[in the hills]

Any tips.


The birds here have BIG appetites. Filled the table and feeders at 7.30am. 10am ..... all gone! Table is just a swarm of birds. They wait in queues in the hedges. They even know when I shout the chickens for a handful of corn ..... they are there faster than the chooks. It's like that film.


We buy the big sacks of bird seed but they last no time at all.


Any economical tips. Going to cost a fortune to feed during winter 

[Fleecewife]

It's the same here.  We have several peanut feeders and during the summer just one seed feeder.  However at the moment it's mainly sparrows (house and tree) who are gorging on the seeds, rather than the smaller birds who struggle to get a look-in.  In previous years the sparrow numbers have seemed to dwindle (and the sparrow hawks get fatter  ) and the tits, greenfinches and the rest of the winter usual suspects can get to the seed feeders (we put out several then).
 
We have found that feeding straight hen grain on the ground will feed the sparrows, chaffinches, yellow hammers, collared doves and so on in the winter.   If possible we try to feed them away from the hens because of course wild birds can bring some parasites and sickness to domestic hens.  The grain isn't particularly cheap, but it is cheaper than good quality bird seed. Sparrows, chaffinches etc are grain eaters and they have plenty to forage for here anyway, so I get annoyed when they scatter so much of the expensive seed everywhere, in search of the larger grains which they prefer.
 
So see which birds you have and save the expensive seed for the little, well mannered ones

[in the hills]

Thanks FW.


Perhaps it's a boom year following the poor summers of late. We always get good numbers but this year is unbelievable ..... sparrows, bluetits,greatits, robins .... all the usual.


The red kites have nested just a mile or so away and they are always over head with their family .... so 5 in all. An impressive sight.

[Fleecewife]

I envy you the red kites - I have never seen them here. 40 odd years ago when we lived in Anglesey there was a small group of red kites but in general they were a rarity back then.  They seem to have made a wonderful comeback.

[Bramblecot]

I don't bother with bird seed anymore as so much was wasted.  We buy sacks of black sunflower seeds and boxes of un-netted fat balls instead.  And niger seed for the goldfinches.  The chickens run all the way up the garden and line up under the bird feeders .  So now I have taken to throwing them a handful too .