Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi all. Have bought large bags of wild bird food for more years than I can remember, during this snowy spell have been putting some on a sewage grating in my front garden,as this has had no snow on it due to the higher temperature below, have noticed that the wheat is the last to be consumed, even lasting into the next day, any ideas !

Guess it means you haven't got Pigeons, Doves or Rats. I always buy the Anne Kennedy Economy Mix that is very low in wheat but still there is something that the birds leave and attracts the rats. Off to find the air rifle - wife has just spotted large rodent.

Geoff. We have plenty of Doves and some Pigeons.

Evening Shallot Man, that's Essex birds for you!

But OH aren't Essex birds supposed to be the opposite of picky?

You leave our birds alone.

Back to the feathered variety: when buying wild bird food, always go for the stuff with least wheat or kibbled maize in it - the 'garden birds' don't eat it and leave it for their furry friends.

I feed less but only use sunflower hearts, milled peanuts and currants on the ground, if at all necessary, and then only first thing in the morning so that it has all gone by afternoon. Mostly it's just in hanging feeders which all the finches as well as the tits have taken to now, it appears.

For Seed Eating Birds

Black sunflower seeds are highly recommended for use in bird feeders because they attract a wide variety of birds, have a high ratio of meat to shell, and are high in fat content. Other common bird seeds include niger, or thistle seed, a favorite of goldfinches, millet for sparrows and juncos, and safflower for cardinals, among others.

For Non-seed Eating Birds

Not all birds eat seeds. Suet (beef or mutton fat) is recommended for insect-eating birds like nuthatches and woodpeckers. Nectar (essentially sugar water) attracts hummingbirds. Bread and kitchen scraps are often fed to ducks and gulls. Chickens are commonly fed corn, wheat, barley, sorghum and milling by-products.

Charm 25, you don't tell us where you are but from the birds you mention, I guess it's not in the UK, probably not even in Europe!

But I agree about the food to be offered - it's amazing how specific some of the bird food is. As I have mentioned in another thread, up till now we have only ever seen siskins and goldfinches on the niger seeds, but suddenly the bramblings have taken to them as well. Also, until a few years ago, chaffinches, bramblings and goldfinches never clung to hanging feeders (they had to feed on a flat surface), but now they have learnt to feed on hanging feeders.

They are certainly eating us out of house and home this winter!

Hi Charm 25,
To reiterate Monika's words.
"You don't tell us where you are but from the birds you mention, I guess it's not in the UK, probably not even in Europe!"
Your essay writing scheme seems to be in UK but Juncos and Cardinals surely puts you across the pond.
Just out of interest where are you based?
JB.

Swipe Me!
JB.

Sunflower hearts (rather than sunflower seeds - also leave less mess), suet balls/ cakes/ pellets in hanging feeders, possibly niger seeds and, on the ground, minced peanuts, minced hard cheese, currants.

But remember that, in general, birds don't sing in winter, only in spring and into early summer!