Any keen bird feeders out there?

ljonski

break them up and leave them for ground feeders or mix them with melted lard.

Horseygirl123

I've also had a few which the birds haven't touched. I ended up smashing them all up and scattering around the fields.

I've made a huge mistake in buying some suet balls as they were on offer and now the birds turn their noses up at anything inferior:D

Happygreen

Little robin followed me inside again and he never finds the same way out but gets stuck by a window, poor thing!

Outdoors I saw 2 yellowhammers, both boys I think, and next to the wrens the loveliest wee bird, a goldcrest. Delightful. I missed the bird watch day as it was lousy weather, it should have been yesterday!

Primrose

We have so many red kites in our area these days they are a more common sight than blackbirds. They are obviously breeding very successfully but I can't help wondering how they all find enough to feed on since I understand they only eat carrion and road kill and not live mammals.

It's rare to look upwards and not see one wheeling around in the sky nearby. They appear massive when they whoosh down onto our garden to gather scraps of meat or fat but are not ground feeders so merely grab it whilst in motion and soar up again. Very frustrating when you're trying to get a photo. I just hope the ham bone one grabbed the other day didn't end up being dropped through somebody's glass conservatory roof!

Ken68

Wow, Primrose, exciting, saw it on Countryfile the other week.
The predators around here are solo though have seen a pair of Marsh Harriers and talk of Red Kites. Yet to sight one.
Often see Kestrels from the bus into town when it skirts some farmland.

Gers

Saw from my upstairs window a bird of prey plucking feathers from what I assume was its kill! The rain on the window made it difficult to see clearly so I came downstairs. The view was better but I couldn't identify the bird - it was brown'ish with a white chest.

As I moved around the room it spied me and flew off, taking its prey with it.

It may have been a buzzard (there are lots round here) or even a marsh harrier.

Little birds are now back in place eating away! I hope they are not going to be targeted again.

torbrex

For those that put fatballs out for the birds, I saw in Poundstretcher this morning they now have boxes of 150 @£9.99 which is a saving of 2p a unit if you normally buy 6 pack @49p

cally6008

B&Ms - 12.75kg bag bird seed, now £3-99 (down from £4-99)

Horseygirl123

That's a good price - I thought I was doing well with Aldis 12.5 kg at £5.99. I normally get Harrison's 20kg Premium mix at £17 from my local feed merchants but I'm a bit skint until payday:(

Aldi also had a small bag of robin mix that I bought as I have a little visitor every morning.

Gers

I've got goldfinches galore now! Fighting over the sunflower hearts, it's so noisy outside.

It's obvious that the food hierarchy is whole peanuts first, sunflower hearts second and sunflower seeds third. All abandoned when mealworms are available.

I've bashed the suet balls as suggested and this has brought the blackbirds in - one male and one female.

There's a big uptake of the monkey nuts though I haven't seen which birds are taking them. The bright pink suet bits are left to last. Nyger seeds taken by goldfinches and chaffinches.

The red squirrel is dead set on the daily four whole hazelnuts and is not interested in the whole walnuts. I'm a bit worried as he seems to be eating one and hiding three, research shows that squirrels are not too good at remembering where the hidden caches are. I've left out the recommended deer antlers but they have been ignored too. Apple occupies the squirrel for about five minutes only and I find the skin left behind - just like a toddler.

I'm having recordable CCTV installed next week. Whilst the current PZT camera and IP camera are both good they require constant viewing which is not possible. Soon I'll be able to record and view much more action.

Every day a new delight!