Hobbies and Crafts

Had to break the ice in the water feature for them this morning. Today they have eaten bread mixed with dripping from the duck we had and banana plus suet and the usual seeds.

ann
Glos

We have all the usual birds on the nuts and fat balls, and also a lovely Woodpecker has found it's way on the nut feeder.

Put out extra, and on the table for the Robin, who I have not seen on the feeder, so we put out for him on the table.

Mo

Amanda - :-))))

Jean - if it solves the problem, you could send me your email addy - no offence taken if you'd rather not - and I could send it to you as a Word document.

Any joy yet?

Ol' Captain Jack (sparrow) has been dining with his family chez nous this morning.

See you all later.
x

Thanks Ann, will try that later. Am expecting Tesco this a.m. so must get on with work.

Jean why not hilight the list and copy and paste it into word. Then print it off.

have printed off Glenys' list, but using Gladwin print screen coulnt get it to a readable size for OH. will have to type it out word for word. Why havent I got a trained parrot to repeat it for me!Have a seed feeder and peanut feeders out, but birds only seem to want the peanuts, and there are all sorts of birds out there. Must get camera at the ready.

Glynis...........your probably right about that . I do miss seeing the Robin in my garden every day : (

We have been out feeding the Ducks and Gulls in a local park........now they where hungry...........lol

Amanda

Lol I have the dusk feeding frenzy outside right now!
Theres literaly a queue for the feeders and I have loads!

I have sparrows, Pidgeons, Collared Doves, Chaffinches, Green Finches, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Long Tailed Tits, Coal tits, Blackbirds, and Robins ............... and a squirrel all out there !

LOL theres a little mouse pops up now & then in the back garden, not too bothered if hes outside, but he keeps going in my garage to help himself - we found him IN the bird feed bucket the other day which was suspended from a wall bracket! lol its now hanging from the ceiling to try & deter him!

The only bird I DONT like seeing in my garden is the Heron, he thinks my fish are his dinner! Even with netting over he managed to get most of my fish last year, need to rethink the heron proofing before I re-stock!

Gail

Amanda - they're probably being very considerate, lol, sharing themselves amongst you and your neighbours! :-))

Actually, thinking about it, that may not be far off the truth, who knows?
x

Amanda, the only time we saw hardly any birds a t all for two months was after the aggressive visit of a Sparrow Hawk.

Ann
Glos

I haven't seen any birds in my garden for several days now.....perhaps they are all laying up somewhere , stuffed full of christmas left-overs ?

Ann - your little families have a banquet! lol

They'll go back to the fat balls today, I can guarantee.
x

So far today I have filled up a feeder with bought suet and fruit bits and that is now half empty, they have had two lots of scraps, one of which was the raw fat off pork chops ground up and mixed with biscuit crumbs, I put out two small baked potatoes, one has gone the other is still there, the peanuts are almost empty and the black sunflower seed is going down, likewise the mixed see. But for some reason they are now ignoring the fat balls, how strange, I guess there is too much other food which they like better.

ann
Glos

You're welcome, Ann.
The amount of food currently being consumed by them is colossal! Well, for them anyway. I for one, underestimated just how much food they need at this time of year, particularly fat - which, I read somewhere, is "a life-saver in winter".
x

Glenys thank you for the list, very helpful.
Liz, yes blackbirds and starling like manky apples!

Ann
Glos

'Our' blackbird loves apples so any that go a bit crinkly in the bowl get cut in half and put outside usually just under an overhanging bush so he has some shelter when dining!

Lizx

You're welcome, Julia and Julie. Thanks, too, for the other tips. Ann, you've started something here! :-))
Julie, aren't they just! (A joy to watch)
x

I have to report that today was sparrows bath day (must be ebcause it is friday Lol!!! We have a water feature that is a jug pouring into a wide bowl and four sparrows were all having a dip and scrub in the bowl this afternoon. The blackbirds visit most days for a bath as well.

Oh, and the birds love left over fruit cake and squashy bananas

Ann
Glos

I love this thread being a bird lover. Can I just add that I always put dried fruit chopped up in my fat cakes. My birds also love baked potatos, left on the bird table cut in half, they dig at it till all the inside has gone. I know you don't need reminding that water is as important as food for them as they still need to bathe as well as drink.
We have had many more birds coming into the garden but not a lot of Starlings for some reason.

Caz xx

Thanks Glenys the Menace for the recipe for Bird Fat Cake,it doesn't seem any trouble to make at all. My trouble is with the pesky squirrels, who eat everything I put out for the birds, unless I can shoo them away first.
Julia in Derbyshire