14-12-2014, 06:22 PM
11
Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?
Originally Posted by Meg
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I may be wrong Jennifer but I read somewhere it is best not to feed birds when they are rearing young because of choking the babies with bread and nuts ..
will have to remember in future.
14-12-2014, 06:48 PM
12
Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?
In my other houses I always used to feed the birds all through the year but they all had long gardens so they were well away from the house. Now this house "not of my choosing" has only a small garden some 30ftx30ft halved by the conservatory I had built on the back. But my next door neighbour feeds the birds and I get my windows/doors covered in bird s**t we have had a few arguments over this but he won't see sense. So the days of being nice to the birdies are over for me the only birds I like these days are chickens and turkeys on my dinner plate. I am actually thinking of getting a couple of cats and letting them go next door for their meals.
14-12-2014, 07:46 PM
13
Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?
Originally Posted by cranberry
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Oh dear... we've always done it, I suppose, logically, they don't need it in Spring as there's plenty of food around.. will have to remember in future.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforw...hentofeed.aspx
14-12-2014, 08:20 PM
15
Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?
Originally Posted by Mups
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Yes I have always fed the wild birds, not just in winter. They seem extra hungry in the breeding season too. I always have robins, sometimes 2 at a time, which surprised me as I always thought they were territorial little birds. I have wood pigeons, collared doves, magpies, dunnocks and coal tits mostly, but occasionally somebody else stops by. One problem is, the blasted squirrels keep helping themselves to the food too.
I sometimes mix extra bits into the feed, like shredded suet, unsweetened coconut shreds, currants or dried mealworms to give them a bit more variety.
14-12-2014, 08:43 PM
16
Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?
Yes my birds get fed all year round, I also have a very sweet Door Mouse or Wood Mouse that also feeds on the birds nuts. They have a little table on a chain which I put bread and milworms on, a nut feeder, and fat balls which are in a container.At the moment I have a Male Robin, two Blue Tits, about 15 Sparrows, Mr. & Mrs. Blackbird and about ten Jackdaws.
14-12-2014, 08:54 PM
17
Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?
We feed them year round. We have bluetits, goldfinch, greenfinch, robins, collard doves, wood pigeon, starlings, magpies and lots of sparrows. For the past four winters we have had a grey wagtail visit. Blackbirds and regular visits from a sparrow hawk. We have had unwelcome visits from herons, as we have a large garden pond. It has overhead protection so the herons hang around trying to decide if it's worth the risk of getting their expansive wings caught up in it.They always decide it isn't worth it. Magnificent birds when you have the pleasure of seeing them at close quarters.
14-12-2014, 09:12 PM
18
Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?
Yes the Herons are a nuisance, about 4 years ago, a Heron came down at took half of my fish out of the pond and one fish that we brought with us when we moved he was at least 10 inches long Gold fish with one eye as he was 20 years old, the Heron picked him up and tried to fly off with him, but he was too heavy and the Heron dropped him on the grass, I ran out to save him, I gently put him back in the pond but he died within 2 hrs.
14-12-2014, 09:44 PM
20
Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?
Originally Posted by Nom
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Yes cats are a problem when birds congregate at feeders, as are Sparrowhawks, always pays to have a bit of cover nearby for them to dive into.Perfect foods for the birds Mups, not supervised you get a good range of species,leaving some dog hair and wool out during Spring means they have access to a nice supply of nesting materials.
A Red Kite is a canny garden species, when they did the release program up here, a local Pub increased its trade by putting out the remains of the joints, you could sit in the Beer garden and get close views of them.
I do that with the dog hair Nom. With my Bedlingtons, I have to clip them and its not like normal dog hair, its like a very soft cotton wool, so I keep the clippings for the birds. I stuff it in a couple of those square wire things that are supposed to be for those fatty slabs of feed and the little birds pull it out as they need it in spring.
There are loads of Red Kites in this area. A couple of miles away there is a big trade waste tip, and whenever I drive past there, there is up to about a dozen or so circling overhead. I've never seen one in my garden, but they are often seen circling and gliding about nearby.
I saw what I think was a Kestrel a few days ago. I was driving along nearby and it was hovering, then suddenly folded its wings in and dropped like a stone, so fast, and then flew off with something in its beak. It was so quick I couldn't see what it had properly. That's the first time I've actually seen one do that close up. Fascinating.
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