Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?

I used to feed the birds all year round until I saw a couple of rats on my patio and climbing up the feeding pole. Now I never put food out, and it's such a shame. I really miss seeing the birds.

Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?

Great replies, showing the pleasures and the problems associated with providing wild creatures with food, do any also provide water as its just as essential to birds for bathing and drinking.

I have set up remote feeding areas in woodlands during harsher times, important to keep replenishing as once found birds will return to it.

I did plant a Pyrocantha to provide berrys for birds, and i shared my crop of Blackberries with them this Autumn, (they got there first).

Does sound like a Kestrel (Windhover) Mups, we only have those and Buzzard that hover as birds of prey.

Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?

I feed all year round. However previous autumns and winter have made up my own half coconut fat and seed mixture. Unfortunately it did mean we ended up with something like 30 or 40 Starlings who would polish one off in an hour so I finally gave up making them as I really wanted them for the tits. I now rarely see starlings but the sparrows come in their drove for the seed I put out which is a good quality mixed seed. I also get through a litre of peanuts each week but it was interesting to note that although they prefer to take the whole peanuts from the feeder that I should refrain from using this in the spring and leave them with the wire ball feeder that even the sparrows seem to like. So I get a good collection of blue tits, great tits and also occasionally a wren or Jay and loads of collared doves who clean up along with the odd wood pigeon. Also robins and blackbirds visit so I am relatively happy. I did see a little field mouse climb up the lilac tree that I use as a bird station and help himself to some peanuts bless him. No squirrels and my Amber soon sorts out any visiting cats so they know not to call when she is about.

Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?

Well I must admit if I am honest I used to enjoy feeding the birds have been playing about with the idea of making some bird boxes to put amongst the Wisteria on my fence. My only real problem is the pigeons and starlings the little birds I don't mind their mess is very small hardly anything really. I also have a robin who visits most mornings I see him pecking between the block paving I did also notice last year most of the brown packing on the baskets had been pulled away so I guess like has been mentioned that was for their nesting.

Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?

That's interesting to know Nom both my neighbours have bird tables as do most people in this little hamlet and there are pond in many gardens for water.My garden has lots of berries with pyracantha, cotoneaster and a variegated holly.

I have been hanging nets of food and balls of fat etc on a tall fence post down the bottom of the lane (below) and it goes ...

Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?

I also feed the birds, I use hanging feeders with fat balls, and one with peanuts and one with Niger seed for the finches. I use seed for the ground feeders who can't use the hanging ones with a cage to stop the pigeons etc eating it all first.
I don't feed them bread as it fills them up but doesn't provide the energy they need. Feeding white bread to birds like ducks in the park often results in the birds being unhealthy and the egg shells being so poor that they crack and break and the young don't survive.
Birds are in serious decline and they need all the help they can get. Their habitats are disappearing, some completely, they are competing with us as our houses and towns and intensive farms take over the countryside.
I reckon the least I can do is give them some food.

Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?

I used to buy the net balls of fat until the day I found a sparrow with his foot caught up in the net so now I do not use them. The half shell coconuts are the best way of feeding fat as some of them contain not only the fat but meal worms and seed as well. But it is good to encourage our bird life to survive. I belong to the RSPB and they take money out of my account every month. It is good to know that they use if for other wild life too.

Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?

I had forgotten coconut shells Moyra I must get one.
I have to go down the lane every day with Chloe and can replenish it then

Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?

I feed all year round. My new bird table is a bit smaller than the one I left behind so it was interesting to see how long it took the pigeons,doves to work it out.

I ground feed as well so had a few gulls around.

Mups the red kites have got here as well-and the `thump` you hear when a bird of prey takes another bird is never forgotten.

Re: Do you feed the birds in Winter ?

I was just about to say the same. I used to enjoy scores of goldfinches, greenfinches and tits at the feeders, but even that is not enough to persuade me to continue to feed the rats...