[in the hills]

What is he looking for?

We have bought a new metal pole bird feeder ..... the kind that you hang feeders from. Wooden tables blow over up here and end up smashed. We try to lie them down when high wind is forecast but inevitably get caught out.

We have two seed feeders hanging from the pole and the nuthatch or nuthatches just sit there 'flinging' the seed from them and scattering all over the ground! They will empty both in about half an hour leaving all other visitors without any breakfast  .

Anyone know what they are searching for? Its the mixed wild bird seed that you buy in sacks. It is medium priced I suppose. We have such a lot of birds that we have to fill tables at least twice daily in winter. Would we be better opting for just black sunflower hearts or something else? 

Any ideas?

[Fleecewife]

From my bird book:
Diet - insects, oily seeds, sometimes berries.  So for seeds, anything which can make oil, such as flax, rapeseed, peanuts etc, but not cereals.
It's very annoying when the birds flick perfectly good and nutritious seeds onto the ground.  There are plenty of birds which prefer to eat from the ground, but if you're wanting to attract birds such as tits and gold finches, those nuthatches must be driving you crazy.

[in the hills]

Mmmmm ... may have to experiment, FW. 

The only ground feeders getting a look in are the chickens! They're spending the day padding round and round the 'May Pole'. Still none left to encourage vermin I suppose.

I'm sure they're doing it for 'fun'.

[waddy]

It's the chaffinch doing that with us looking for sunflower hearts.


Helen

[Zebedee]

The nuthatch forms an unholy alliance with the brown rat, you mark my words. Best to stick some peanuts in a holder against a tree so it can run up and down (or is it down and up?) and keep him off your seeds. He's only scattering those he doesn't want. He might be looking for the sunflower seeds.