Hi John

My wild birds are feeding very heavily, even though we have got lots of berries still on the bushes and hedgerow. Do you feed continuously through the summer? I have found that if you feed all the year round you tend to have more birds at this time of year.  But after saying that we have no greenfinches, well an odd one, but apparently they have had a virus and it has dessimated their population.  The goldfinches are quite prolific, and I did not realise that blackbirds migrate, I still have a few here but not as many as we had in the summer months.  You never know when it turns really cold you might get them back to your feeding station, good luck, hope you see them soon.

Barbara Wilson

Hi

We feed our birds all year round. I didn't know blackbirds migrated either. Where do they go?

We feed them raisins as a treat in the winter, they come and wait for us!! Wondered why they were not here in the summer, but one has appeared again after the raisins!!

Hi

You will find that most birds at this time of year tend to go more for natural food like bugs and berries. As this source diminishes they will be only to pleased to accept your hospitality. At the moment in my garden I only have around thirty regulars but when the weather gets colder I get hundreds of them.

Btw they also like bits of cheese and fruit like apples cut in to slices.

Bazza

Hi,

will definately try the cheese and fruit.

I always find the birds go for the fat balls rather that the nuts and seeds, a seed bag I put out in Spring has barely been touched, maybe I just don't have the right birds in my area!! 

It may be the seed has got a bit damp or something. you could try a different container and fresh seeds

My blackbird was waiting for me again when I got up this morning. If you see any blackbirds near the house you could try giving them a few raisins. They do remember and come back to ask for more

Enjoy the birds

Thanks guys. I did feed throughout the summer using a crumb mix and avoided nuts and seeds. But have now put out nuts sunflower seeds plus fat balls so i dont think any would be stale. i'll certainly try fruit and raisins as we have blackbirds and robins around. I know the tits group up in the winter so would expect them to come as and when they're in the area. But no sparrows finches or even starlings at the moment.

Hi everyone,

Apparently some but not all blackbirds migrate, think it is to Italy or places such as that, the bird expert on our local radio, who is supposed to have the knowledge informed us. He also informed his listeners that it did not matter what food you fed through the summer months as the parent birds know exactly what to feed their young, in fact he said they only fed the soft food to their baby birds so it should be fine to feed nuts and seeds etc all year round.  Hope you see them back to your feeder soon John. 

Ps.  

have just checked up on the migration of Blackbirds and it does say, in my book, they do partially migrate but does not mention where to. Will investigate further,  I must admit that I have not got the amount of blackbirds feeding that I had in the summer months, just thought it was that they had dispersed around the woodlands. 

Best wishes

 Barbara W.

Hi

I feed the birds with mixed seeds ,nuts and live meal worms.

I have noticed the greenfinches are not so common, but we have plenty of the other finches, tits, wagtails, two woodpeckers now and then and STARLINGS by the dozens, the eat everything, including the meal worms before the robins get a look in .

Anyone any ideas how to feed the robins  and not the starlings.

John.

Hi all,

 not been around in ages so nice to see new faces (and the elderly one of bazza  - JUST KIDDING <Hides behind the sofa>).

My hubby feeds the birds, we moved the feeder closer to the window of the new kitchen so its great to be able to see them up close.  the squizzers are still going for the food and the gold finches are eating more than we can feed them but we do get a big veriety of other birds as well so its fun.

Last few weeks have been slower, not so many birds so I took advantage of hubby being sick and birds not turning up and gave the bird feeder a good soak in some water to get the muck out. Should really spray it with disinfectant but I don't want them to be too long without food this time of year. Saying that, someone did mention a virus the green finches have been suffering from so I better dig out my special disinfectant just in case...

I'm still not seeing much. Tits come and go plus we've got our local robins. A neighbour with more cover than us seems to have more action so it looks like that until we've got more shrubs in our open garden we 'll always get fewer visitors.

Bit concerned about virus greenfinches are suffering. I'll try to clean out my feeders more regularly and see if that helps. I've thrown away the fat feeders as the birds didnt go for them and they've gone bad after all the wet weather.

Imbal Bland

Oi who are you calling elderly then. Cheeky monkey. Where you been then. Nice to see you back (and front )

Merry Christmas

Bazza

LOL hi Bazza

I've been computerless at home for a while due to builders. our extension is done now but the rest of the house is still a bit of a mess we'll have to live with until our finances improve (or my hubby deciding he wants to DIY it but I doubt it).

I now have one level of garden instead of 2 because the builders put all the soil they had to dig for the cellar at the back of the garden so I have an excellent place for a veg patch. Hubby's uncle has loads of garden compost to give us so I'll be getting some soon and start digging it in.

How have you been?

Inbal Bland

Hi

Nice to know you have had the worked finished at last. Push the hubby to do some DIY while the vat is cheaper you will save quite a lot of money

Had a grandson Jack, since you were last here. Being Welsh I am now a Taid (pronounced Tide) not a grandad.

You will have to show us some pics now the works been done and the new veg patch when it is crammed full of goodies.

Must go now got to catch up on the panto thread.

Best wishes

Bazza

Hi Taid!! Congrats

I will post some pics when I get the chance, we went to collect some bags of compost today and hubbys uncle has LOADS of garden compost so we've won the jackpot!!

Hubby also promised to sort my greenhouse will his off work next week so I'm going to hold him to his word... (had witnesses too!)

There's a panto thread?? I'll have to have a look for it, only just dicovered panto 

Inbal Bland

Hi

Get the whip out and make sure he does the work. Only a couple of months before we think about getting back out there planting. Spring will be just around the corner then. Cant wait.

Yes got a good panto thread going.  Honey and the beanstalk. You might have to read through Ants nast (nast should be nest) in compost bin as well to maybe work out who the characters are.

Thanks for your congratulations

Bazza x

Bazza/Inbal

Can you transplant yourselves to another thread, its very annoying to find that you're not adding to the discussion but just idle banter. Thanks

John Heath

Can you transplant yourself to another forum, instead of trying to take root here.

I have posted 1807 times Inbal 301

Your contribution 17. Get a life or get lost.

Bazza