Feeding birds in garden

[Riley Blue]

I've had a bird feeding station in the garden this spring with suet balls, seeds and peanuts in separate hanging feeders with water and more seeds in bowls.

The suet balls are the biggest draw by far, the peanuts have been ignored. We've had frequent visits from Great Tits and Blue Tits but also from Magpies and Pigeons though the latter are unable to hang on so pick up the pieces dropped by the others - the Magpies are particularly messy eaters, hammering away like jack hammers.

We've also seen, though they haven't eaten anything: Robin, Blackbird, Thrush, Green Finch and Gold Crest. What can we do to attract these back to feed?

I know some are ground feeders but I don't want to put food on the ground as we saw a rat about a month ago.

[anonymous-user]

My MIL suggested mealy worms to us the other day and there has definitely been an influx of new birds since, albeit I’ve scattered these on the lawn rather than in the hanging feeders.

Our seed feeders don’t seem to be attracting anything at all oddly, but the half coconut/suet things do occasionally.

Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 31st May 08:12

[langtounlad]

Kibbled peanuts (from Wilko) are like crack cocaine to the blue tits in our garden. Suet balls, seeds, ordinary peanuts are all ignored if the kibbled peanut feeder isn't empty.

[Nimby]

Sunflower kernels. No mess and most birds love them. We find peanuts go mouldy too quickly

[Desiderata]

At this time of year I've noticed "seasonal feeding", far more activity around the fat balls and suet at the moment. I guess they're looking for high energy foods to feed young at the moment rather than keeping themselves alive over the winter.
We get good numbers of siskins , goldfiinches etc they only ever seem to eat Niger seeds from the feeders, but once they are here, they'll happily spend hours on our "wild/weed" area, eating thistle and docken seeds. I'd recommend trying different garden plants to encourage birds naturally, we've got a decent area of meadowsweet just outside the "garden" area which is amazing for a variety of birds
Likewise, you can encourage the carnivores like robins with mealworms and fat at your stations, but for best results, just dig over a little area of garden on a regular basis . We get robins, grey and pied wagtails etc feeding on the ground whenever I dig, along with lots of aerial insect feeders like swallows (and bats in the evening).
Nothing wrong with a bit of ground feeding, as long as it's little and often so you don't get heaps left overnight, although when we do, we tend to see increased mouse (and therefore owl) activity, and the occasional hedgehog.

[anonymous-user]

All the ones you mention that haven’t eaten we have and they eat what we put out.

Have been using the follow to great success

Peckish Complete Seed and Nut No Mess Wild Bird Food Mix, 2 kg https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005XJ288K/ref=cm_sw_r...

this one below they absolutely love but it ain’t cheap !

Robin Food 2kg - I Love Robins -... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AK7BH1E?ref=ppx_pop...


We use this feeder if it’s any help also.

Clear Hanging Bird Feeder - I... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00ZG9PSG6?ref=ppx_pop...

[gooner1]

Re peanuts, I was always led to believe that putting these out at this time of year was harmful
to young birds still in the nest. Have I been led up the garden path?

[Mr Pointy]

gooner1 said:

Re peanuts, I was always led to believe that putting these out at this time of year was harmful
to young birds still in the nest. Have I been led up the garden path?

I've seen some pepole say that the chicks can choke on large chunks of food but I don't think I've ever seen a small bird try & fly off with an entire peanut. I feed them from a mesh feeder anyway so the birds only take small chunks out of the whole nuts.

Robins, Blackbirds & Thrushes are all ground feeders & can't feed from hanging feeders. If you don't want to put food down then maybe use a low level tray or dish & take it in or cover it at night.

[SAB888]

I tend to use sunflower hearts most of the time as most small birds seem to love them. Had up to 12 goldfinches at one time, sparrows, robins, blue, coal and great tits, wrens and dunnocks. I also have some fallen seeds which have started to grow under the feeder!

A few days ago I saw two Red Kites flying around, and that's a bird I'd love to get in the garden.

[Mr Pointy]

SAB888 said:

I tend to use sunflower hearts most of the time as most small birds seem to love them. Had up to 12 goldfinches at one time, sparrows, robins, blue, coal and great tits, wrens and dunnocks. I also have some fallen seeds which have started to grow under the feeder!

A few days ago I saw two Red Kites flying around, and that's a bird I'd love to get in the garden.

One of the neighbours puts down bits of chicken for them & the sky around is filled with swooping Red Kites most afternoons. I'm not sure how he got them started though.

[O mage]

sunflower seeds direct on garden, i watch them they enjoy pecking about. if i give em the suet in half a coconut shell its chaos out there.

[pequod]

Mr Pointy said:

One of the neighbours puts down bits of chicken for them & the sky around is filled with swooping Red Kites most afternoons. I'm not sure how he got them started though.

Probably has a Bantam Cock!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hQhi4oyH6k

[Zirconia]

Careful with meal worms, sunflower hearts and peanuts. Not for the birds, for the hedgehogs if there are any. Those foods are bad for them. I lift up anything I put on the ground feeder and sweep up each evening before the hogs come in.

[Turn7]

Nimby said:

Sunflower kernels. No mess and most birds love them. We find peanuts go mouldy too quickly

This.

I get through sacks of it.....

[pequod]

Turn7 said:

Nimby said:

Sunflower kernels. No mess and most birds love them. We find peanuts go mouldy too quickly

This.

I get through sacks of it.....

Agreed. I have been feeding these sunflower kernels recently and noticed less mess under the feed station and it has also attracted a pair of yellowhammers, which is nice. Witnessed a sparrow feeding her youngster with it too but unsure whether that's a good choice? Other treats are available if she can get to them before the gang of Starlings arrive and grab the lot!

[Zirconia]

Don't mind feeding the starlings but the rate they can put it away, have to limit it every day. Fat nibbles they like, that goes for the sparrows and blackbirds. The blackbirds ho0ver the stuff off the ground.

[vixen1700]

Not sure if it's down to the cherries ripening, but we''ve had huge flocks of starlings over the last week in the garden, never seen it like that before.

It can go from silence to total manic squawking and flying round the trees and feeders in seconds. Bizarre.

[mike74]

Zirconia said:

Careful with meal worms, sunflower hearts and peanuts. Not for the birds, for the hedgehogs if there are any. Those foods are bad for them. I lift up anything I put on the ground feeder and sweep up each evening before the hogs come in.

I'm surprised meal worms can be harmful to hogs?

I would have thought that would be their ideal food and exactly what they eat as part of their natural foraging?

[Mr Pointy]

vixen1700 said:

Not sure if it's down to the cherries ripening, but we''ve had huge flocks of starlings over the last week in the garden, never seen it like that before.

It can go from silence to total manic squawking and flying round the trees and feeders in seconds. Bizarre.

The first brood have just fledged but they can't feed themselves so they sit there squawking away while the parents shove food into them. They're a pain as they drive the smaller birds away.

[jurbie]

mike74 said:

I'm surprised meal worms can be harmful to hogs?

I would have thought that would be their ideal food and exactly what they eat as part of their natural foraging?

News to me also but apparently so.

https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/countrys...