What is the best food to attract?

[Toad]

What is the best way to attract Jays and Green Woodpeckers to my garden?

I have spotted them in the area so I know they are about and I wondering what would be the right kind of food and what method of feeding?

Thanks in advance
Toad x

[djackso]

Jays like peanuts and sunflower hearts and I believe you can get them to feed from a feeder.

The Green Woodpecker is a shy bird and unlikely to be tempted by any feast on offer.

[dmclean2]

Green woodpeckers feed on the ground for ants and bugs and stuff
Duncan

[ChrisJB]

The best food I have found for jays are whole peanuts just scattered on the bird table. It should be okay to put them out now. Earlier in the spring and summer it is not a good idea to put whole peanuts out as young birds can choke if their parents feed them to them.

Regards, Chris

[Cheryl]

Originally Posted by dmclean2

Green woodpeckers feed on the ground for ants and bugs and stuff
Duncan

We don't get them in our garden but I have seen them, like you say feeding on the ground, on the grass verges around about here.

They seem to be very sensitive to sound/movement as I've never once managed to get so much as a chance of a picture of one - not like the GSW

I've always thought of Jays as being a bit like magpies - quite agressive and destructive in that they take eggs and young birds - have you got a large garden? They are rather attractive though

Apparently Jays like to eat acorns, beech mast, fruits, insects, small rodents, bats, newts, birds' eggs and young birds. In the garden they will take peanuts and kitchen scraps.

[Toad]

Thank you

[ArneWarm]

had a pair of jays visiting the peanut feeder every morning this spring until i added a cage to deter the squirrels- they loved them and became very adept at extracting chunks of nut in no time at all- hyper-sensitive, mind.
a green woodpecker currently visits the open lawn next door every morning- she seems to love searching for ants to suck up- feel lucky to be able to watch from just a few metres above- always know when she's coming too!

[ron1863]

We have Jays in the woods at the back of our house but have never been able to attract them to the garden no matter what I put out. Very shy birds.

[ellie_w]

I have a Jay that visits my birdtable regularly - it never lands though just swoops at the table then flies off into the trees

[Toad]

Thanks for all your advice

Cheryl my garden is quite big but quite open at the back so we might have to wait until there is more coverage out there.

At the moment we regularly have a pair of magpies, jackdaws, wood pigeon, collared dove, sparrows, chaffinches, blue tits, a juvenile great spotted woodpecker, a robin, wagtail and the lager louts the starlings on a daily basis.

In september when my daughter starts pre school 2.5 days a week we plan to take advantage of the free time and make the back garden more wildlife friendly.