Digging for Mr Robin
 

I've been moving the pots around on the patio the last few days in this
frosty weather since there are often worms underneath. He is so keen he is
just pushing me out of the way. After moving these pots a few times there
seems to be no more worms though.

Would it be worth while just having a little dig into the top soil, or would
that be a waste of time bearing in mind the earth here almost solid due to
the near minus temperatures.

I'm told freeze dried mealworms are the way to do, but at a local store they
are £3.50 for a very tiny tub which would not go very far. Grateful for
advice on where to buy them more economically. Thanks.

Digging for Mr Robin
 

"john stone" wrote in message
...
I've been moving the pots around on the patio the last few days in this
frosty weather since there are often worms underneath. He is so keen he is
just pushing me out of the way. After moving these pots a few times there
seems to be no more worms though.

Would it be worth while just having a little dig into the top soil, or
would that be a waste of time bearing in mind the earth here almost solid
due to the near minus temperatures.

I'm told freeze dried mealworms are the way to do, but at a local store
they are £3.50 for a very tiny tub which would not go very far. Grateful
for advice on where to buy them more economically. Thanks.


How about digging in your compost heap? We have millions in ours, but again
you will have to dig deep as the worms have gone deep as well

Mike


--

....................................

I'm an Angel, honest ! The horns are there just to keep the halo straight.

....................................

Digging for Mr Robin
 

On Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:29:03 -0000, "john stone"
wrote:

I've been moving the pots around on the patio the last few days in this
frosty weather since there are often worms underneath. He is so keen he is
just pushing me out of the way. After moving these pots a few times there
seems to be no more worms though.

Would it be worth while just having a little dig into the top soil, or would
that be a waste of time bearing in mind the earth here almost solid due to
the near minus temperatures.

I'm told freeze dried mealworms are the way to do, but at a local store they
are £3.50 for a very tiny tub which would not go very far. Grateful for
advice on where to buy them more economically. Thanks.

When the soil chills, worms stay alive by going deeper - the pots
provided warmth of course but once you moved them, any worms the robin
didn't take will be a few inches down. If you did dig down a bit,
unless the robin was around, any worms you uncovered would soon burrow
deeper.

Here, the local robins have adapted and happily visit the bird
feeder/table and take sunflower hearts (they won't touch sunflowers in
shells).

Other feeding options which robins like are sweet fruits (chop up
things like apples, strawberries and the like) though these need to be
changed daily. Or you can try canned dog/cat food which is a source of
protein for them. Again, needs changing daily - if you don't have a
dog/cat from which you can filch a bit of food, maybe a neighbour with
one would give you a spoonful each day. IIRC, dog food is better.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay where sometimes
it's raining and sometimes it's not.

Digging for Mr Robin
 

The Original Jake wrote in
:

On Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:29:03 -0000, "john stone"
wrote:

I've been moving the pots around on the patio the last few days in
this frosty weather since there are often worms underneath. He is so
keen he is just pushing me out of the way. After moving these pots a
few times there seems to be no more worms though.

Would it be worth while just having a little dig into the top soil, or
would that be a waste of time bearing in mind the earth here almost
solid due to the near minus temperatures.

I'm told freeze dried mealworms are the way to do, but at a local
store they are £3.50 for a very tiny tub which would not go very far.
Grateful for advice on where to buy them more economically. Thanks.

When the soil chills, worms stay alive by going deeper - the pots
provided warmth of course but once you moved them, any worms the robin
didn't take will be a few inches down. If you did dig down a bit,
unless the robin was around, any worms you uncovered would soon burrow
deeper.

Here, the local robins have adapted and happily visit the bird
feeder/table and take sunflower hearts (they won't touch sunflowers in
shells).

Other feeding options which robins like are sweet fruits (chop up
things like apples, strawberries and the like) though these need to be
changed daily. Or you can try canned dog/cat food which is a source of
protein for them. Again, needs changing daily - if you don't have a
dog/cat from which you can filch a bit of food, maybe a neighbour with
one would give you a spoonful each day. IIRC, dog food is better.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay where sometimes
it's raining and sometimes it's not.


Or just buy a tin of dog food. Surely that would not burst the bank.
I am going to try dog food if it works so well.
Buy and try are my thoughts.

Baz

Digging for Mr Robin
 

On Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:21:09 GMT, Baz wrote:


Or just buy a tin of dog food. Surely that would not burst the bank.
I am going to try dog food if it works so well.
Buy and try are my thoughts.

Baz

Hi Baz.

The thing is that once opened, a tin of dog food has to be used
within a couple of days so would, over time, work out more expensive
than meal worms, which would keep for longer. A robin will only scoff
a dessert spoonful a day. And it may be a couple of days before he
realises it's for him (or her).

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay where sometimes
it's raining and sometimes it's not.

Digging for Mr Robin
 

Try Googling!

I use Vinehouse farm, http://www.vinehousefarm.co.uk,
£36 for a kilogram.

Arkwildlife are also good,
http://www.arkwildlife.co.uk at £26.95 a kilo, or £102
for 10Kg!

Amazon is another source, selling 2Kg of Chapelwood
robin food for £6.49 inc free delivery!




In article , 459fgp86549
@mail.invalid says...
I'm told freeze dried mealworms are the way to do, but at a local store they
are £3.50 for a very tiny tub which would not go very far. Grateful for
advice on where to buy them more economically. Thanks.







--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales

Digging for Mr Robin
 

On Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:29:03 -0000, "john stone"
wrote:

I've been moving the pots around on the patio the last few days in this
frosty weather since there are often worms underneath. He is so keen he is
just pushing me out of the way. After moving these pots a few times there
seems to be no more worms though.

Would it be worth while just having a little dig into the top soil, or would
that be a waste of time bearing in mind the earth here almost solid due to
the near minus temperatures.

I'm told freeze dried mealworms are the way to do, but at a local store they
are £3.50 for a very tiny tub which would not go very far. Grateful for
advice on where to buy them more economically. Thanks.



Move big plant pots.
Put bits of wood on the ground and then move them a few days later.
There's loads of worms under tubs and bits of wood on the allotment
(They are thin planks I use to stand on when I'm planting/weeding)

Plenty of nice worms underneath.

--
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

Digging for Mr Robin
 

On Wed, 12 Dec 2012 14:15:54 +0000, The Original Jake
wrote:

On Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:21:09 GMT, Baz wrote:


Or just buy a tin of dog food. Surely that would not burst the bank.
I am going to try dog food if it works so well.
Buy and try are my thoughts.

Baz

Hi Baz.

The thing is that once opened, a tin of dog food has to be used
within a couple of days so would, over time, work out more expensive
than meal worms, which would keep for longer. A robin will only scoff
a dessert spoonful a day. And it may be a couple of days before he
realises it's for him (or her).



You'll have trouble keeping the magpies off. They love the bits of
stale cat food that go out for the birds.
--
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

Digging for Mr Robin
 

On Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:29:03 -0000, "john stone"
wrote:

I've been moving the pots around on the patio the last few days in this
frosty weather since there are often worms underneath. He is so keen he is
just pushing me out of the way. After moving these pots a few times there
seems to be no more worms though.

Would it be worth while just having a little dig into the top soil, or would
that be a waste of time bearing in mind the earth here almost solid due to
the near minus temperatures.

I'm told freeze dried mealworms are the way to do, but at a local store they
are £3.50 for a very tiny tub which would not go very far. Grateful for
advice on where to buy them more economically. Thanks.

We tried dried mealworms over several weeks during two consecutive
winters a few years ago and they did not prove to be at all popular.
Having said that, live mealworms are very popular indeed in spring
when there are lots of young to be fed - it is a joy to watch.

Winter feed here is decent quality mixed seed sans cereal with added
sunflower hearts and suet pellets (the pink berry flavour variety) in
two different format feeders, peanuts for the woodpeckers in a peanut
feeder and the popular berry flavour fat cake which now resides in a
magpie proof cage and hence lasts more than a couple of days.

The resident rear garden robin visits the seed mix and fat cake
regularly and sometimes waits under the seed feeders for the stuff
that the blackbirds and nuthatch throw everywhere.
--
rbel

Digging for Mr Robin
 

On Wednesday, December 12, 2012 3:43:00 PM UTC, Roger Tonkin wrote:
Try Googling! I use Vinehouse farm, http://www.vinehousefarm.co.uk, £36 for a kilogram

Be cheaper to feed them finest steak:
http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Produ.../?id=252526390
£30/kg

Digging for Mr Robin
 

The Original Jake wrote in
:

On Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:21:09 GMT, Baz wrote:


Or just buy a tin of dog food. Surely that would not burst the bank.
I am going to try dog food if it works so well.
Buy and try are my thoughts.

Baz

Hi Baz.

The thing is that once opened, a tin of dog food has to be used
within a couple of days so would, over time, work out more expensive
than meal worms, which would keep for longer. A robin will only scoff
a dessert spoonful a day. And it may be a couple of days before he
realises it's for him (or her).

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay where sometimes
it's raining and sometimes it's not.

Yes. My tin has gone a bit off now. I thought it would keep, even after
your warning.
Well at the price of a tin here and there, I couldn't give a monkeys. We
will just have to do what it takes to get a nice bird in the garden.

Baz

Digging for Mr Robin
 

rbel wrote in message ...
On Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:29:03 -0000, "john stone"
wrote:

I've been moving the pots around on the patio the last few days in this
frosty weather since there are often worms underneath. He is so keen he is
just pushing me out of the way. After moving these pots a few times there
seems to be no more worms though.

Would it be worth while just having a little dig into the top soil, or
would
that be a waste of time bearing in mind the earth here almost solid due to
the near minus temperatures.

I'm told freeze dried mealworms are the way to do, but at a local store
they
are £3.50 for a very tiny tub which would not go very far. Grateful for
advice on where to buy them more economically. Thanks.

We tried dried mealworms over several weeks during two consecutive
winters a few years ago and they did not prove to be at all popular.
Having said that, live mealworms are very popular indeed in spring
when there are lots of young to be fed - it is a joy to watch.

Winter feed here is decent quality mixed seed sans cereal with added
sunflower hearts and suet pellets (the pink berry flavour variety) in
two different format feeders, peanuts for the woodpeckers in a peanut
feeder and the popular berry flavour fat cake which now resides in a
magpie proof cage and hence lasts more than a couple of days.

The resident rear garden robin visits the seed mix and fat cake
regularly and sometimes waits under the seed feeders for the stuff
that the blackbirds and nuthatch throw everywhere.
--
rbel
================================================== ===========================

Success We have just discovered robins will eat Bran cereal quite happily,
as also will blackbirds.

It's 88p a big packet from Tesco's in the value range.

They dont seem to like it if the bran gets rained on and goes soggy, so we
put it in a little saucer *under* an upturned flowpot that has been 'cut
away' to stand on just three legs.

With a earthern-ware plantpot saucer on top to keep off the rain and give
weight to the upturned flower pot it stands on, so it does not blow away.
(field mouse also turns up at night to that location so we put sunflower
seeds out for him/her which have all gone by morning )