Any keen bird feeders out there?

cajef

TravellingAbuela wrote: »

I had my first Robin back yesterday, not had one since the end of last winter. Still waiting to spot the return of the Goldfinch on the niger seeds but they are usually a bit later than this.

Don't know where they have been as both are resident in the UK all year round, we have had Robins nesting and their young plus Goldfinch and their fledglings on our feeders all summer.

TravellingAbuela

cajef wrote: »

Don't know where they have been as both are resident in the UK all year round, we have had Robins nesting and their young plus Goldfinch and their fledglings on our feeders all summer.

They always disappear in summer. We are not far from farmland and extensive moorland so we assume there are better food supplies to be had up there!

cally6008

I've spotted our first Robin back this afternoon
We've got more feed and feeders than this time last year so hopefully we'll be seeing more of him/her

Gers

I'm not filling the sunflower hearts / seeds feeder for a while as I've just reseeded large areas of the grass. The chaffinches and greenfinches which come for the feed are eating the grass seed so it's peanuts only for a few weeks until the grass grows.

It seems to be only members of the tit family which I'm seen on the peanut feeder (apart from Tufty that is) and they've never been ground feeders so far.

Robins are mainly ground feeders I think.

owtfornowt_2

What type of feeders is everyone using as we seem to have attracted some rats below the feeders so stopped putting feed out at beginning of year. We currently have a fat ball ring and a hanging cylinder for seeds.
Thanks for suggestions in advance.

cally6008

2 peanut feeders
1 fat ball feeder with plastic tupperware lid attached to bottom
3 enclosed feeders
... plus at least 2 cats come wandering in the garden daily which the birds don't care about

CharlotteBarnes

owtfornowt wrote: »

What type of feeders is everyone using

I've got a cylinder feeder that's quite light and small. We get a lot of pigeons round where I live and I wanted to attract smaller birds. I've now got quite a menagerie in my front hedge Spotted sparrows, blue tits, green finches, bullfinches and great tits using it so far.

londonTiger

CharlotteBarnes wrote: »

I've got a cylinder feeder that's quite light and small. We get a lot of pigeons round where I live and I wanted to attract smaller birds. I've now got quite a menagerie in my front hedge Spotted sparrows, blue tits, green finches, bullfinches and great tits using it so far.

I have caged feeders on all my feeders and only have a few budgie sized birds coming in to feed. I do get one long beak bird that can reach at the fatballs from outside the cage though - but that's fine.

I had the old style fatball feeder before and I got medium size birds squaking non stop and fighting each other for the spot at the fatball feeder landing stick. It was a nuisance. But now it's better. I only feed the small birds and it gives them a chance to thrive and my wallet is conserved as well as the big birds can go through 4 fatballs in a day

CharlotteBarnes

londonTiger wrote: »

I got medium size birds squaking non stop and fighting each other for the spot at the fatball feeder landing stick.

My parents had a similar issue. They have two cylinder feeders on an iron pole with two hooks at the top. It was put out for the smaller birds but crows kept coming instead and scaring them all away. Because they were so big, they would grasp the iron pole and get to the feeders this way.

So, my mum smeared butter along the pole and hey presto! The crows kept sliding down before they could get to the feeders! Was quite funny seeing them try time and again but they eventually gave up.

Gers

Gers wrote: »

Think it's green fingers though not sure - and I've cleared my cache. They blamed Yodel! I'm not in the Highlands, just Central Scotland albeit on the very edge of the west coast and nearer Oban than Glasgow. One firm wanted to charge me £10.00 for an item costing £6.00 which would have been sent by Royal Mail - which has universal charging.

Thanks for the tip - will have a look.

Just remembered which company now charges £5.00 per delivery!