A flock of Long Tailed Tits arrived in the garden this morning. Such beautiful little birds!! They seem to appreciate the fat cakes and fat balls I've hung out in the garden. So nice to have them visiting again. ;D
fantastic e :)
any chance of a pic?
The more I read and see the posts on the birds the more envious I get :'(
Will try to get a piccie for you GW but I haven't set up my printer or scanner again yet so it may take a while. Fingers crossed they keep coming back!!
I had a pair of mistle thrushes, pair of woodpigeons and pair of
ring necked doves all feeding in my snow covered garden today.
Also had the usual suspects.. robin, sparrows, dunnocks, wren, blackbirds.
Made more bird cakes to see them through the cold snap.
Debs
My birds are devouring the food at an alarming rate - can hardly keep up with them :) ::) I am so envious of those who have long tailed tits visiting - never seen one here. Maybe I am too far south - do they frequent the northern regions I wonder :-\...........or maybe they do not like the food I put out (mainly sunflower hearts and peanuts)
I used to see plenty in Cornwall, so I don't think that's it. They don't go far from thick cover; are you in an open area?
Does anyone have a recipe for fat balls?
I just melt some lard, add whatever grabs me, like seeds, oats, currants etc, put in a bowl to set or coconut half and bung in the fridge...
I would like a pat on the head for my very restrained answer.... :)
Thats cos your a lady init
;D ;D ;D
Pat we've had the long tailed tits in the garden, ..I'm in Kent, it was last spring I saw them, haven't spotted them this year yet though. I did see a robin trying to peck at one of the fat balls. Anyone got a recipe for fat balls, or cakes, I'm not sure how to mix them up, do you melt suet and things altogether? They way they are eating at the moment it would be cheaper to do my own.All help gratefully received, thanks folks.
http://erecipetips.com/recipe/pet_recipes/bird_foods (http://erecipetips.com/recipe/pet_recipes/bird_foods)
~here's some posh recipes V :)
here's some of my recipes:
                      1.mixed bird seed with pura veg oil block & pour into
                        coconut shells
                      2.whizz some porridge oats & raisins in a food processor
                        & mix that with the veg fat
             Â
                      3.niger seed mixed with veg fat ..it's the only way
                        they'll eat it ::)
GW Sorry, more questions.
No 2. I do not own a food processor..any other way?
No 3. What is niger seed? (told you I know nought!!)
GW. PS I bought sunflower seed and mixed wild bird seed.. are they ok?
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on December 30, 2005, 11:07:36
are you in an open area?
Our garden is quite enclosed Robert with a row of beech trees quite close for the birds to retreat to.
Val - I'm in Herts so maybe I'll get lucky one day. On second thoughts I seem to remember my friend down the road saying she has LTT's in her garden - maybe its the dogs and cats that put them off although all the other birds don't seem to mind:-\ :)
A row of beech trees doesn't sound like typical lontailed tit habitat; if it was a solid wood they'd be up in the canopy, or they like good sized patches of scrub, but the trouble with a small piece of cover is that they have to fly in and out, and they'd be vulnerable to hawks. So they tend to avoid it.
Brilliant GW, thanks for that, homemade cakes for our birds tomorrow. Pat my OH came from Herts, W.G. City :) ...We've got just normal gardens here but there are woods a couple of miles away, maybe we just got lucky last spring, we haven't seen them before or since.
Val - I am going with my daughter one day next week to hit the sales at WGC as she has a week off work. We also have a large area of woods on the edge of our village only a short distance from us.
L you could buy fine cut oats
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/GREENWIZARD/negersaat01.jpg)
~here the niger/thistle seed
it's a very fine black oily seed & rather expensive :(
but don't be tempted to buy in bulk because it can become rancid if stored for too long
i buy mine from our local market but i'm sure you'll be able to pick it up some of the pet superstores.
you can also buy special feeders that are designed to cope with such a fine seed.
Quote from: lorna on December 30, 2005, 15:52:16
GW. PS I bought sunflower seed and mixed wild bird seed.. are they ok?
~absolutely fine L :)
GW Many thanks once again. I am wonderung if there is room in my bedroom for my computer desk, then I could still spend hours on keyboard and also watch for birds ;D ;D
;D ;D ;D ;D
Just had a flock of Long Tailed Tits as well, managed to get a few pics. They are really lovely little birds and I got such a close up view of them. They were at the fat balls in at my bedroom window so saw them close up. Wonderful!!!!
;D ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: Gardengirl on December 30, 2005, 18:49:48
Val - I am going with my daughter one day next week to hit the sales at WGC as she has a week off work. We also have a large area of woods on the edge of our village only a short distance from us.
Have a good time shopping Pat, I've only been to the Garden City a couple of times but OH has loads of relations still there, in fact we've got an invite up there end of Jan, but not sure if we can go. From what I've seen of the area it looks as if it can support loads of different birds except sea of course, I guess its just luck if they visit the garden...Also if you happen to be looking at that time.
The Long tailed tits seen thro my bedroom window. not clear but lovely all the same....
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/lowrieT/IMG_1141.jpg)
Wow, long tailed tits are such lovely birds. :D One is sometimes likened to a ball of wool with knitting needles stuck through it. What a surprise you must have had Carol when you looked out and saw them there. ;D ;D I catch a fleeting glimpse of them in my garden now and again so will have to put out some more fat to attract them. You can buy suet based cakes in so many different varieties these days, berry treat, apple treat, nutty treat as well as treats with insects. Please let us into the secret as to what is in your feeder cage Carol. :)
Carol, they're lovely :). Had 3 stop in my Rowan tree for about 30 seconds earlier this year. By the time I got my camera (which is always at the ready), switched it on and focused on the spot where they were, they were gone :( I do hope mine visit again one day and stay for a while too.
I am sure they were the 'nutty treats' Pauline. That has been up at athe bedroom window for weeks now and only spotted a blue tit other day at it. My garden does get ignored quite a bit cos of the Sparrowhawk but now and then it produces a 'gem'. I was delighted with the LTT and look forward to seeing a Nuthatch in the near future. They have increased in numbers here in the Borders.
Happy New Year to you
Thanks Carol. If you live in the Borders, why aren't you out celebrating Hogmanay?
Not out, because I am one of them 'boring' scots folk who do not drink.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
In my experience, Carol, it is often those that drink that are the most boring, especially if they have had too much! I must admit that I have had a couple of drinks tonight in celebration of moving out of 2005, one of the worst years of my life, and into 2006 which I hope will be better. Is it here yet?........ ALMOST.............. HAPPY NEW YEAR carol and everyone on A 4 All.
Well thats that bad year gone for you Pauline. Some years can be real bad ones when everything goes wrong. I am sure this one will be a good one for you. Happy New Year to you as well.
Thanks Carol ;D ;D ;D
WHAT CRACKING PICS. jUST GOT HOME BUT HAD TO HAVE A PEEP AT a4a BEST WISHES TO ALL MY FRIENDS. PAULINE 2006 WILL BE BETTER FOR YOU. hOW MANY HAVE YOU HAD, HOPE YOU KEPT UP WITH ME. ;D
Yep and a Happy New Year to you all from me as well. I have a drink about twice a year and get a bit sloshed but I don't for the life of me know why, I don't even like the taste of alcohol. daft or what? ???
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/GREENWIZARD/HNY1Multi.gif)
    folks
 super pic C