Bird Food??

[Fagus]

So...what should we be feeding the wee ones at this time of the year?? At present, im feeding them, bird seed i got from Dobbies.. .(ye ye i know...)

Anyhoo...The wild seed im using, seems like a good healthy mix, of peanuts, sunflower seeds, ect ect...with 2 types of grains.

Iv heard that fat and seed are good, but also not.

Any advice.

Oh and sorry for all the questions, i will start posting some positive stuff soon.

Fagus

[Elizabeth B]

At the moment I have two 14" (4 port) feeders for sunflower hearts, and two for black sunflower seed. The solitary niger feeder is not used often, but if the siskins return in February 2007 as they did this year (we saw 96 siskins together at the maximum)!! I will add two more niger feeders. Peanuts are not used much, so I just have one mesh hanging feeder for those at the moment.

I make a suet block in a large mould (about 180g suet and 270g of a mixture containing porridge oats, chopped peanuts, sunflower hearts and mixed seed) - this goes into a caged feeder accessible only to small birds.

I also make a fat mixture using 500g lard (real lard, not Trex or other vegetable fat) and 750g of the mixture described above. This is kept in a plastic box in the fridge, and is spooned out into a shallow dish to go on the bird table, together with a dish of mixed seed and a dish containing chopped peanuts, porridge oats and sunflower hearts.

NB - I stop offering suet blocks and fat mix when the breeding season gets going, and usually start again when the weather gets colder in the autumn.

[Fagus]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth B

At the moment I have two 14" (4 port) feeders for sunflower hearts, and two for black sunflower seed. The solitary niger feeder is not used often, but if the siskins return in February 2007 as they did this year (we saw 96 siskins together at the maximum)!! I will add two more niger feeders. Peanuts are not used much, so I just have one mesh hanging feeder for those at the moment.

I make a suet block in a large mould (about 180g suet and 270g of a mixture containing porridge oats, chopped peanuts, sunflower hearts and mixed seed) - this goes into a caged feeder accessible only to small birds.

I also make a fat mixture using 500g lard (real lard, not Trex or other vegetable fat) and 750g of the mixture described above. This is kept in a plastic box in the fridge, and is spooned out into a shallow dish to go on the bird table, together with a dish of mixed seed and a dish containing chopped peanuts, porridge oats and sunflower hearts.

NB - I stop offering suet blocks and fat mix when the breeding season gets going, and usually start again when the weather gets colder in the autumn.

Thank you Elizabeth. Iv just started feeding the birds, as its gor well frosty up ere. Reckon they can still fend for themselves, dont quote me on that)

As for the suet idea, im gonna go to the butchers after the holiday period, and get some decent suet. As its difficult to recycle plastic pop bottles round ere, i filled one, (with holes and twigs for perching) should keep them going for a while.

Thanks again.

[mrs fish]

When it is cold I put out tiny pieces of cheese, sultanas and chopped apple, the blackbirds, robin and starlings enjoy this.
I have a nut feeder up but it only seems to be the great tits who feed from it.

[canonman]

Hi Mrs Fish
At the moment I have sunflower seeds, fat balls out.
Each morning I will also put out some cheese, bits of fruit, and plenty of fresh water.
We all put out pastry when ever we are baking
Mick

[Tornado]

Originally Posted by canonman

Hi Mrs Fish
At the moment I have sunflower seeds, fat balls out.
Each morning I will also put out some cheese, bits of fruit, and plenty of fresh water.
We all put out pastry when ever we are baking
Mick

Word of caution with pastry it must be cooked and without added salt.

We currently have 11 feeders on the go 3 sunflower heart, 2 peanut, 2 ground feeders which contain sultanas, 2 large fat cakes, 1 black sunflower ( for the coal tits ) and lastly a table full of sultanas and kitchen scraps such as leftover grated cheese.

All these feeders are on the go all year round, we remove them for cleaning only.
We also feed livefood in the form of mealworms which is most beneficial, so long as we can keep the starlings from scoffing the lot!! That said though if it wasn't for feeding these, we would be without the beautiful Grey Wagtail who has been a permenant fixture for the last year.

Berries in the form of Pyracantha, Honeysucke, Ivy and Cotoneaster also keep the birds well fed at this time of year, especially the Mistle and Song thrushes which keep delighting us with their presence.

Keep feeding and there will always be something to look out of you window for.
Tornado

[Nicola Main]

Currently I have one square suet feeder (from Haiths) out on the cotoneaster for the tits, starlings, sparrows, robin and dunnock. I also bought 3 strips of suet with a mixture of seeds and insects hanging beside the suet feeder (the birds don't seem to like this as much as there isn't much space for them to stand, even the blue tits find it difficult! I'll have to think of somewhere else to put it).

Next year around March or April I'm going to continue with the suet blocks but also I am thinking of getting some mealworms for when the blue tits, robins and blackbirds have young. I have never used mealworms before is it difficult? I'm sure you have to store them in a cool, dry place or something and feed them?

Regards, Nicola.

P.S. I won't be able to reply to this for a few days as I am going up to Glen Clova and won't be back until Sunday so have fun without me! xx

[Fagus]

Originally Posted by Nicola Main

Regards, Nicola.

P.S. I won't be able to reply to this for a few days as I am going up to Glen Clova and won't be back until Sunday so have fun without me! xx

You lucky thing. My Wife's cycling club, have a Bothy up at Reekie Linn, near Alyth. A wonderfull place to sit and idle a day away, watching alll the dippers and water loving birds/mammals.

Oh how i look forward to spring.

Agree on the bird feeder info. Thanks.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by Nicola Main

Currently I have one square suet feeder (from Haiths) out on the cotoneaster for the tits, starlings, sparrows, robin and dunnock. I also bought 3 strips of suet with a mixture of seeds and insects hanging beside the suet feeder (the birds don't seem to like this as much as there isn't much space for them to stand, even the blue tits find it difficult! I'll have to think of somewhere else to put it).

Next year around March or April I'm going to continue with the suet blocks but also I am thinking of getting some mealworms for when the blue tits, robins and blackbirds have young. I have never used mealworms before is it difficult? I'm sure you have to store them in a cool, dry place or something and feed them?

Regards, Nicola.

P.S. I won't be able to reply to this for a few days as I am going up to Glen Clova and won't be back until Sunday so have fun without me! xx

Mealworms (particularly live) are one of the best things you can put out when there are baby birds about. Last summer the fledgling starlings would scoff the lot in seconds. If you don't mind them in your fridge they are best kept there or somewhere cool and dark. wigglywigglers are recommended by most of us on here.
At the mo I'm just putting dried ones out.