall of the garden pond filter house. The old nesting site which was a crevice in the dry stone only a foot off the ground, was demolished and rebuilt so I thought I would provide custom accomodation. All was going well, I watched them build for a few days then they left.
Whem I checked a few days after that there was a box full of moss etc, but as I watched a massive bumble bee bored out from under and gave me the evil eyes, I guess that was the queen.

We now have a nest of 75 or so bumbles in the garden and no bluetits this year:A:A, still interesting though.

Pipkin

We have blue tits nesting in a box for the first time ever this year..this morning I heard teeny tiny bird cheeps, so the eggs have hatched..they ignored the expensive, proper bird box screwed to the shed and chose to nest in the ornamental one hanging precariously by a nail..such are the whims of a lady blue tit I guess! (I'm female btw, not being mysoginistic!)..the neighbours cats are having a field day, most days there are new claw marks on the shed where they have tried to get at the box..we have managed to screw it in without upsetting the birds, but still it's all a bit life or death. I want to see those babies survive! Remedial action will be taken when the box is empty again.

Ken68

My neighbour found a bumblebee in the wood shed, likely been trapped. She immediately took it to a flower and it dived in.
Then we spent the rest of the day calling each other "Doctor" and have set up a BumbleBee Rescue Service.

Gers

Can't resist writing about this...just spent a lovely ten minutes watching six young blackbirds and the female line up on my feeding station. Then the female tried hard and eventually got a hold of a perch and gobble some sunflower seeds. Then she let her flock try. Great fluttering, much flapping of wings and not a lot of actual feeding.

It was delightful!

cyclonebri1

Pipkin wrote: »

the neighbours cats are having a field day, most days there are new claw marks on the shed where they have tried to get at the box..we have managed to screw it in without upsetting the birds, but still it's all a bit life or death. I want to see those babies survive! Remedial action will be taken when the box is empty again.

This was the worry we had with the nest that was in dry stone less than a foot from the lawn. My garden, quite large, seems to be the adventure playground for the local cat population, I find at least 2 piles of feathers every week, luckily mainly doves of which there are far too many.
But, the bluetits hatched and as far as I know survived.

I have a confession to make, I have had to move the bees bluetit box I mentioned earlier, I had to clean the ponds filters and was stung twice in the process. The box is now on a nail in a pear tree about 30 yards away, bees have gone with it luckily.

Minor point, the stings I received where much less painful than those of wasps etc, :T

Pipkin

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

This was the worry we had with the nest that was in dry stone less than a foot from the lawn. My garden, quite large, seems to be the adventure playground for the local cat population, I find at least 2 piles of feathers every week, luckily mainly doves of which there are far too many.
But, the bluetits hatched and as far as I know survived.

There are fresh claw marks on the (newly painted! grrrr) shed every morning..but the bluetits are surviving somehow..and the cheeps from the bird box are much louder now, so the babies are thriving..must be driving the cats crazy..but if they see us during the day they KNOW they will be shooed away and move instantly.

Gers

I've been experimenting with bird feeders recently. Moving the peanut feeder away from the station with sunflower hearts and seeds had somehow 'allowed' bigger birds to visit.

The peanut feeder was mostly ignored until I moved it. I'm not entirely sure what these birds are but they are enjoying the nuts. Siskins, goldfinches and tits still squabbling over sunflower hearts and niger seeds whilst suet pellets are enjoyed at a more distant place.

Interesting to learn that the bird diners choose their eating companions.

cyclonebri1

The house sparrows here are taking anything I put out, cereal, and nuts gone by the time I look.

Found a feed they all like recently. Koi carp pellets.
They wait for me to feed the fish then scavenge the bits that land on lily pads and the pool wall.

As an aside, I just found the best mouse rat bait to date;
A piece of mars bar studded with high protein carp pellets, deadly:T

Gers

So the koi carp pellets are good food for the birds and poison for rats?

Haven't got any rats here, thank goodness!

More peanuts being eaten now so need to find a more cost effective source. Still, cheap pleasure .

😄