You could use some general bird food @Meomye, and see what happens. I only use fat ball/blocks through winter. If you use hanging feeders and make sure there's no food left on the ground at night, it should help deter rats, if you're concerned.
The ground feeding birds hoover up any seed spilled on the ground here, mainly from the one feeder that isn't inside a cage, and at night, the slugs eat any little bits of bird food on the back step that Dave the pigeon has left. If you have a bird table, and there's any food left by night time, you can use deterrents to stop them climbing up and onto the table. Baffles etc. I have a ground feeding tray/table, but I make sure I don't put too much food out at any one time, which also helps.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The slugs eat any spilled seeds on the step of my shed which surprised me. I didn't think they were up and about at this time of year and didn't think they ate seeds. There's always a silver trail left otherwise I would have thought it was the blackbird or robin who cleared them up.
Those birds come in ones and twos @Meomye, and you need a flock.😁 I find Starlings only come in a group if I put out a fat block in a cage, they ignore the other bird food.🙄 Once they come they start on the lawns too (crane fly in my case) so do a good job. I only put small amounts of bird food out daily, and the ground feeders tend to clear up any leftovers.
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I only use fat ball/blocks through winter. If you use hanging feeders and make sure there's no food left on the ground at night, it should help deter rats, if you're concerned.
The ground feeding birds hoover up any seed spilled on the ground here, mainly from the one feeder that isn't inside a cage, and at night, the slugs eat any little bits of bird food on the back step that Dave the pigeon has left.
If you have a bird table, and there's any food left by night time, you can use deterrents to stop them climbing up and onto the table. Baffles etc. I have a ground feeding tray/table, but I make sure I don't put too much food out at any one time, which also helps.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I find Starlings only come in a group if I put out a fat block in a cage, they ignore the other bird food.🙄 Once they come they start on the lawns too (crane fly in my case) so do a good job. I only put small amounts of bird food out daily, and the ground feeders tend to clear up any leftovers.