Wild birds and the weather

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Richard
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Wild birds and the weather

Post by Richard »

http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-238241

I'm sure most of this is teaching to suck eggs etc. but worth a read.

My garden's very busy. I have five bird feeders, two fat bits hanging up and I put other waste food out on Flower pot trays, changing them every morning.

Water is the hardest, but there's a stream opposite, so I think they're OK there.

Any good tips for me and others?
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saint-spoon
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Re: Wild birds and the weather

Post by saint-spoon »

We have two feeders, fat balls, and a bowl of water that freezes up at night. The local cat population does however drive the birds away and I have found quite a few slaughtered birds over the past year leading to stop feeding for a while.
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stace
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Re: Wild birds and the weather

Post by stace »

I fill mine every day, and give them water, they say we will be losing lots of birds this winter, just like we did in 63, every little helps )t'
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wendy
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Re: Wild birds and the weather

Post by wendy »

I have two feeders and another one with teezle seeds for the finches. I feel so sorry for them, it is a struggle.
One feeder is right by the edge of the run, so all the big birds [wood pigeon etc] come and feed from it as well. I have the pond and the waterfall is still going, so they drink from there.
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p.penn
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Re: Wild birds and the weather

Post by p.penn »

I have run out of everything except whole peanuts, so I am giving the wild birds the chickens' mixed corn. The feeder is full but the bluetits don't seem to be eating from it at the moment for some reason. And woody doesn't visit often anymore since we lost our appple tree.
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AL37
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Re: Wild birds and the weather

Post by AL37 »

When I give the hens their mixed corn i put a tray out for the wild birds.
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p.penn
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Re: Wild birds and the weather

Post by p.penn »

Wouldn't they rather have some of the mixed corn too?
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AL37
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Re: Wild birds and the weather

Post by AL37 »

{rofwl}
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stace
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Re: Wild birds and the weather

Post by stace »

Thats very strange you saying that Helen, mine dont seem to be using the feeders so much this week , we use the chook corn too,
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bluebell
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Re: Wild birds and the weather

Post by bluebell »

If anyone doing Sunday dinner today, can you feed the fat from roast tatties, etc to wild birds??
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Mo
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Re: Wild birds and the weather

Post by Mo »

I'm sure they would love the fat. I sometimes mix flour with it to make a paste before I put it out (but in this weather it would soon solidify anyway.
I'm slicing the scruffy Bramleys and they are munching their way through them - if they are slicd they can carry them to somewhere safe, they don't like pecking through the peel. I put out some eating apples in Autumn, they sat on the ground for months, then all disappeared just before christmas.
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wendy
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Re: Wild birds and the weather

Post by wendy »

I have cleared the snow off the table and put the brolly up. The put a tray of seed, bread, nuts and dried mealsworms out. Hopefully I can keep the snow off like that
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p.penn
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Re: Wild birds and the weather

Post by p.penn »

Sounds very 'Mary Poppins' Wendy!
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4c lady
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Re: Wild birds and the weather

Post by 4c lady »

My girls are most digusted that ive been giving the birds their live mealworms. I usually now go undercover of darkness to put the mealworms on the bird table so my girls cant see me doing it. Mr Robin is always waiting for me and will usually come and grab the mealworms whilst im still putting them on the table. I usually add a few more in the afternoon before I feed my girls. This morning I put the big tub of mealworms on top of the run roof whilst letting my girls out and when I came out and picked up the tub there was a lot missing and saw 2 bluetits, 3 starlings and Mr Robin all sitting on the fence trying to look innocent.
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Re: Wild birds and the weather

Post by kezby »

I empty the waste food from the parrots cage on the gravel, they can take their pick from it, the only thing is i get sunflowers starting to grow in it in the summer.

We have a blackbird who owns our garden, he spends his life patroling it, he has first picking at any food and what he doesnt want the other birds can have as long as hes checked it over first.
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