On 12/01/2015 00:34, Ophelia wrote:


"Spider" wrote in message
...

Righteo then the cafe shall remain for the moment Apart from a whole
chicken and Bonnie's dinner, what else would you put out?


It's worth trying any scraps you would normally put out for the birds,
avoiding anything salty. It may be worth trying raw mince meat if you
can get it cheap (cheep?) enough, but that's a guess.

g Actually I always mince all my own meats so no problems there.
You say to put it out raw? Just beef?


Beef is, perhaps, the most commonly available as mince, but try a few
scraps of anything you've got. Until you know what they'll take, don't
put heaps of anything down or you'll attract rats. Whatever you put
down during the day ought to have been eaten by birdy bedtime so it
doesn't go off.


Ah! So there is nothing more we can offer them now?


You could try offering the dried mealworms often on sale for wild birds.

Heck, from where would I obtain the aforementioned err mealworms???



They are sold in tubs or strong polythene packs specifically for bird
feeding. We buy ours from Poundstretcher or whichever gardencentre
we're visiting. If you can find them in pound shops, they will be
cheaper. They're widely available. I think I've even seen them in the
bigger supermarkets, too. Google 'dried mealworms' and you'll get an
impression of what you're looking for. You may even choose to buy them
on line.


If they don't want them, you'll soon find that robins and tits do!
They won't be wasted. I know! ... try offering them those suet blocks
with peanut and insect.

Insects? where do I find insects?


You don't need to. Somebody's already done all that for you:

http://www.birdsandbees.co.uk/bird-s...m-pid8304.html

The link actually shows a suet block with mealworms, but insect ones are
available, too. Once you start looking, you'll see all sorts of diets
and flavours.



It's a sort of middle step between what you're
offering them now and their preferred insect diet. They ought to love
that. I buy them fairly cheaply (£1 a block) in Poundstretchers, but
Wilkinsons and the like should have good prices, too.

I have a Poundshop nearby. Not the others, but I will look.

They'll always appreciate fresh water for drinking and batheing, but
you've already said that there are local ponds they could use.

Oh yes, very large and deep ponds too!


Mmm ... I hope there are some shallow ones or ones with a shallow
'beach'. Birds cannot cope with deep water. I once left an old cup
outside (used for a scooping job in the garden) which filled with water.
A few days later, I found a blue tit drowned in it:~((. I've never
done that since. The traditional birdbath is shallow because it works
and is safe for birds. I sometimes put out a large plantpot saucer
filled with water and a large stone in the middle for birds to perch on
while they drink or bathe. Much safer.


Apparently they will take dog food, but your dog may not appreciate
that!
They're clearly happy with what you're offering them.
However, I found this website earlier, which you may find interesting:

http://www.starlingtalk.com/diet.htm

Plenty there to look at, thanks I am not sure I will be offering a
whole
cooked chicken although I don't think Bonnie will mind too much if they
have
some of her dog food. She won't go hungry

If I offer dog/people food, will it be ok to offer it in the sdff?

Only if you keep it thoroughly clean, otherwise it will rapidly become
unhealthy. A shallow tray with some drainage holes (in case of rain)
would fit the bill (no pun intended), or even two, so you can wash one
while using one.

I hadn't thought of washing the sdff (tm) ! Does it need to use some
bleach type cleaner? The guttering is sloped so it does drain naturally
and the quantity of rain we have at the moment does wash it out.


If you use a strong cleaner like bleach, you will have to scrupulous
about rinsing it well. I buy a cleaner made specially for pets called
'Keep it Clean':

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.a...uWtAo d_XcAUA

again, it is available in supermarkets, pet shops and many garden
centres. I use it around my cats and for cleaning birdy devices. I
even use it to clean the kitchen floor where the cats eat (yes, they
have bowls!:~)).


In the meantime, I don't suppose hubby will mind too much if he
has an
excuse to stay in the warm;~). So long as he gets his gutttering up
in time to catch the April showers:~).

Awwww he was enjoying them as much as I was so he is content to wait


Yes, I can imagine you both glued to the window:~)

We were)


I wouldn't count on that particular cafe being up and running next
winter though)


Unless hubby pops out and buys some more guttering ... (scuttles back
under stone) :~))

lolol I wouldn't put it past him))) I just asked and he say he is
sure he will find something))


I bet he will! Once you start this bird feeding obsession, you'll
both be only too pleased to forfeit some artefact or project to keep
the birds happy. Sounds good to me:~).

lol With your encouragement how else could it be????


Nice of you to say so, but it's *your* encouragement the birds are
interested in. You've both made a great start and I get no sense that
you're about to stop:~).


btw I've never had all these starlings in the garden until the sdff))



Just goes to show how sooper dooper (tm) it is.


The sdff(tm), if you don't mind!;~)).

Nodnodnod quite so. How could I forget g

g also

It's amazing how many birds (and other critters) you can attract into
your garden once you start feeding them and giving thought to their
environment.

Well I am learning from you as I go, so thank you


I was frozen when I finally dragged myself in from the garden this
afternoon and beginning to droop a bit, but your post really cheered
me up.

Thank you) You always cheer me up too and I look forward to your posts)


That's a happy coincidence:~)). We'd better keep it up, then;~)


Lovely to hear tales from your garden again, and learn that the
starlings were doing well:~). Thanks for that. Night, Sweetie.

Aww night night to you too Sweetie and big hugs too!!!



Hug of the Day flying to you. It's alright, you don't have to feed it;~).
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay