Forum home› Talkback
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Talkback: Feeding birds in summer

midgeletmidgelet Posts: 10
in Talkback
I feed the birds a variety of food - mixed wild bird seed, peanuts late in the season when the babies have grown up and mixed seed plus mealworms. I also give them leftovers with home made wholewheat bread mixed with cooked pasta and grated cheese which is a great favourite.
«1

Posts

  • foreveryoungforeveryoung Posts: 1
    We feed the birds all year long, with nyger seed, mixed bird seed and peanuts, but recently we have started putting out raisins and the blackbirds now eat it from our hands. The other day I was a bit late in putting the raisins out and upon leaving the french doors open, whilst I was in the kitchen a blackbird came right in.
  • JEA72JEA72 Posts: 1
    IS IT OK TO FEED DRIED FRUIT OR IS IT BETTER TO SOAK THEM IN WARM WATER FIRST? THIS IS WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS DONE BUT IT WOULD BE EASIER TO PUT THEM OUT DRIED
  • lesleyroseslesleyroses Posts: 4
    Living near farmland i and other neighbours have a lot of magpies and blackbirds in our gardens fighting for the food we leave for the small birds. What food can we leave out for the small birds if any that the magpies etc won't touch.
  • frjohnemlynfrjohnemlyn Posts: 1
    Lesleyroses,

    We are in a similar position. I find that using the regtangular feeding cages allows the small birds in to eat safely and in comfort, and keeps the bully boys like starlings out.
    It ha small entrances for the birds .
  • ericjocharlie&harveyericjocharlie&harvey Posts: 1
    Hi, interesting comments, but what are "regtangular feeding cages" ?
    How do they work, or am I just being a bit slow?
    Any thoughts?
  • RAGDOLL520RAGDOLL520 Posts: 23
    What a lovely suprise I had yesterday morning. Scruffy my male blackbird [that looks as though he has done 10 rounds with Tyson], came flying down before I had finished putting their food out, with one of his babies followed by his wife with 2 other babies.
    I sat there watching them feeding for ages, then came my blue tits, jenny wrens and sparrows all busy and a female robin. It was lovely sitting in the sun watching them. This is the third brood Scruffy and his wife have hatched this year.
  • chrissierwchrissierw Posts: 10
    "Rectangular feeding cages" - Ground Guard - are placed over the food on the ground. You can get large mesh or small mesh - I have just bought a large mesh one which allows birds up to the size of blackbirds in (I only wanted to keep out pigeons and magpies). They're not cheap, but should last for a long time. Mine came from www.pawmark.co.uk.
  • ellie1960ellie1960 Posts: 1
    We too have a male blackbird that comes into the kitchen and eats from our hands. Sadly this year the magpies killed all the young from the first 2 clutches as soon as they fledged. They brought the chicks from brood 3 down today, so we have been on chick guard all day. If anyone has a foolproof way to deter magies I would love to hear it.
  • lola lolanlola lolan Posts: 1
    There's nothing that the large birds won't touch. The best thing to do is to get a few feeding stations that prevent larger birds from gaining access. For e.g a cage designed to keep squirals out around a seed feeder will also prevent magpies et al from getting at the goodies.
  • pgtipsme2pgtipsme2 Posts: 3
    usual peanuts/meal worm/black hearts/seed/blocks of fat.can any one beat 31 collored doves,3 magpies,2 greenfinch,

    2 pied wagtails a couple of sparrows / starlings ALL at one ''sitting''.....I do feed them 3 times a day.

    great spotted woodpecker is also a visitor as well as a couple of Jays and the other top ten garden birds.
Sign In or Register to comment.