Advice from twitchers needed

Medz

Hello twitchers! 

I have bagged myself a bargainous 3 in 1 bird feeder from Aldi in the hope of joining your ranks. 

I have fat balls already for the wide gap cage.

I think it’s seeds that I put in the plastic tube; and nuts for the narrow gapped cage. Not sure - no instructions - but I’m sure I’ll figure it out. 

In order to attract a variety of little birds and provide them with the correct nutrition, I would be really grateful for your advice on what variety of nuts to buy; and what variety of seed. 

Also, if any of you lovely folk have tips on where to purchase inexpensive (but satisfactory quality) nuts; seeds; and fat balls that would be really helpful.  

I would like to keep the feeder full throughout the year without breaking the bank. 

Many thanks as always for your always brilliant advice. 

Best wishes.

Alanp

You could try making your own fat balls I’m sure there’s plenty of recipes on tinternet/you tube, Wilco bird food is not bad but avoid cheap stuff as it can be filled with all sorts of rubbish, 

Medz

Alanp said:

You could try making your own fat balls I’m sure there’s plenty of recipes on tinternet/you tube, Wilco bird food is not bad but avoid cheap stuff as it can be filled with all sorts of rubbish, 

Thanks Alan. I really quite like the idea of making my own fat balls. I shall look up recipes. 

I just read on a website that some cheaper bird food can actually contain things harmful to certain birds. That adds an extra consideration.  I’ll check out my local Wilko next time I venture out. 

Best wishes. 

EssexExile

Medz said:

I think it’s seeds that I put in the plastic tube; and nuts for the narrow gapped cage. Not sure - no instructions - but I’m sure I’ll figure it out. 

That's right.
Named brand food is better as some cheap stuff contains nasties that do birds no good. Clean the feeders regularly. Don't expect hoards of birds to suddenly appear. First they have to get to know that there is food available there,  secondly at this time of year there is an abundance of food available naturally. In the spring I top up the feeders daily, this time of year not even weekly. Put water out too, I use those big saucers that garden pots stand in. Watching birds bathing can be good fun.
If possible I'd separate those feeders.

Medz

EssexExile said:

Medz said:

I think it’s seeds that I put in the plastic tube; and nuts for the narrow gapped cage. Not sure - no instructions - but I’m sure I’ll figure it out. 

That's right.
Named brand food is better as some cheap stuff contains nasties that do birds no good. Clean the feeders regularly. Don't expect hoards of birds to suddenly appear. First they have to get to know that there is food available there,  secondly at this time of year there is an abundance of food available naturally. In the spring I top up the feeders daily, this time of year not even weekly. Put water out too, I use those big saucers that garden pots stand in. Watching birds bathing can be good fun.
If possible I'd separate those feeders.

This is wonderful advice. Thank you. I have a plant saucer I can use as a bird bath. 

Would you give me some examples of ‘named brand’ bird foods to look for. 

Ectophile

Cheap mixed bird seed often contains large amounts of wheat.  Low-grade wheat is very cheap, but it's tough and not very nutricious for birds.  Pidgeons will eat it, but most smaller birds won't bother.

sgun

Cheap bird seed is cheap for a reason. There is good advice here https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/feeding-birds/safe-food-for-birds/  Lots of cheaper mixes also contain a lot of wheat as it is cheap and bulks out the mix but there aren't many birds that eat it (sparrows, pigeons etc). 

 I get our feed from Mole Country Stores, its their own brand and you can get huge sacks up to 20kg. Its very good and often you can get money off vouchers. RSPB own brand is excellent but pricey. Jolleys the pet food shop do large sacks roughly the same price as Mole and they also do it loose as well. Its pretty good. I don't think much of the mixes seeds from Peckish that you can get in B&Q - too much wheat.

Put peanuts in the one with the small mesh, fat balls in the large mesh one and seed in the clear one. I have a feeder for sunflower hearts, two for mixed seeds, one for peanuts, one for nyger seeds, two for fat balls and one with a tray for robins etc. I mix in ground feed into the  mixed seed ones - the birds chuck it out so the robins, blackbirds etc that eat from the ground get it throughout the day rather than me chucking it down only when the feeders get topped up. Our seed feeders only last about two days before I need to top them up. 

FreeBear

Some bird food contains <ahem> interesting seeds.... Had a lovely crop of five fingered leaves growing one year. Once I clocked what they were, pulled them out before the police paid a visit.

Medz

sgun said:

Cheap bird seed is cheap for a reason. There is good advice here https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/feeding-birds/safe-food-for-birds/  Lots of cheaper mixes also contain a lot of wheat as it is cheap and bulks out the mix but there aren't many birds that eat it (sparrows, pigeons etc). 

 I get our feed from Mole Country Stores, its their own brand and you can get huge sacks up to 20kg. Its very good and often you can get money off vouchers. RSPB own brand is excellent but pricey. Jolleys the pet food shop do large sacks roughly the same price as Mole and they also do it loose as well. Its pretty good. I don't think much of the mixes seeds from Peckish that you can get in B&Q - too much wheat.

Put peanuts in the one with the small mesh, fat balls in the large mesh one and seed in the clear one. I have a feeder for sunflower hearts, two for mixed seeds, one for peanuts, one for nyger seeds, two for fat balls and one with a tray for robins etc. I mix in ground feed into the  mixed seed ones - the birds chuck it out so the robins, blackbirds etc that eat from the ground get it throughout the day rather than me chucking it down only when the feeders get topped up. Our seed feeders only last about two days before I need to top them up. 

This is a lot of brilliant advice! Thank you so much! 

Wilko has 5 star reviews for its peanuts; and also its sunflower hearts.  I don’t know if Wilko is expensive in comparison to the others but I shall look them up and check. 

Do nyger seeds attract birds that do not eat sunflower hearts?  Or do you provide both to give the birds choice?  

I didn’t realise robins eat from the ground only.  I’ll make a note to scatter feed on the ground as well as fill the feeders. Thanks for that tip. 

Medz

FreeBear said:

Some bird food contains <ahem> interesting seeds.... Had a lovely crop of five fingered leaves growing one year. Once I clocked what they were, pulled them out before the police paid a visit.

“Birds flying high ....” 😂

Alanp

I use Richard Jackson’s bird food available from qvc, it’s expensive but no rubbish in it, I only got it cos it was on offer, you can go into a pets at home and mix your own, some of the Cheops fat balls contain sawdust so not very good, I’ve found that the birds love suet pellets, there’s a real scrap when I put them out