Feed the birds

[SueA]

I've posted this link before in the past but the RSPB website has a useful section on what/ what not to put out to feed the birds which may come in handy now that there are so many little birds around.
It's got advice on suitable household scraps & even how to breed your own mealworms!
It's also got advice on what to do with sick & injured birds & lots of other 'frequently asked questions'.
Salt is particularly bad for birds so you should avoid anything salty & bread is O.K. but in summer you should break it up into tiny crumbs so that only the adult birds eat it as baby birds can choke big chunks & wouldn't be particularly healthy if it was their only diet anyway.(Hope I didn't kill any ducks with the big chunks of bread I used to throw at them, mind you it would have been soggy in the water so probably went down alright!)

The RSPB: Advice

[Sheikh Yerboutti]

It says to see how to breed mealworms clik the link, but I dont see a link, did you?

[Capsid]

Why do I burst into song with tuppence a bag?

[SueA]

It says to see how to breed mealworms clik the link, but I dont see a link, did you?

If you look on the left hand side towards the top of the the page 'What Food to Provide' under 'advice' you'll see it says 'household scraps' then 'breed your own mealworms', if you click on the words it will take you to the page (you're braver than me if you do breed your own!)

[SueA]

Why do I burst into song with tuppence a bag?

I used to love that song when I was little!

[Sheikh Yerboutti]

Ah thanks I found it now.

[Tam]

I go through a lot of the cheap large bags of dog food that most of the supermarkets sell and, although I don't think I would use it for dogs, I am assured that it makes an excellent food for birds. It has to be soaked before the birds get it and they certainly shift it extremely quickly.

[valmarg]

We chuck loads of kitchen scraps out at this time of year. The scraps don't last long as the adult birds are a bit fraught, trying to feed their young.

If we have a curry or chilli, whilst the birds don't mind the plain rice, they much prefer it with curry/chilli sauce on.

At this time of year, when the birds are struggling to feed their young, there's not much they turn their noses up, or should I say beaks.

valmarg

[Sheikh Yerboutti]

Not many species will feed their young curry or chilli, not sure what species you have round your place!

[SueA]

Cooked rice is fine for birds, they probably like the sauce as it makes it softer for them to swallow, starlings & pigeons will eat anything! I can just imagine your birds putting in an order for an indian takeaway Valmarg!
Lots of people sprinkle chilli/curry powder on peanuts which they put out for the birds as it doesn't bother them but it puts squirrels off as they don't like the hot taste! It's mentioned hear on the RSPB advice link.

The RSPB: Advice: Grey squirrel deterrents

[valmarg]

It's mainly starlings and blackbirds that go for the chilli/curry, but I have seen robin having a taste.

For roughly the last month the adults have been taking everything on offer for their young. Mashed, roast and jacket potato, pastry, cooked and raw, cake, bread, kitchen disasters, ie pancakes that are not fit for us, but the birds don't turn their beaks up at.

It's more of an Indian flyaway than takeaway SueA.

That said, we have a lot of chicks. Plenty of blackbirds and starlings. We have had quite a few robins, the most I saw with an adult at one time was three. Quite a few dunnocks (I forget which sparrow they are), and sparrows.

I love this time of year. I stand at the kitchen window, and it's just so lovely to watch. I know, I know, I'm a sad old biddy, but I do love it.

valmarg

[esmed]

Our birds are going through food like there's no tomorrow at the moment.

They have a little bit of moistened bread, dried mealworms, a couple of handfuls of dried mixed fruit and grated cheese on the table(OH complains that the birds get better treatment than him!). In addition to that there are the feeders full of mixed seed and chopped peanuts and a couple of fat balls.

They'll clear all that in a day!

I'm growing sunflowers for this year as well.

I do love seeing them collecting food from the table though and we've seen some different birds visit this year as well although i have no idea what any of them are!!