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Feeding birds
People often ask here if they should go on feeding birds at this time of
year. Judging by our experience, I have to say "yes, please, please do!" We have two seed feeders in just one small area of the garden and I am having to completely refill them every two days. I think adult birds must be using them for easy nourishment for themselves while racing around finding food for babies. Even in winter I've never known their levels drop so quickly. By contrast, the peanuts are hardly being touched. -- Sacha http://www.hillhousenursery.com South Devon (new website online but not completed - shop to come and some mild tweaking to do!) |
Feeding birds
Sacha wrote:
People often ask here if they should go on feeding birds at this time of year. Judging by our experience, I have to say "yes, please, please do!" We have two seed feeders in just one small area of the garden and I am having to completely refill them every two days. I think adult birds must be using them for easy nourishment for themselves while racing around finding food for babies. Even in winter I've never known their levels drop so quickly. By contrast, the peanuts are hardly being touched. The same here as regards seed feeders, however my peanuts (not available whole, they have to peck at them)only last about 5 days. However the main users are a pair of woodpeckers! |
Feeding birds
"Sacha" wrote in message ... On 13/6/08 10:10, in article , "Broadback" wrote: Sacha wrote: People often ask here if they should go on feeding birds at this time of year. Judging by our experience, I have to say "yes, please, please do!" We have two seed feeders in just one small area of the garden and I am having to completely refill them every two days. I think adult birds must be using them for easy nourishment for themselves while racing around finding food for babies. Even in winter I've never known their levels drop so quickly. By contrast, the peanuts are hardly being touched. The same here as regards seed feeders, however my peanuts (not available whole, they have to peck at them)only last about 5 days. However the main users are a pair of woodpeckers! The peanuts here are in a special nut feeder and we had a woodpecker on it a week or two ago but I don't think it's returned. I filled both seed feeders yesterday and have just looked at them. Both are almost half empty! -- Sacha http://www.hillhousenursery.com South Devon (new website online but not completed - shop to come and some mild tweaking to do!) Your bird population is obviously very abstemious. Round here I had a 4 port and a 6 port seed feeder in two adjacent trees and they were emptying every day. I've replaced the six port with one of these http://www.haiths.com/product-Squirr...r-BFMERIP1006/ and adjusted the weight thingy to a point where multiple small birds can use it simultaneously but more than one Starling causes the ports to block (guess what's eating my seed!). Even then it needs refilling every 2/3 days and in the meantime the 4 port runs out. Peanuts last longer and niger even longer. |
Feeding birds
On 13/6/08 11:25, in article ,
"Graham Harrison" wrote: "Sacha" wrote in message ... On 13/6/08 10:10, in article , "Broadback" wrote: Sacha wrote: People often ask here if they should go on feeding birds at this time of year. Judging by our experience, I have to say "yes, please, please do!" We have two seed feeders in just one small area of the garden and I am having to completely refill them every two days. I think adult birds must be using them for easy nourishment for themselves while racing around finding food for babies. Even in winter I've never known their levels drop so quickly. By contrast, the peanuts are hardly being touched. The same here as regards seed feeders, however my peanuts (not available whole, they have to peck at them)only last about 5 days. However the main users are a pair of woodpeckers! The peanuts here are in a special nut feeder and we had a woodpecker on it a week or two ago but I don't think it's returned. I filled both seed feeders yesterday and have just looked at them. Both are almost half empty! -- Your bird population is obviously very abstemious. Round here I had a 4 port and a 6 port seed feeder in two adjacent trees and they were emptying every day. I've replaced the six port with one of these http://www.haiths.com/product-Squirr...r-BFMERIP1006/ and adjusted the weight thingy to a point where multiple small birds can use it simultaneously but more than one Starling causes the ports to block (guess what's eating my seed!). Even then it needs refilling every 2/3 days and in the meantime the 4 port runs out. Peanuts last longer and niger even longer. ;-) That's just two of the bird feeders I'm talking about! We have several in the greenhouses and a shallow cardboard tray is on a table near the till and is frequently raided by blackbirds, chaffinches and robins. But around lunchtime I saw a coal tit on the nut feeder - first thing I've seen on it for some time. The jackdaws are being taught to feed on leatherjackets in the lawn in front of the house and there are usually young and a couple of adults ferreting about there early every morning. -- Sacha http://www.hillhousenursery.com South Devon (new website online but not completed - shop to come and some mild tweaking to do!) |
Feeding birds
On 13/6/08 12:36, in article ,
"AriesVal" wrote: On Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:13:09 +0100, Sacha wrote: On 13/6/08 10:10, in article , "Broadback" wrote: [12 quoted lines suppressed] The peanuts here are in a special nut feeder and we had a woodpecker on it a week or two ago but I don't think it's returned. I filled both seed feeders yesterday and have just looked at them. Both are almost half empty! I also save any fat from cooking and set it with seeds in empty cat tins and freeze them as lovely food for Winter birds. Yes we do that but find they prefer suet to lard! Otherwise, we buy the balls of fat and seeds from a feed merchant and hang them around all over the place. They never last long! -- Sacha http://www.hillhousenursery.com South Devon (new website online but not completed - shop to come and some mild tweaking to do!) |
Feeding birds
"Sacha" wrote in message ... People often ask here if they should go on feeding birds at this time of year. Judging by our experience, I have to say "yes, please, please do!" We have two seed feeders in just one small area of the garden and I am having to completely refill them every two days. I think adult birds must be using them for easy nourishment for themselves while racing around finding food for babies. Even in winter I've never known their levels drop so quickly. By contrast, the peanuts are hardly being touched. -- Sacha Quite a few sites say that one shouldn't make Peanuts available whilst birds are feeding chicks. Have no fear. I have many photos of birds taking the peanuts, chewing then well and THEN feeding the chicks. YES YES YES Continue to feed the birds all the year.. ALSO, if you are into photography as I am now, put a large dish of water down, I use a pot saucer some 18" diameter and the birds love it. I have a performance on stage in a short while but I will post pictures on a web site tomorrow Mike |
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