If you've ever bought coconut halves for the birds,try refilling them. I melt some lard and mix in oats,seeds raisins bits of left over cake and cereal,leave it to go cold and firm .The birds love it. There's always something in the cupboard to make bird cake,!! ?
The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
Here's one of my 'regulars' just eyeing up his brunch - sunflower hearts, served at the 'executive' dining table (aka 'out-of-season hanging basket').
Mrs Ch. came along shortly afterwards; once she knew the food was waiting her arrival! *Other regulars include Blackcaps, Blue Tits, Bullfinch, Goldies and the odd dozen Starlings & assorted generations of House Sparrows. *BTW: Other 'tastes' are catered for elsewhere in the back garden but generally not within easy camera range.
I'm in the London suburbs so the only songbirds in my garden are a couple of robins. What's best to leave out for them? The fat balls are normally nabbed by squirrels and the mixed seeds aren't popular.
Aren't robins carnivorous? One followed me around the garden today when I was hoeing. I think he was hoping for worms, but was left disappointed.
You can buy mixes of food formulated to be suitable for robins and other softbilled garden birds. We find this mix attracts wrens, dunnocks and house sparrows as well as robins.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks. I don't have any mealworms handy but I've just braved the cold to leave a couple of apples under the robins' tree.
We have so little wildlife here (being next to a train line and an A road don't help) that we've grown quite attached to our resident robins. Gardening without their company just wouldn't be the same!
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I have done when I've run out of mixed seeds. Local shops seem to think bird feeding is a niche activity and stocks run out very quickly.
If you've ever bought coconut halves for the birds,try refilling them. I melt some lard and mix in oats,seeds raisins bits of left over cake and cereal,leave it to go cold and firm .The birds love it. There's always something in the cupboard to make bird cake,!! ?
Good old Blue Peter Bird Cake
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Last edited: 25 February 2018 20:38:21
I'm in the London suburbs so the only songbirds in my garden are a couple of robins. What's best to leave out for them? The fat balls are normally nabbed by squirrels and the mixed seeds aren't popular.
Aren't robins carnivorous? One followed me around the garden today when I was hoeing. I think he was hoping for worms, but was left disappointed.
Mealworms? Fresh - as sold for fishing - or dried or in fat blocks.
They like fruit as well - maybe a piece of apple or some raisins?
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
You can buy mixes of food formulated to be suitable for robins and other softbilled garden birds. We find this mix attracts wrens, dunnocks and house sparrows as well as robins.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks. I don't have any mealworms handy but I've just braved the cold to leave a couple of apples under the robins' tree.
We have so little wildlife here (being next to a train line and an A road don't help) that we've grown quite attached to our resident robins. Gardening without their company just wouldn't be the same!