Blackbird and Sultanars

[Billabong Karen]

Originally Posted by barquar

My Hand sliped on the key board that is my story and i am sticking with it.lol
Barquar

Haha - happens to all of us from time to time!

[AfternoonLemon]

Originally Posted by Billabong Karen

For some reason, my blackbirds seem quite uninterested in the half apples I put out for them this year. Maybe it is the warmer winter, meaning there is more food generally available, or perhaps I am chucking more sultanas around...

It more than likely is the warmer weather, they don't touch the apples in my garden when it gets 'warm' (over 5/6 degrees). It's only when it's cold, the ground is frozen and therefore no bugs or worms to pick from - that's when they resort to eating the apples

[LRM]

Do you put the dried sultanas and raisons out or do you soak them first? I thought I read somewhere to soak them first. Some blackbird food I bought 2 years ago had massive dried fruit in it - damsons? i broke them into pieces and soaked them and they expanded enormously. The last bag I bought only had a few small raisons, price had gone up I suppose.

They seem to prefer the dried mealworms soaked. I threw out handful of dried ones and they ignored them, the next day they were gone (possibly got damp overnight?). I did this 3 times, then I remembered to soak them first and the starlings ate them right away.

I also bought some live malworms, but few birds around as the weather was warmer this year, now they have turned into larvae and beetles. The Robin likes them but surprisingly they don't always eat them and I have to bring them in again. Don't put many out, I suppose it depends if the starlings find them.