Topic: feed the birds, tuppence a bag

[aquilegia]

what do you feed the birds in your garden?

My feathered visitors get:
bits of old cheese (usually stuff we bought but didn't like or forgot to eat!)
bits of old fruit cake
old dried fruit (apricots at the moment)
bird seed

Their favourite seems to be the cheese! I think I need to chop up the apricots, though, as they just tend to throw them everywhere!

(I don't normally leave food like this, it just so happens that I found a lot of old things this week!)

[derbex]

The crusts off my daughter's sandwiches get slung out of the kitchen window every morning.

Also any slugs & snails  >:(

Jeremy.

[Jesse]

I found a mix of seeds at my local nursery especially for Robins (which I adore), it contains among other things little dried insects. The Robins love it! Last weekend I was digging over a new flowerbed and my little Robin and Blackbird friends were sitting almost next to me waiting for the occasional worm to be slung their way. I know earthworms are good for the soil but I couldn't resist throwing the odd one their way. I also leave a slice of bread (broken into little pieces) for the birds each morning. In winter I leave nuts and sunflower seeds sometimes the squirrels get to them first but I don't mind, I enjoy watching them.

Aqui, what kind of cheese do you give your birds. I read somewhere that strong cheddar should not be given to birds, is that true? We only have mature cheddar so I haven't used that.

[aquilegia]

It was cheshire. It was quite horrid (tasted moldy when I bought it). But I'm not very good at complaining, so didn't take it back! Not sure about very mature cheese, but I wouldn't give them anything fancy, just in case (and because I love cheese!  ;D)

I'm pretty certain that it was the robin that got the cheese!

[Val]

Wild bird seed and peanuts, I don't very often feed them our food, they sometimes drop it and we have a scavenger on the premises that eats anything and everything, its our dog she even eats bonemeal if I don't dig it in.... We've got a Macdonalds takeaway behind us and a bird dropped a roll in our garden, who should I find scoffing it back, a right little piggy she is.

Oh yes apples and pears cut up, she doesn't touch them outside. and fat balls.

[eileen]

Hi you lot!!!

Cheese is OK to give to birds in small amounts, preferably grated, but not strong chedder or any of the blue cheeses 'cause of the high salt content.

I give  my birds a seed mix which has wildflower seeds, black sunflower seeds, crop seeds (corn, maize, oats, rice etc) and dried mini peas, grass seeds and even a few veggie seeds! Goes down a treat + I get some of the seeds germinating around the birdtable as an added bonus.  :D
I also give them cake crumbs, fresh fruit - grapes, apples and pears (cut in half), dried fruit, meal worms, Nyjer seeds, fatballs and ground peanuts. This year I'm growing Teasel to attract the gold finches and bullfinches.
When winter comes along I increase the amount of dried fruits like sultanas and raisins and put out more seeded fat balls, some wholemeal or granary bread and whole peants in feeders. I have two small ponds that they use for bathing and drinking and an area of bare ground so that they can have dust baths. Neither wonder they treat my garden like an hotel.  ;D
I don't feed dried insects as my garden is fully organic and they pay me back for feeding them by picking all the 'little nasties' off my plants.
I couldn't have a garden that wasn't geared to wildlife as I really enjoy watching all the visitors it attracts.

Eileen.

[Val]

 Eileen, I love to provide plants that the wildlife enjoy [with one exception] I really feel as if I've achieved something when you see them pecking at plants you've put there, its like a double whammy, you get the pleasure of the plant, they find it useful. Yep this gardening thing is GREAT..... ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

[feet of clay]

My bird mix is the usual commercial seed plus sunflower seeds, sultanas, grated suet, porridge oats and cheap 'dog meal'.  This week I noticed the popping corn was nearing its usable date so I chucked that in too.  I also put out bread, stale crackers, wrinkly fruit and breakfast cereal (special K & museli) that's lost its appeal.  I have a big pond for the birds (the wagtails claimed the mud even before it had been filled) and I grow bird- (and animal-) friendly plants.  Being a veggie I can't feed live food to the birds but they seem to do all right and repay me by sorting out the slimies and other critters.

[Steven]

I have several peanut feeders hanging on a tree and every morning put a few good handfulls of wild bird seed on the bird table-which gets cleared up in a few hours.Also make my own fat balls made from lard and mix crushed peanuts and seed-these are especially popular with the birdies!

Quite chuffed at the moment as i get a pair of wag tails every morning waiting for me to fill up the feeders etc They hear me rattling the tin and hop onto the fence.Once i have finished,they immediately hop down to the table.The sparrows have returned to my garden in substantial numbers and no longer get intimidated by the starlings which a couple of months ago,invaded my garden in massive numbers.  ???

I even get a pair of pigeons who regulary snack on the bird seed and are unfazed by me watching them or my dogs curiousity. :D

[Mrs Ava]

Kids uneaten brekky toast, crusts from their sangers, bacon rinds from their sunday fry, old cakes, biccies and crackers and occassionally dried fruit or bits of sausage that the kids didn't eat.  I don't use chemicals so there are always plenty of bugs and slimeys around for them to eat but I am always nervous of encouraging the birds in as our neighbours cat is a real hunter and does real damage then strolls away leaving my kids to find the feathers!  >:(

[Plocket]

I buy a wild bird seed mix from the Wildlife Trust. They also get access to all the plants in my garden! I put out leftover cooked potato, bread and toast crumbs and crusts. Leftover bits of cheese. Raw bacon fat cut really small. Raisins that my daughter kindly drops on the kitchen floor or the car seat! Apples (cut up) if they are a bit past it. That's all I can think of at the moment. All the birds seem very happy with my offerings and keep coming back for more!

[TrailRat]

The birds around here get what the mice, rats and rabbits don't eat.

TrailRat

[Gardengirl]

I feed mainly sunflower hearts which all the birds that visit our garden absolutely love.  I even have the occasional blackbird (who are really ground feeders) up on the feeder.  

Eileen I have loads of goldfinches who come down for the sunflower hearts.

Also have a peanut feeder, but don't find this is used as much.

[aquilegia]

feet of clay - is that vegetable suet you feed them? I'm a veggie too and I've got a packet of veg suet that's gone out of date. I'll start adding that to their meals!

[Mrs Ava]

Our bird population was happy today, I emptied out our biscuit tin for them, so they enjoyed choccy digestives, custard creams, bourbons, cookies, shortcake and the odd biccies the kids made about 6 weeks ago!  It was the dregs of the tin, and nobody wants the crumbs, so the birds had a yummy treat! Should have seen the sparrows!  Never seen so many in my garden at one time.  ;D

[Granny_Smith]

Sunflower hearts, black sunflower seeds, nyger seeds all sorts of bird seed and anything thats going to be thrown out but edible for the birds. Use suet (veg or otherwise) to make fat balls - just melt it in the microwave and pour into a container (don't forget to put the wire/string in the middle!), it's much cheaper than buying the ready made ones and you can add which seeds you like.
Our birdbath is an old cat litter tray with gravel and pebbles in it so the little birds don't drown - there's always a queue in the morning.