On 12/01/2015 17:01, Ophelia wrote:


"Spider" wrote in message
...
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.

Ok I will watch out for that. Incidentally, is this just for starlings or
all the birds? I was just reading Stephen's post who no longer gets
them I suppose they may not come back



I should just put it where the starlings eat and see what happens. Lots
of birds need a meat diet and may be interested, but there's no
guarantee the starlings will take it yet. It was just my suggestion,
being a form of meat you could easily offer. You'll soon find out if
there are other interested parties. Continue to put out the fat balls
so the starlings have a choice; that way, you'll see which they prefer.


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.

Right, thanks, I will do that! I won't be able to get to the Pound shop
until next week but I will certainly have a look there too.


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.

I am starting to feel slightly queasy ...


E, tha's a big girl's blouse, lass! Have a stiff cup of tea and remember
it's the birds who'll be eating the mealworms, not you!;~)).


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.

I see various birds around them all the time so I think they are safe.
I am
not talking about garden ponds btw ...


Oh, right! Well, so long as the birds are safe.


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


Right! I have taken note!


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!:~)).

lol I know just what you mean ...


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:~).

Not a chance ... g Does the diet change throughout the year?


The parent starlings offer only live insect food to start with. After
some weeks (mentioned in that starling link, I believe), the young can
take other foodstuffs as well. They have to really, because they have
to eat seeds/berries/nuts, as well as scavenge, to get through the winter.

I think most parent birds feed their young on a high protein insect diet
to build them up. It's only later that other food becomes acceptable.
The important thing is not to offer whole nuts while ever there may be
young birds and inexperience fledglings around because there is a very
real risk of choking.


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



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

True *wink*

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;~)

That would be nice))


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;~).

lol not even mealworms ...???


Especially not mealworms, thank you:~). However, I do love vermicelli
which means 'little worms':~).
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay