Tell me about feeding the birds?

[Seahorse]

I've never had much luck with feeding wild birds here at home. Maybe it's a bit too urban and with a few too many cats, or perhaps I've just been doing it wrong! Anyway, I'd like to do better at my lottie. Does anyone have any particular tips? Are the 'fancy' feed mixes worth it? What sort of feeders work best? Is there anything that's worked really well for you? Or something that turned out to be a waste of time and money? What about nest boxes?

So far I've got some a couple of hanging feeders and one that's designed to be fixed to a tree, plus some Bill Oddie mixes and some fat ball things. I have a fallen tree next to my plot that looks a good possible site for feeders.

Would love to hear what others do.

[Hazel at the Hill]

SBP suggested putting sultanas out for the birdies, which I now do every morning, and the blackbirds here really go for them!

[Two_Sheds]

I have experimented with all the different feeders, nut holders, fatball holders etc. A lot of loose seed gets knocked to the ground and wasted, or the seed holder doesn't flow properly, and the seed gets wet and goes mouldy or germinates.
My best, most favourite thing now is to make my own: melt some suet in a bowl (plastic Xmas pudding ones are ace). Add seed, sultanas, chopped nuts, oats, whatever. Mix up and freeze. It comes out of the mould easier if its frozen. I then hang that in a cage-type feeder, or you could try freezing a piece of string through the mix and hang it from that. Or just leave it loose on the bird-table.

Blackbirds and thrushes are ground-feeders, so throw some loose sultanas or small grapes down for them.

[smallblueplanet]

When we had more dosh we used to put sunflower hearts out - just about everything ate them, in quantity!!! However a more sensible approach is peanuts for lots of birds, nyger for the goldfinches, some sultanas for the blackies & robbies, also some hanging fat balls for tits & starlings, GS woody and others...

I think one of the important things is, they need somewhere to perch first before coming in for the food. They need some cover to fly away to, but not too near so that puddytats skulk about in it. It may take them some time to become used to the feeder.

Oh and as for type of feeder - the Nuttery ones to keep out the starlings (and only let in smaller birds) don't keep 'em out. If you think you'll have to deal with sqirrels trying to steal the food, then you'll need metal feeders - although I belive they don't like chilli flakes, whereas birds don't mind? An up-turned dustbin lid would make a good birdbath, not too deep to bath in (the birds that is!).

Also as important as food they need water, to drink and to bathe in - I think that there's few things as 'silly' as a bunch of starlings all trying to bathe at the same time.

[Paul Wagland]

I'd agree that sunflower hearts are definitely the favourite - seems like I fill that feeder every day! An old apple, cut in half, is also very popular.

[Seahorse]

Thanks folks I think (hope!) I'm really lucky in that I have an end plot bordered by brambles, a drainage ditch and large trees. Without making any effort at all, I've seen robins, blackbirds, blue tits and finches on my plot. I also have magpies, wood pigeons and at least one grey squirrel, which I'm marginally less keen on but hey, they're all part of the local ecology.

I like the DIY ideas and am also planning to plant loads of sunflowers (plus JA's, cardoons and artichokes).

[smallblueplanet]

.....and bird bath?

[rustylady]

I have peanut feeders and mixed seed feeders hanging from the apple tree, also fat balls. All have been extremely popular with my feathered friends in the past but this winter they've not been emptied at the same rate as usual. I don't know whether it is because the weather has been relatively mild and the birds can find food elsewhere, or what. I leave some apples from the tree in the borders, and the blackbirds love them when they start to go soft and semi-rotten. The blackbirds usually strip the berries off the orange pyracantha in the middle border by January, but this year I have loads of berries left. The blackbirds are still around, cos I've seen them in the garden. Any ideas why?

[Seahorse]

.....and bird bath?

Yeah... that might be good too I'm off to Google for child friendly options on that!

[smallblueplanet]

It doesn't have to be deep, its best if it isn't as the birds won't use it - would a dustbin lid of water be too hazardous, how small is the little 'un? Or you could treat yourself to a 'traditional' birdbath on a pedestal? (We've got the top of one, bought cheap sans pedestal. Also a couple of ceramic plant saucers from Ikea, cheap at £1 each (they're about 12" square, 1-2" deep).

[Seahorse]

It doesn't have to be deep, its best if it isn't as the birds won't use it - would a dustbin lid of water be too hazardous, how small is the little 'un?

My wee one is two but it's more my autistic son who'd be a worry That said, I think they'd both be hard pressed to do themselves any real damage in such a shallow amount of water (especially with me having to be pretty vigilant anyway, given all the other potential lottie hazards!).

I might even be tempted to get one of them there posh ones on a stick!

[smallblueplanet]

....I might even be tempted to get one of them there posh ones on a stick!

Ooooh get 'er!

We've got the ceramic saucer at the bottom of the garden, sat on top of a breeze-block! We can't afford no fancy lahdeedah birdbarfs!

- just visible at the bottom of the garden, the nettles aren't ours honest!

[deadwood]

I find that the birds are a little wary of anything new. So don't expect to put food out and then see flocks of birds. It may take them a couple of weeks to get used to the idea of there being food and that you actually do not want to eat them.

As people have said sunflower hearts are a favourite but I have found recently that the birds have gone more for peanut bits, not sure why the change.

Suggest that you only put out a little until they get used to the idea of there being food as it will go to waste otherwise. One other thing I found out - a lot of british birds are ground feeders so put some on the ground.

As for a cheap birdbath, try a large plastic tray that you stand pots in Wilkinsons have some for about 60p but get the widest possible, other places may have bigger ones than I saw at Wilkos.

[Seahorse]

Ooooh get 'er!

We've got the ceramic saucer at the bottom of the garden, sat on top of a breeze-block! We can't afford no fancy lahdeedah birdbarfs!

[ATTACH]3994[/ATTACH] - just visible at the bottom of the garden, the nettles aren't ours honest!

Looks good to me! Nowt wrong with nettles either - I got some decidely funny looks collecting wild ones for nettle tea last year, so I reckon you're onto a winner with being able to grab a crafty handful over the boundary now and again

[Seahorse]

I find that the birds are a little wary of anything new. So don't expect to put food out and then see flocks of birds. It may take them a couple of weeks to get used to the idea of there being food and that you actually do not want to eat them.

As people have said sunflower hearts are a favourite but I have found recently that the birds have gone more for peanut bits, not sure why the change.

Suggest that you only put out a little until they get used to the idea of there being food as it will go to waste otherwise. One other thing I found out - a lot of british birds are ground feeders so put some on the ground.

As for a cheap birdbath, try a large plastic tray that you stand pots in Wilkinsons have some for about 60p but get the widest possible, other places may have bigger ones than I saw at Wilkos.

Thanks once again deadwood - more useful info