Birds on the hand

[Amy B]

I go out at about 4.30 each evening and throw mealworms to the blackbird and robin (nicknamed 'Bertie' and 'Jeremy':o), and though they come close, I've never managed to get one onto my hand:(. Any advice?

[Emma]

Sounds like you're heading in the right direction. Perhaps all you need is perseverance?

Hold the mealworms out, keeping still and quiet. Not much more you can do than that.

Good luck!

[Whitezombie]

one tip would be to put out the meal worms in a small conainer for a few days and gradualy sit closer and closer to it, then eventualy hold the container on your hand. once they are used to feeding from the container on your hand stop using the container and just put the mealworms in your hand.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

[Amy B]

Thanx very much, I'll try your suggestions and tell you if they work! :)

[princess in the bluetower]

I have been told not to encourage birds to come to close as they become so friendly that while waiting for you to appear they are gobbled up by a sneaky sparrowhawk or the like. I would love to get my robin in my hand but it isn't really natural to do so. I suggest that yes you keep feeding them and watching them which is absolutely great but leave it at that.

[Kerry L]

My dad used to have a blackbird that dived in the spot where he was digging in his veggie plot and a robin used to sit on his foot to wait for tasty morsels to appear. My robins queue up when I am digging in the garden and I am always chatting to them. Sharky (one of the blackbirds) almost ate raisins from my hand as he was probably quite hungry at the time - and he couldn't wait! My grandmother had a robin that used to come into her house for his Richtea biscuits, and my mum's robin comes for his Custard Cream biccies! I have known birds to knock on the window for their treats too.

[justsomeoneelse]

hello all,
er... i'm getting somewhat confused here. we still on a wildbird forum or has it morphed into 'pets corner' without me realising ? although its enjoyable watching birds feed from feeders/birdtables at a distant, i have no want to have them on my hand. putting the unnaturalness of it to one side for a moment, what about disease and/or mess issues ?

next you'll be setting a place at the dinner table for them... or changing YOUR own meal times/menus to accomodate the birds... ;-)

we all use specific feeders/food types due to others being unsafe for birds, yet you're wanting birds to feed on your hands ?

again, i'm not too sure i've added anything beneficial to this thread, so apologies...


justsomeoneelse


ps. its now five weeks since i started this bird feeding malarky... will i be naming individual birds soon as well ?

[Kerry L]

If you don't like the chatter, why don't you find another web-site that will put up with your inane banter.

[dorte]

Way to go Kerry!

have my full support on that one, so although I don't want to encourage my garden birds to hand feeding etc, it has nothing to do with unaturalness, mess or anything else, it has to do with the people who live in the same area:(

I wouldn't trust them with a dead fish, never mind a live bird:o