Any keen bird feeders out there?

Eenymeeny

For those of you who are interested in birds and nature I've just discovered BBC Radio Norfolk's Countryside Hour. It's broadcast on a Monday night but is also available as a podcast. I've just listened to the 22nd August one where farmer Chris Skinner is in the studio, talking about nature and the birds who visit his farm. Apparently there are plenty of fresh berries available for them at the moment but they'll soon be back to our gardens when the temperatures drop! I hope that some of you enjoy listening to it, I've added it to my favourites

Gers

Some bird was caught the other day. Found this today after being away for a couple of days.

Primrose

Gers, that looks like your local sparrow hawk has been in action!

Gers

Primrose wrote: »

Gers, that looks like your local sparrow hawk has been in action!

Yes, I think so too. Just not sure of what it caught. There has been just one collared dove which I suspect - by the colour of the feathers - could be a goner. However, the feathers look a little small and fluffier than a dove, so I'm not too sure.

Not any of the little birds I think. Such is nature. It doesn't seem to have put off the tits or goldfinches or green finches or chafffinches. Woodpecker has been seen. Hazelnuts vanishing daily though the squirrel has been more elusive this year than last.

Was told today I've got a bat in my loft. Not sure what to make of that!

Gers

The birds are really upping their eating rate! Two sunflower seed feeders are cleared in half a day. Nyger seed feeder empty in three hours and even the peanut feeders are being cleared at a much faster rate than over the summer.

I'm now adding in apples and fat to the selection.

Wizard_of_Id

I have attached a tray to the bottom of one of the seed feeders to catch the 'overspill', the birds won't feed from the tray but if I pour it all back into the feeder they gobble it up :huh:

MrsShazbat

We get a lot of birds although they were a bit picky this year about seed. Then I discovered my seed had 'gone off' - I bought a huge sack reduced last year but with the mild winter it didn't get used as much. Have now bought fresh seed and the birds are back on it. Suddenly this year we've been getting a lot of jackdaws - just sitting high up in the trees rather than feeding, but interesting to see the numbers. We get all sorts of species, even a woodpecker once when we first put the feeders out after moving in. We do live near a large wood so not surprising although we've never seen it since - the crows imitate the knocking though, which did get me excited last year!

Primrose

It easy to forget that bird seed and nuts can go "off", particularly peanuts which can go rock hard and acrid. We used to buy in bulk but now try to buy more regularly to prevent this happening. it must be hard for the birds to need the food badly in winter and then try and eat it, only to find it's off. The seed feeders need regular cleaning too to prevent diseases spreading. Ours get a thorough clean every month, and more regularly if there has been persistent rain for a long period which can cause stuff to rot very quickly.

Gers

We're in the middle of storm Conor here but it's not putting off the birds. The sight of them clinging to a swaying bird feeder is great to watch. Sometimes they can't land so do a sort of hover until the feeder swings back their way!

Nyger seeds go first. The two sunflower seed feeders can be emptied in under an hour. Peanuts, of course, take longer.

Still throwing out suet pellets and mealworms, apples and currants and the odd suet ball. I've got a tub of lard out there too which the blackbirds are attracted to although the littlier ones have a go too.

Because it's so mild the water bath is fine for them and, because it's so wet I don't have to fill it up every day.

theonlywayisup

I'm not fast enough, but we had 18 on the BIG feeder and 4 on the sun hearts (out of shot). But by the time I'd found the camera......still, you might get the general idea.