Hobbies and Crafts

Thanks for the advice Whirley - I won't put out the rice then! Sounds ominous! Normally any leftover rice I put in the dog's dinner/breakfast as he loves it.

Jill

I've made up a list of "offerings" for birds', which includes some definite no-no's. I've printed it off and is on our fridge door; it's a very handy quick reference. If you want a copy, pm me.
x

I just found this our of interest.

Uncooked rice can contain spores of Bacillus cereus, bacteria that can cause food poisoning. When the rice is cooked, the spores can survive. Then, if the rice is left standing at room temperature, the spores will germinate into bacteria. These bacteria will multiply and may produce toxins (poisons) that cause vomiting or diarrhoea. Reheating the rice won't get rid of these toxins.

So, the longer cooked rice is left at room temperature, the more likely it is that bacteria, or the toxins they produce, could stop the rice being safe to eat.

It's best to serve rice when it has just been cooked. If that isn't possible, cool the rice as quickly as possible (ideally within one hour) and keep it in the fridge for no more than one day until reheating.

Can I just make a point about rice (cooked) please. It can be highly poisonous to birds (and us) if it is say more than a day or 2 old & esp if its been left at room temperature. I personaly never eat rice that is more than a day old. Just a thought.

Just to add too, Desiccated coconut should never be used as it may swell once inside a bird and cause death. Bread should always be moistened before placing on the bird table.

It's good to feed the birds. I hand feed a Robin with grated cheese and suet, he comes to my kitchen window.

I put a small amont of rice out a while back but the birds ignored it.


Mrs Blackbird (or probably miss as she looks like a young one), is a minx!! She is leading to male blackbirds a dance around the gardens.

Ann
Glos

Can I include leftover cooked rice?

Not sure if that would swell up inside the little stomachs ...

Anyone know?

Jill

Robin - ah, but it needn't be that expensive, as I've found out. I've had to be reminded that birds also eat our cooked leftovers, including meat, so the term "doggy bag" no longer applies lol.

Mind you, have they said so much as a "thank you"? Have they heck! lol

*covers ears while Bob's posting about the doves*

This is a very entertaining thread! :-))
And we thought birds just - well, flew! lol
x

LOL

I'm glad I'm not the only one!

The directions to people looking for my house are as follows................ "Look for the house with the tree full of bird feeders and the bird bath in the front garden"
hehe no one missed it!

The birds have been buts here too, we usualy fill the feeders up every 2 days........... this week we have been filling it up everyday.

Oddly enough we seem to have had an influx of birds we havent seen before, Greenfinches, Long tailed Tits, Coal Tits, as well as the usual ones we get every day.........


(lol and yes, the birds seem to think its spring here too)

Gail

my hubby made me a lovely bird table with a roof n put it ont he fence

the birds dont get a look in the cat thinks its her shelter lol

I noticed the doves last week too....they are not normally about til spring....There was also a lot of smaller bird activity in my garden which I thought was unusual for this time of year.

yep they strip our bird table bare..........AND the collared doves are " AT IT " already!!!
Bob

I've seen a small group of Long Tailed Tits a few times this winter in my garden , I've never had them before.

Mr Blackbird has been getting very brave up at the allottment . My oh has been throwing him the worms that have surfaced whilst he is digging.

Amanda

Normally yes Robin I would agree with those times. But today they have been out there all day.

I am most comforted in the knowlege that I am not the only one who goes to great lengths to keep our feathered friends alive and kicking through the winter months.

I still cannot get to grips with how I have been persuaded to fork out for a substantial daily ration of sunflower seed, mixed small bird seed, fat balls, suet pellets, maggots, freeze dried mealworms and half a loaf of bread on the pretence that I will somehow be repaid for my generosity next spring/summer when my garden is once more overun by every insect known to man.

Maybe I am a diehard grump .................................... but I cannot help feeling that my feathered friends will not be keeping their part of the bargain.

And by the way .................................... has anyone else noticed that "feeding time" seems to be limited to the hours of 8 to 9 and 2 to 3 ?

Hi, Jill and Julia - and anyone else who might be interested. Here it is, a la Glenys:-

Bird Fat Cakes – home-made.

We have a saucer on our kitchen windowsill for breadcrumbs, before the plates go into the dishwasher.

Also, we save any fat from, say, spag bol when draining the mincemeat, and stock it up in the fridge until we have enough to make the "cakes". However, Tesco Value lard is good – and cheap!

We buy birdseed at the cheapest store - currently "Pets At Home"; this includes canary seed and calcium-enriched bird grit, songbird food and sunflower seeds.

Stale biscuits, and oats, can be mixed in, too. Remember that old cereal packet you forgot to use up? Now’s your chance!

You need at least 3 medium, heatproof containers; have 5 ready, in case. I usually use the containers that held shop-bought fat cakes, but you can also use Pot Noodle tubs and the like. Place them on wipeable placemats on your kitchen worktop.

When you have 2 or 3 dishes-full of fat in the fridge, usually collected over a few weeks, melt it in a saucepan. While the fat is melting, put the same, plus half as much again, amount of breadcrumbs, seeds etc. into a mixing bowl.

When the fat has melted, mix the food in with it, stir thoroughly and simmer for a couple of minutes. Then pour carefully into the tubs and leave to cool down. After about an hour, put them in the fridge, to solidify.

I hope I haven't made it sound complicated; it really is very easy. It takes literally a few minutes to do, and the pleasure it gives me to see those poor birds out in the cold, eating it, is great.

Catch you later.
x

it's the same here soon as i put the food out its gone

Nudged for tomorrow - I want the recipe for the fat cakes
Happy New Year One and All
Julia in Derbyshire

Do you know, I said Ravens without thinking when I meant jackdaws, but we also have large crows, I don't think we actually have ravens although nothing would surprise me as we have some very tall large trees over the back.

anyway, slip of the finger sorry. the 'large black birds' plus magpies were eating pieces of fat, bread soaked in fat, chopped bananas.

Ann
Glos

The robins round here are always very musical around 3am. We arrived back from the new year's party to their serenade. It was beautiful!

This Winter the birds have been getting through the fatballs and nuts unbelievably quickly. The large peanut net is empty after just one week, and 2 of the 4 fatballs have been eaten in the same time. The bluetits were fighting over them this morning - I've never seen so many agitated hungry birds!

Hi, Jill. Yep - if I can make them, anyone can! lol

I'll post in a while, when I've prepared the "recipe".
x
P.S. Jean, we have 5 cats, and to their disgust they wear collars (RSPCA Approved ones) with 2 or 3 bells on them. However, it's academic anyway as like yours, they don't like going out in this weather.