Any keen bird feeders out there?

Happygreen

iris wrote: »

Can anyone help me please?


I want to buy some peanuts for the birds/wildlife. Does anyone know where the cheapest place is to buy them? I don't want to buy in great quantities.

B & M again around here.

Happygreen

Gers, you could win prices with your pictures!
Yesterday morning I surprised the pigeon mama with her new babes near the feeders. I never particularly liked pigeons but I've warmed to them over the years Funnily enough they never gave me trouble over my veg like with other folks. They are probably happy eating their share of the bird food all year.

Gers

It's the great subjects HG and good timing. There are so many different birds here, most of which I'll never capture on camera. The other day I sat in my car and watched a handful of herons just wandering around at low tide and then in the evening we had a golden eagle soaring way overhead for about half an hour. There are sea eagles across on Jura who sometimes pay a visit and Ospreys have been known to fish in the sea loch. It's a real joy, though all my lovely little birds give me loads of joy too.

I've got a internet linked camera on the bird feeders now so I can watch from anywhere.

I buy bird feed, including peanuts, from an agricultural store but have to buy it by the 27kg bag/sack. It's considerably cheaper but spending more at one time.

KxMx

For bird nuts my benchmark price that I consider to be good value is £2.50 or less per kg.

Wilko currently do 1kg for £2, Poundland £1 for 400g so the latter is not great value.

Now that Pet Supermarket have increased their free delivery spend by £20 not sure where I will be buying my next batch of those or seed! I prefer to buy in bulk but no car. Going to look at Pets at Home & Zoo Plus where I am ordering cat food from anyway.

cyclonebri1

Gers wrote: »

It's the great subjects HG and good timing. There are so many different birds here, most of which I'll never capture on camera. The other day I sat in my car and watched a handful of herons just wandering around at low tide and then in the evening we had a golden eagle soaring way overhead for about half an hour. There are sea eagles across on Jura who sometimes pay a visit and Ospreys have been known to fish in the sea loch. It's a real joy, though all my lovely little birds give me loads of joy too.

I've got a internet linked camera on the bird feeders now so I can watch from anywhere.

I buy bird feed, including peanuts, from an agricultural store but have to buy it by the 27kg bag/sack. It's considerably cheaper but spending more at one time.

Stop it right now, (;);)), you really will make all the less fortunate nature lovers here very very envious.

I've never seen a free golden eagle, or the red squirrels you have, I've only ever once seen an osprey, I am truly envious to be serious, it sound great up there.

Now changing the subject slightly, you mentioned herons. We get a relative of the grey heron down here.
When I'm out fishing in the Trent and Derwent river plain. I regularly see White Egrets, a small white heron, beautiful bird.

Have they reached your parts yet?, I understand they are colonising from the south in the 90's northwards

Gers

It is lovely here and I am fortunate to be able to enjoy it all. We just moved here this year but spent two holidays a year here for about fourteen years. Living here really is a dream come true.

I took a picture of two osprey (blurry far away on iPhone) who seem to be exchanging a large salmon. It was taken by accident as I was just taking a random shot of the landscape and the just flew into shot as I pressed the button. Tomorrow I'll look it up on the PC and try to post it.

No egrets here, just a whole pile of herons. They stalk around the water when the tide goes out. There's a hide on the edge of the sea so I must find out how to get into it. Buzzards are plentiful too, so along with the hen harriers and Eagles we have plenty of raptors around. Mind you the little birds are plentiful too.

Each area has its own joys. I just love the ones here.

Gers

Here's today's heron - was driving home from a shopping trip and this huge bird flew in front of my car and just landed on the road. I drove as close as I could, didn't want to spook it, and got this shot. A little closer made the bird take off. Took the shot with my iphone through the car windscreen.

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And here's the very far away photo of the ospreys - I took in on an iphone in May 2010.

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When I use Photoshop to get in closer it loses clarity so I hope you can see the fish in the talons of the bird on the right.

Gers

Birds are moving over to the peanuts more now. Black sunflower seeds are the last choice too. I've been out for suet pellets but then the weather turned nice again.

A few robins have 'returned' - haven't seen them all summer and here they are again so I've put out some mealworms in the hopes they find them. As we have a bevy of chickens at the moment I've put the mealworms on the field walls away from the chicks.

I'm looking forward to my first winter here and seeing the different species feed.

silverwhistle

Can anybody suggest a supplier of bird tables at reasonable cost?

I could try and make one, I suppose, and I cobbled together my own wood store, but I'm not a particularly handy lass when it comes to making things. Thanks if you have any ideas.

Ken68

silverwhistle wrote: »

Can anybody suggest a supplier of bird tables at reasonable cost?

I could try and make one, I suppose, and I cobbled together my own wood store, but I'm not a particularly handy lass when it comes to making things. Thanks if you have any ideas.

I got mine from a local charity shop, who employ young disadvantaged people. They have a factory and greenhouses and allotments they tend.All very local.
Feel free to pm and will give you details, though maybe you have something similar.