Only this morning I had a hungry flock of Goldfinch feasting on Verbena Bonineriasis seed heads in my large perennial border, which is a great spectacle to watch!
Even though there are feeders hanging up full of seed that they use every day, when the time is right they will strip out every possible seed from these plants completely ignoring the feeders! As the winter goes on they gradually work their way around all the plants but only when they are ready to eat!
This clearly demonstrates the benefit of leaving the seed heads on your perennial plants over the winter. What's even better all these plants are in full flower all summers benefiting all manner of pollinators so you win twice in my book!
I have also been buying seed in bulk for some time which makes perfect sense. For mealworms I have found some great bargains on ebay in the past but they go fast so you need to keep checking!
To make my expensive sunflower hearts go further I mix them about 60-40/70-30 with black sunflower seeds that are much cheaper to buy. I don't find this makes any difference to the birds but does offset the cost of the expensive hearts somewhat.
I'd heard somewhere that the RSPB have been phoned a lot this Winter about the lack of birds. They have said that it is because of the mild Winter, leaving birds with lots of natural foods to eat (tree berries plentiful in our garden still). The soft ground means they can get at the worms still. I suppose us gardeners have to face the fact that the food we provide our feathered friends is actually second best as far as they are concerned!
I'm a great believer in leaving perennial heads as long as possible in Winter. In fact, my rule of thumb is that unless it wilts and dies, the plant stays unpruned until new growth starts.
Thanks for the tip about hyper links Bob Here is my link for some good bulk seed mix from Amazon:
My birds queue up in the morning waiting for it to be put out and at £15.94 for 20kg delivered, it is a good price. It has been received more enthusiastically than my supermarket bought seed and none is wasted. I hope it is useful to someone on the forum.
I note what you say about lack of birds LL. I have lots of the usual tits and finches etc but no reed buntings, bramblings or coaltits which usually turn up in winter
It's been -2C for the last couple of nights and when I looked out for just 2 minutes this morning I saw greenfinches, sparrows, coal tits and a robin, so they do remember where the easy pickings are when it gets a bit nippy!
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Higgy, I too have had the pleasure of seeing goldfinches on my verbena bonariensis. Sometime around 12 will land at once causing the whole plant to bend and bow in a most amusing but slightly alarming way. Unfortunately, due to the recent storms I've had to cut most of mine down to around 18" /0.5m ( depending if you're old school or new school) because they were suffering from wind rock. I have one left unpruned as it's in been in the ground 2 years and seems pretty solid. I get so much pleasure from the birds in my garden, not to mention the benefits of slug/ pest control, I don't mind paying for their food. When you compare it with the cost of say, a bottle of wine, or a packet of cigarettes,or a ticket for a football match/ theatre, depending on your own vices, it's not much " per day" is it?
We've not got many birds on the feeders at the moment ......... might be something to do with Mrs Sparrowhawk who spent quite some time this afternoon sitting on a neighbour's chimney surveying the surrounding back gardens
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Posts
Only this morning I had a hungry flock of Goldfinch feasting on Verbena Bonineriasis seed heads in my large perennial border, which is a great spectacle to watch!
Even though there are feeders hanging up full of seed that they use every day, when the time is right they will strip out every possible seed from these plants completely ignoring the feeders! As the winter goes on they gradually work their way around all the plants but only when they are ready to eat!
This clearly demonstrates the benefit of leaving the seed heads on your perennial plants over the winter. What's even better all these plants are in full flower all summers benefiting all manner of pollinators so you win twice in my book!
I have also been buying seed in bulk for some time which makes perfect sense. For mealworms I have found some great bargains on ebay in the past but they go fast so you need to keep checking!
To make my expensive sunflower hearts go further I mix them about 60-40/70-30 with black sunflower seeds that are much cheaper to buy. I don't find this makes any difference to the birds but does offset the cost of the expensive hearts somewhat.
I'd heard somewhere that the RSPB have been phoned a lot this Winter about the lack of birds. They have said that it is because of the mild Winter, leaving birds with lots of natural foods to eat (tree berries plentiful in our garden still). The soft ground means they can get at the worms still. I suppose us gardeners have to face the fact that the food we provide our feathered friends is actually second best as far as they are concerned!
I'm a great believer in leaving perennial heads as long as possible in Winter. In fact, my rule of thumb is that unless it wilts and dies, the plant stays unpruned until new growth starts.
Thanks for the tip about hyper links Bob
Here is my link for some good bulk seed mix from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/PREMIUM-QUALITY-GARDEN-OUTDOOR-FEEDERS/dp/B00BUR4PLC/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2I3ZYNFTGB5E4&coliid=I3Q1E8WZ0PAKZ8
My birds queue up in the morning waiting for it to be put out and at £15.94 for 20kg delivered, it is a good price. It has been received more enthusiastically than my supermarket bought seed and none is wasted. I hope it is useful to someone on the forum.
Mine are still queuing, I'd better get out there
I note what you say about lack of birds LL. I have lots of the usual tits and finches etc but no reed buntings, bramblings or coaltits which usually turn up in winter
In the sticks near Peterborough
The birds are loving this bright weather playing in the sun jumping around on the roof of my garage it really nice to just sit a watch for 10 min
Clueless
I live a short drive from a live food supplier which is where I get my live mealworms from. I usually put them out around nesting time....
http://m.livefoodsdirect.co.uk
Woo, the birdies are back!
It's been -2C for the last couple of nights and when I looked out for just 2 minutes this morning I saw greenfinches, sparrows, coal tits and a robin, so they do remember where the easy pickings are when it gets a bit nippy!
I had to do an afternoon refill on the feeders today. First time this winter
In the sticks near Peterborough
Higgy, I too have had the pleasure of seeing goldfinches on my verbena bonariensis. Sometime around 12 will land at once causing the whole plant to bend and bow in a most amusing but slightly alarming way. Unfortunately, due to the recent storms I've had to cut most of mine down to around 18" /0.5m ( depending if you're old school or new school) because they were suffering from wind rock. I have one left unpruned as it's in been in the ground 2 years and seems pretty solid. I get so much pleasure from the birds in my garden, not to mention the benefits of slug/ pest control, I don't mind paying for their food. When you compare it with the cost of say, a bottle of wine, or a packet of cigarettes,or a ticket for a football match/ theatre, depending on your own vices, it's not much " per day" is it?
We've not got many birds on the feeders at the moment ......... might be something to do with Mrs Sparrowhawk who spent quite some time this afternoon sitting on a neighbour's chimney surveying the surrounding back gardens
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.