help feeding starlins their costing me a fortune...

[bean77]

Hi all Im just seeking abit of advice. My bird feeding has attracted a gang of starlings (i think thats spelt right) and they have brought their young! While im happy to feed them as they are very comical and I know they are endangerd so im lucky to have them, at the same time they are costing me a fortune! Im going through 2/3 of the rspb long bird cakes a week which costs 9 a week then im putting out bread etc for them which is cheaper todo ive been putting out seed with sunflowers in it mainly the black sunflowers (its rspb feed) but they dont seem to keen on this. I did think about not putting the birdcakes out but they eat them so quickly and thats what attracted them to my garden in the first place. Any tips with keeping up with the demand would be fab! Im also feeding dunnocks, various tits, collard doves and blackbirds and a magpie! thanks very much Gill

[wildherbalian85]

Starlings will eat almost anything....... even cooked meat if chopped small enough.

[Pam_M]

Originally Posted by bean77

Hi all Im just seeking abit of advice. My bird feeding has attracted a gang of starlings (i think thats spelt right) and they have brought their young! While im happy to feed them as they are very comical and I know they are endangerd so im lucky to have them, at the same time they are costing me a fortune! Im going through 2/3 of the rspb long bird cakes a week which costs 9 a week then im putting out bread etc for them which is cheaper todo ive been putting out seed with sunflowers in it mainly the black sunflowers (its rspb feed) but they dont seem to keen on this. I did think about not putting the birdcakes out but they eat them so quickly and thats what attracted them to my garden in the first place. Any tips with keeping up with the demand would be fab! Im also feeding dunnocks, various tits, collard doves and blackbirds and a magpie! thanks very much Gill

I would say keep on with what you are feeding...costly I know but how nice to have the Starlings and their youngsters in your garden! I have them in my garden also and they are costing me a fortune in suet pellets! I am rationing them now, I half fill the 2 suet feeders and when that is gone they move on to the seed feeders! I have to say they don't have the suet all to themselves, the Tits have been enjoying the suet feast also!

[cutecoot]

There's been a few similar posts about those greedy starlings .. (I think they are fab ) Might it work out cheaper to make your own fat cakes? Lard is really cheap to buy, just melt and mix in a bit of mixed or sunflower seed ... mind you, at this time of the year it does tend to melt in the sun a bit where the bought ones dont seem to!

[Hobjob]

There are many web-based suppliers of bird feed that are about half the RSPB price

Our starlings eat all the table left-overs.

[Nickynockynoonoo]

I know the feeling. I posted a few days ago about the starlings eating me out of house and home.
Here's my recipe for home made fat cake. My little darlings get through this amount every day.

500g Lard or dripping - melt in pan
2 heaped dessert spoons peanut butter
2 Table spoons Plain flour (This makes it firmer and less likely to melt. Adjust amount according to weather)
500g rolled oats
500g bird seeds

Cost - less than £2

You can then add any of the following; raisins, sultanas, crushed nuts, meal worms. Basically, anything that won't go mouldy. I often chuck in a weetabix or crushed up shredded tweet

I refill horn shaped baskets, which I bought filled with suet mix. They can be refilled many times before they go skanky. Oh, I also remove the plastic liner to let rain drain away.

Recently, because I have so many starlings, I have been putting the cake into tin foil containers and leaving them on the bird table. They took a day or 2 to find them but now 6 or 8 can tuck in at the same time. (When they aren't squabbling)

I recently bought a fat ball dispenser in the hope that I could perhaps wean them onto a less tasty alternative. A coupe of starlings have found it but the tits immediately went to it and now feed at the same time as the starlings. Instead of cutting down on the amount, I have now increased it. Oh well, they do give us a lot of pleasure.

[JB9302]

I really cut back on the feed this time of year , there"s plenty of food available in the form of insects/grubs/seed/fruit , maybe fill the seed feeder once every couple of weeks.
Try to not to get the birds to rely on free handouts in times of plenty , I understand the wishes of people wanting to attract birds to the garden but they can become demanding as some of you have found out

Julian

[Phungus]

Am I the only person who remembers Starlings as pests?
I can well remember MILLIONS of them taking up residence in the neighborhood making an awful din and messing on everything in site.

I can hardly believe that they are now endangered.

[Pippa]

Originally Posted by Phungus

Am I the only person who remembers Starlings as pests?
I can well remember MILLIONS of them taking up residence in the neighborhood making an awful din and messing on everything in site.

I can hardly believe that they are now endangered.

They have been attacked and ridiculed as pests, and yes two of the reasons they ended up endangered.

They are great survivors though and at the moment they are attacking my feeders like there is no tomorrow and i feed sunflower hearts.I have 6 bird baths and they can empty them all in one swoop.

I don't care,good luck to them

[cutecoot]

I was really surprised to hear they were endangered too ... especially having seen the spectacular sight of *millions* of them flocking to roost in the reedbeds on the Somerset levels!