Please remember...

[Flighty]

to put out food and water for the birds.  Another long, hard winter will sadly take it's toll on smaller birds.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8164576/Fewer-robins-will-be-keeping-gardeners-company-this-winter.html

[Flighty]

[Carol]

I am tired out with my walk to feed the birds.  I have spent the last 3 days watching and feeding them.  I bought half pound of lard as well and intend making up more 'meals' for them to get the food intake.  I was even up early both mornings to feed them because I knew they would be waiting on me at the back door and sure enough, there were the 3 blackbirds and a robin waiting on the step.  I am sure they went to roost with their tummys full. 

:)

[lisaparkin]

I have been in and out all day topping up the bird food   ;D

I have seen lots of sparrows and starlings....a couple of robins, blue tits, great tits, 1 blackbird, 1 chaffinch, 2 wood pigeons and a couple of wagtails.

[SamLouise]

I knew they would be waiting on me at the back door and sure enough, there were the 3 blackbirds and a robin waiting on the step.  I am sure they went to roost with their tummys full. 

:)

:) That made for a nice bit of reading.

As horrid as it sounds, I've stopped feeding the birds in our back garden for the time being.  Those d**n cats just won't stay away and I can't risk them getting my little feathered friends.  Up to 3 or 4 of them making our garden their daytime home over the last few months and I don't know why because if I got close enough they would feel the toe of my boot but I digress ....

At work, I feed the birds like crazy!  I work by Epping forest so plenty of visitors, lol.  I've got fat balls, fat blocks, suet, nuts, seeds, sunflower hearts, sunflower seeds and fresh fruit a couple of times a week too.  My boss says they have a bit of a buffet going on, hehe.  It appears there is a robin who lives in or under a big thick bush outside our office as no matter what time of day I pop out there, it's always under there.  I've made up a nice food cocktail which I sprinkle under there each morning and evening for easy food ;D

I shall have to think about how to get a little water supply out there - perhaps a little dish on the floor, would that be ok?

[elvis2003]

cheers for the reminder.putsome dried meal worms out today but they dont seem to be as tasty as i thought as they all still there? will know remember to make sure they have an unfrozen water bath too
R x

[GrannieAnnie]

In a birding magazine they recommended soaking up bacon grease with stale bread or pancakes and letting that get solid then put it in bird feeder. I'm trying that and will hang it in woodpecker feeder--if and  when I can find it!

[landimad]

My Winnie chases the birds away so she can get at the titbits the birds drop on the floor.
I have now started to put it out after her last stroll around the garden and lock up. Then the birds can eat what they want before she is allowed out. ;)

[Flighty]

SamLouise a little dish on the ground for water would be perfectly okay.

[Borlotti]

I have some redcurrants in the freezer which I don't think I will use, can I thaw them out and give to the birds (don't want to make them ill)???.  I know they liked eating them from the bushes.

[Digeroo]

There are masses of haws in the hedgerows at the moment but all rather frozen.  Robins looking very hopeful do they eat fat?

Pig neighbours were crunching ice brrrrr.

[Toadspawn]

Water
Although it is important to provide water for birds to drink it is equally important to provide water in which the birds can bathe. Many birds need to bathe every day to keep their feathers in good condition. I break the ice on pond every day and within a very short time birds are bathing despite the cold.

[Carol]

I have some redcurrants in the freezer which I don't think I will use, can I thaw them out and give to the birds (don't want to make them ill)???.  I know they liked eating them from the bushes.

I doubt they will eat the red currants once picked.  One year I foraged for all types of berries to feed the birds in winter and the whole lot were ignored.

???

[Carol]

I have had another hard day feeding the birds.  First thing I was out and had to be watched by OH while I waded thigh deep in snow to get through to their feeding area.  I managed to start the path through the snow for the day.  Another hard going day feeding.  We measured the depth of the snow and it is 23 inches or 56mm. 

[grannyjanny]

I take my hat off to you Carol. Well done. Things must be bad here, the Thrush is back. No snow yet though.

[macmac]

Any tips for keeping water in the 3 stone bird baths we've got ?
I try to break the ice and pour on fresh water,our frog pond has loads of vegetation so offers little water. :(