Our Gold finches do not seem to go for the fat feeders either, I think they prefer seeds. Various tits, seem to like the hanging fat based products though mostly the Longtailed, and starlings, and the Wood peckers here. Other species take the suet pellets scattered on the ground.
I think there is a possibility what types of fat based foods, (whether ball, block or pellets), the birds choose depends on the availability of other food in the area. And I think they have favourite flavours, so if they have a choice in several gardens they will pick and leave others. Some fat products are made cheaply, and dry out and go too hard or become mouldy quicker. Got a suet block with best before date 9/03/2020. Bag of pellets with 23/10/19. I never took any notice before.
@Lizzy27 What are the new plastic snap shut feeders?
I have fat balls in a container too and find that birds like to hop about beneath them and finish eating the fallen pieces - also the occasional little brown mouse !!
I break up pieces of fat blocks and sprinkle them among the borders JOYCENID.The blackbirds, and many of the small birds, rummage around and it helps with pest control too.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks @Fairygirl, I was looking at some that have a magnet to click shut too. Think our local squirrels would make mincemeat of those though they look interesting.
Rubytoo, You may well be right about different flavours. "My" robin is tucking into a mealworm fat cake hanging in the hedge.
Fairygirl, it's not that one I'm afraid. Mine is like a length of connected 3 fatball sized and shaped holders, made of thickish green plastic mesh. Each ball can be opened to insert a new fatball and then snapped shut. It's easier and cleaner on the fingers to renew them. I saw them in a GC a month or so ago for the first time and as they were only £2.99, thought I'd give them a go. Another make is now being advertised in gardening mags but is dearer. The one I bought has, as I said earlier, suction cups to hold it to a window. I hope you can follow this description, I'm sorry, I don't know how to post a link to a web page - you're more computer literate than I am!
Apologies Lizzie - i think I misunderstood the suction cup thing! To do a link - open the page you're linking, highlight the name/url [along the top of the page] so that it all shows blue, then right click on it and select 'copy'. Write your post as normal, then right click to get the cursor placed, and select 'paste' when it brings up options. It'll show up in black print, but once you post it'll be pinky/purple.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thank's Fairygirl, I'll have a go next time. I use this laptop in my recliner and it's been a real struggle to cope with Windows 10 which came with it. Our old desktop upstairs is still on ? (OH and I are now having an argument on what we've got!!).
When I asked about the shelf life 2 years ago my box hadn't got a sell by date on it. The box I bought a couple of weeks ago, same make, now has a best before date which is over a year. I have seen in English Garden Centres that you can buy them without netting. In France they still have netting.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Posts
Various tits, seem to like the hanging fat based products though mostly the Longtailed, and starlings, and the Wood peckers here. Other species take the suet pellets scattered on the ground.
I think there is a possibility what types of fat based foods, (whether ball, block or pellets), the birds choose depends on the availability of other food in the area. And I think they have favourite flavours, so if they have a choice in several gardens they will pick and leave others.
Some fat products are made cheaply, and dry out and go too hard or become mouldy quicker.
Got a suet block with best before date 9/03/2020. Bag of pellets with 23/10/19.
I never took any notice before.
@Lizzy27 What are the new plastic snap shut feeders?
https://www.gardman.co.uk/large-flip-top-seed-feeder.html
I break up pieces of fat blocks and sprinkle them among the borders JOYCENID.The blackbirds, and many of the small birds, rummage around and it helps with pest control too.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Think our local squirrels would make mincemeat of those though they look interesting.
Fairygirl, it's not that one I'm afraid. Mine is like a length of connected 3 fatball sized and shaped holders, made of thickish green plastic mesh. Each ball can be opened to insert a new fatball and then snapped shut. It's easier and cleaner on the fingers to renew them. I saw them in a GC a month or so ago for the first time and as they were only £2.99, thought I'd give them a go. Another make is now being advertised in gardening mags but is dearer. The one I bought has, as I said earlier, suction cups to hold it to a window. I hope you can follow this description, I'm sorry, I don't know how to post a link to a web page - you're more computer literate than I am!
To do a link - open the page you're linking, highlight the name/url [along the top of the page] so that it all shows blue, then right click on it and select 'copy'. Write your post as normal, then right click to get the cursor placed, and select 'paste' when it brings up options.
It'll show up in black print, but once you post it'll be pinky/purple.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...