In message , JennyC
writes

"JakeD" wrote
I have now tried several kinds of bird-feed, including fat balls,
peanits and various seeds, all hung in net bags outside my bedroom
window, so I can see what's eating what.

The only birds that ever come for a snack are great tits! (Black head,
yellow breast.) They only eat the peanuts and some large seeds that
look something like pumpkin seeds.

I wish I knew what would appeal to some of the other birds in the
garden.
JD


Just in time for the RSPB "Feed the Birds Day" - 27-10-07 :~))))
http://www.rspb.org.uk/feedthebirds/index.asp
Also has 'what to feed'
http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpin...ding/index.asp


Somewhat irrelevant American site - but it has wonderful pictures of
hummingbirds :~)
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/Abo.../BirdFoods.htm

jenny

The downside of feeding birds, though, is that they come to rely on it,
and while they are fine in summer and autumn, I feel really bad about
going away in winter and early spring, thinking about all those empty
little stomachs.

We have also been adopted by a flock of doves. The flock has resided
four doors from us for some 30 years, but the dovecot-maker who was
raising them presumably fed them. Recently he has had health issues, and
also I imagine the dovecote business is suffering due to bird flu, so we
have been discovered by two dozen hungry doves, from various sides of
the blanket (most of them white, but some interesting spotty variants,
or pigeon in front, dove in back. The downside to the variation is that
those can be recognised, and invariably they are the ones taken by the
sparrow hawk...). Unfortunately this means that even though we buy seed
etc. in huge bags, it is impossible to feed the ground feeders, as every
grain is immediately scoffed by doves.

--
Klara, Gatwick basin