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feed the birds, tuppence a bag.....
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Message 1.Â
Posted by devarose (U12129565) on Saturday, 11th December 2010
I have a VERY tiny garden with very few birds at the moment. Where is the best place to put a bird bath - next to the fence, in the corner of the patio, in the middle of the patio???? And where to put bird food? I have a feeder that they visit occasionally . What about a dish of food on the wall of a raised bed? Or next to the wall near some plants? I do want to attract as many as possible and I don't seem to be succeeding.
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Message 2
Posted by cleverelliejo (U13778549) on Saturday, 11th December 2010
Put the Bird Bath where you can see it so that you can enjoy watching them.
It would be good if it was also near a point where they can do their preening.
Make sure your feeders aren't near a place where a cat can hide.Tied up in arches or trees is good.
keep putting out the food, they will find it.
Elliejo... -
Message 3
Posted by BaraGwenith (U14257539) on Saturday, 11th December 2010
Also keep feeders off the ground or you will attract rats. Also do not allow food to remain on the ground at night.
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Message 4
Posted by devarose (U12129565) on Saturday, 11th December 2010
Many thanks. Rats - ugh! Found one smiling at us in the compost bin when we moved in but not since so thanks for the wartning.
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Message 5
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Saturday, 11th December 2010
If you have a feeder which birds visit then it's in the right spot, you may want to consider putting a feeding station there offering a variety of food. You'll attract different types then.
Once you start feeding birds particularly over winter you will need to continue because they'll see your garden as a source of food and may not be able to get it else where if you stop. -
Message 6
Posted by hypercharleyfarley (U7444019) on Sunday, 12th December 2010
Hello - don't know whether or not you've had any success with attracting the garden birds yet, but in addition to others' suggestions I'd consider what sort of bird food you're presently using, in addition to where it's situated.
Obviously you'd want to be able to see the birds, but it isn't a good idea to put a bird table or feeder station right out in the open as birds can be very wary about being attacked by some predator or other - best to try to hang things from a tree or to get one of those poles with a bracket attached which you can then place in amongst some shrubs. Some birds are ground feeders - blackbirds, robins & so on - although one robin does take food from one of the hanging feed stations which I have. The sight of ground-feeding birds often seems to give some confidence to other species, so blue tits etc will arrive soon after. If you put some bird food on the ground in a flat container such as an old tray or similar, you can retrieve it before it gets dark & thus the risk of attracting rats is lessened. Nothing will stop rats, however, and there's always the chance that one might seek to eat any food which falls from hanging bird-feeders anyway.
As far as the food itself is concerned - apart from the obvious peanuts and wild bird seed mixes you can buy - you can use lots of things which might be kitchen left-overs. I'm thinking of stale bread/cake/biscuits/crackers etc which you could "blitz" for a few seconds in a liquidiser, along with a handful of peanuts. When I do this I also mix in some sunflower or other vegetable oil or even left-over fat from cooking.
If you get any of those "fatballs" it's best if you don't put these out in the plastic mesh bags which they're often sold in because some small birds can get their feet trapped in the mesh. The local garden centre here sells wire holders which take 4 or 5 fatballs, & only cost £1.99. They also sell the fatballs loose, which is cheaper than the packaged ones anyway.
I hope this helps a bit & look forward to hearing how you get on. Cheers! Ma -
Message 7
Posted by hypercharleyfarley (U7444019) on Sunday, 12th December 2010
hello again - having re-read this after pushing the "post" button, I realise I'd not mentioned the fact that blackbirds love apples, so if you've any apples (or even pears) which are past their best, chop into small pieces & put those out too.
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Message 8
Posted by John Moodie (U14353581) on Sunday, 12th December 2010
The birds I feed like their feeders in the trees or hanging near a tree. They prefer to bath where they have a good view if Hemmy, my neighbours cat is coming.
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Message 9
Posted by Rainjustlearning (U12861332) on Sunday, 12th December 2010
In my local pet shop and in Wilkinson's you can get a tub of 50 fat balls for £6.99 well worth it, I carry them home in my shopping trolley, I will need to get some more this week as I have more snow forecast from Thursday grrrrrrrr.
Rain -
Message 10
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Sunday, 12th December 2010
I think I purchased the same tub of fatballs rain. The birds round here though prefer the home made ones.
I've made some up of peanut butter and crushed peanuts, pushed into acorns, recipe from an earlier poster. The birds love them, they were fightimg over one this morning. I've also made some from suet, musli and crushed peanuts which don't last the day. -
Message 11
Posted by Rainjustlearning (U12861332) on Monday, 13th December 2010
How do you you make round fat balls Zoomer or don't you make them round?
Rain -
Message 12
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Monday, 13th December 2010
Rain. I melt the suet in a pan then mix 1 part suet to 3 parts crushed peanuts and fruity musli from Aldi, just enough for it to hold together then squash it into a muller vitality yoghurt pot, they are slightly smaller than most yohurt pots. Before putting food into the pot I curl a piece of garden wire round the bottom of the pot with a piece running up through the middle. Then pop it in the fridge to set. The wire means it will hook on to anything.
I think you may have given me the idea to actually make my own
I've found home made one's aren't as solid as the bought ones and so birds can soon peck them apart. -
Message 13
Posted by Rainjustlearning (U12861332) on Monday, 13th December 2010
Hi Zoomer, I make fat slabs rather than the balls I use the containers that I got when I got a Chinese meal but I use lard as it's cheaper, still goes down like no tomorrow, I guess as long as they eat that's all that matters, I have though about using a long tumbler then it would probably fit in the feeders as well.
Rain -
Message 14
Posted by Daffs4Feb (U14708944) on Tuesday, 14th December 2010
Just going back to where to site the bird feeder, it will make a big difference if you put it within a few feet of a bush or tree which can provide the birds with "cover" if they get a scare, or where they can feel secure when pecking into their sunflower seed. A friend of mine had no luck attracting birds into his garden until he moved the feeder nearer to the hedge.
Good luck! -
Message 15
Posted by TomBradbury (U3349234) on Tuesday, 14th December 2010
Since putting out my feed for the birds just over two weeks ago, my garden has been inundated with all sorts of birds, however, interestingly, the greatest number of birds I am getting it blue tits and hardly any sparrows - maybe 3 or 4 max a day compared to +7 tits at any one time. The number of starlings is increasing from the odd one every other day, to 2 a day to 3 then 4 then 5. Obviously tweets are getting around. I'm disappointed that Blackbird have not turned up, but then I don't put food on the ground as there are too many cats around my area. One was nearly interested in the food on the flat dish on the bird pole but it didn't come back. I also had a thrush on one day, but again, didn't come back. I have had a problem with a solitary magpie who I chase off every time I see it - it gobbles all the food on the flat dish leaving nothing. I appreciate it is another bird to feed, but I feel magpies are more pest than foe, so I don't them a welcome guest in my garden . I have at least two or three robins who eat the seed and bits of mealworm that get scattered on the ground from the feeders.
First time this year I've fed the birds and now realise how important it is especially with this cold weather. Just put in an order for 15Kgs of different nuts and seeds and 500g of mealworms from an online website. Hopefully that will keep them fed for a couple of months yet! -
Message 16
Posted by Rainjustlearning (U12861332) on Tuesday, 14th December 2010
For the first time in my garden I am getting Long Tailed Tit's I was well pleased I've had the Blue and The Great in abundance so these are a real treat, I have the same problem with a single Magpie but the Robin believe it or not soon sees him off it's so funny to watch it's David and Goliath all over.
Rain -
Message 17
Posted by crouchee (U13371975) on Thursday, 16th December 2010
Lamb fat is the hardest and makes good fat balls, and fatty lumps can usually be cadged from a good butcher's when they are boning out joints on Fridays for weekend roasts. Render them down in a pan when you next have the oven on.
My grandma used to fill up coconut halves with fat and hang them in trees for the bluetits to swing from.
Beef fat is next best, pork and chicken are too soft (and far too nice on wholemeal toast with a little salt and pepper to give to the birds)
Not sure vegetarian options would be very nice, I'd want to read the label on vegetarian suet to see if it was full of trans-fats. -
Message 18
Posted by John Moodie (U14353581) on Thursday, 16th December 2010
I'm worried about my little flock of spruce grouse. There is about eight of them and they haven't come by to feed for about two weeks. I'm thinking that the coyotes have eaten them. I know they are coming into our yards at night looking for little dogs or cats to snatch. It's pretty tough hunting for them right now.
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Message 19
Posted by Rainjustlearning (U12861332) on Friday, 17th December 2010
When I went to fill the feeder's this morning I found a dead House Sparrow under the tree, I think he may have frozen to death as he didn't look very old or fat, I was gutted, I wish I could have a central heated house for the to roost in I don't like to see thing's die in the garden I know it's survival of the fittest but it's still sad.
John Moodie's Spruce Grouse just in case
Rain -
Message 20
Posted by John Moodie (U14353581) on Friday, 17th December 2010
Hi Rain,
Yes those are my favourite visitors. Last winter during a real cold snap -30, I noticed them digging burrows into the snow in my backyard. They wanted to stay close to an easy food source I guess. Anyway, it was blizzarding and that evening I went out the back door and there was a terrible shrieking and out of the snow they appeared and flew off. I felt horrible. Usually if I know there in my yard I stay inside. They are very skittish.
Yes it's survival of the fittest for them, but I'm always a bit sad when I find a dead bird. I'm furious when my neighbours cat Hemmy, hunts in my yard and just leaves them on the walk all lined up for me to get rid of. She was doing this with little birds with green feathers last summer. I don't know what those birds were but I felt like strangling Hemmy. Problem is she's a terrific mouser. And rids my garage of them. Still she too fat and never eats them. Just has to show me though. -
Message 21
Posted by devarose (U12129565) on Friday, 17th December 2010
Some fantastic ideas here, many thanks. I think my main problem is lack of bushes and trees in the patch - I'm working on that and I'll let you know how the birds fare. I actually had a robin on the fence the other day but it didn't come in.
Did someone mention coyotes? Don't get those in this neck of the woods....... -
Message 22
Posted by John Moodie (U14353581) on Friday, 17th December 2010
Hello devarose,
No you wouldn't have coyote issues. I'm on the eastern foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. We even get bear and cougars come into the city every year along the river valley. I'm about a half a mile up one of the creeks from the river.
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