Any keen bird feeders out there?

Horseygirl123

I think I'm turning into a twitcher!

I've always liked birds and fill a variety of containers every day. I've got used to seeing starlings, sparrows, many different types of finches and tits but today I was distracted by a bird I hadn't seen before using one of the fat ball feeders. After a while it started moving up the tree in an unusual fashion until it got to the top.

I've just been googling images and now know it is was a great spotted woodpecker. Are these fairly unusual in gardens?

ljonski

The GS Woodpecker is becoming more widespred in UK but lesser spotted is in serious decline!

Gers

My squirrel has, at long last, worked out how to use the squirrel feeder! It's taken it long enough. That'll leave the bird peanut feeders now for the birds. I'm so chuffed!

Happygreen

Happygreen wrote: »

mixed wild bird seeds from the factory shop atm are only £ 1 more expensive than at B & M. The contents are looking better somehow, B & M's now have some weird red pellets, maybe fat, in them and as my hens are also helping themselves I maybe better stick to less "weird" looking ingredients. I'll compare the labels when I get it in from the car.

I thought I had already posted the update but must have deleted before posting, doh...

Original Factory Shop National Trust Wild Bird Seeds at currently £ 8 (£ 6 was the recent sales offer) for 12.75 kg contain only wheat, cut corn, black sunflower seeds, rape seed oil

B&M 12.5 kg for £ 4.99 contain whole wheat, cut corn, black sunflower seeds, red dari, oats, millet, colouring, fats and oils, wheat flour

As my hens are helping themselves sometimes I will now stick to less ingredients, not keen on colourings and not specified fats and oils

Factory Shop it is for now, I hope they have some left tomorrow.

Mayflower10cat

This'll make you all laugh. One of my cats likes to eat 'al fresco' in the summer so we indulge her, putting out a few spoons of wet food that she'll eat in one go. There's always a few scraps left and somehow word got round the blackbird population that 'dinner is served' if you wait until Lou-Lou has finished, then clear up her leavings. This has been going on for about six years now - in fact we started to recognise some of the birds coming back each year.

It's got to the point that one bird in particular will tap his beak on the conservatory glass to get our attention to fill up the bowl!!!

And any leftover food we put out for our two long term ferals - in the summer is gobbled up by hedgehogs!

Fay

I've just completed the big bird watch survey, anyone else done it? Disappointing results and we have had less birds in recent weeks. I logged:
1 blackbird
2 bluetits
3 great tits
1 robin
2 dunocks
1 wood pigeon

One of the local cats came in and scared the dunocks and the black bird off. Grrr. My cat was fast asleep so no help in frightening said predator off!

Gers

We had loads of birds! Chaffinches galore, green finches and a large variety of tits. Two blackbirds, 10 goldfinches and one red squirrel.

I suppose that because we are so rural there's only two houses in the walkable area and I'm the only one who feeds the birds that they flock here! Still hoping for more than one squirrel.

Primrose

Five red kites swooping down onto our lawn this morning to collect meat and fat scraps so a good score for Birdwatch weekend!

Gers

The other week I bought two tubs of the National Trust suet ballls and my birds are not touching them! There must be something in them which is distasteful to them, even my red squirrel - who has been known to take away whole suet balls - hasn't been interested.

Mmmm - now what to do with them!

cally6008

Bash them into smaller chunks and scatter them around ?

I've just got to the end of a huge 12kg bag bird seed that I bought from B&M back in October. £5 over 4 months is pretty good value
Now I'm using up the last of the sunflower hearts, suet pellets etc before restocking and giving the feeders a clean.