Birds and their foods

[optrex]

I thought it may be useful to some of the newer forum visitors to see what sort of birds they could attract. I live on a new estate and had feeders up all last year but no birds. In April I purchsed some CJW seed feeders and some different mixes of seed. So far these are the reslts.The birds you see here are all fed using supplies from CJW

Goldfinch on Nyjar seeds
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/Optrex/birds/bird4.jpg

Bluetit and Greenfinch on Kibbled Sunflower hearts
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/Optrex/birds/bird3.jpg

Greenfinsh on Kibbled Sunflower hearts
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/Optrex/birds/bird.jpg

Greatit on Mealworms
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/Optrex/birds/bird1.jpg

[Emma]

Lovely photos, optrex.

Are kibbled hearts much more expensive than normal hearts? I only ask because you could 'kibble' your own by putting regular sunflower hearts in a food processor. That's what I do with peanuts for ours wrens, dunnocks, blackbirds and robins. The food processor (if you have one, obviously) crushes them up nice and small and the ground feeding birds like to feast on it. If you don't have a FP then a hammer and a plasic bag would do a similar job :)

[optrex]

Just noticed that I called them seeds instead of hearts. I've changed it now for greater clarity. They are not that much more expensive, for a 2.5Kg bag, standard hearts are 6.25, premium and kibbled hearts are both 7.00

If you are on a tight budget though those tips are very handy - TY :)

[Ben]

Like you optrex I live on a fairly new housing estate and using the same seed as yourself,knibbled sunflower hearts, am attracting all these birds to my garden.I find there is less mess and wastage than the hearts so I think whilst it might be slightly more expensive it works out cheaper in the long run.

[optrex]

I can't believe that changing the brand of feeder and the brand/type of seed made so much difference so quickly. Before I was using "cheap" (no pun intended) feeds and feeders from the local market. Its only now I have birds reglarly visiting that I can see that they are not comfortable on the old feeders I was using. Hopefully I will be able to replace the nyjer feeder though soon, and I will have a matcching set - lol

[justsomeoneelse]

hello all,
hmm... NOT trying to belittle previous comments, but to be honest, i personally don't think birds favour one make of feeder over another. yes this forum is part of cjw, but i'm sure they won't mind me stating my solid oak three-feed birdtable is from wigglywiggers.co.uk (http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/shop/foundproduct.lasso?product_id=43&-session=shopper:586E75FD0ce46209B5RRr1C67518), and my heavy duty metal peanut/seed/niger feeders(below) from thebirdtable.co.uk

i'm not sure even if the brand of feed is relevant either ? i used to always buy 'premium quality' feed from stated websites above, but found it very expensive. now i buy a 25kg sack of wild bird seed from a local farm shop for £8.95, and 1.5kg bags of sunflower hearts for £1.85 ! much cheaper, same birds still visit my garden, and no difference in the amount of food left over/wasted etc. if anything, the birds have gained as i now use more feeders !

maybe what does matter is location/position of feeders and the type of plants in one's garden ? also, neighbouring cats have learned (the hard way) NOT to visit my garden.

not sure i've helped or added anything beneficial to this thread, but oh well...


justsomeoneelse


http://www.thebirdtable.co.uk/shop/images/bfl.jpg
http://www.thebirdtable.co.uk/shop/images/bfq.jpg






http://www.thebirdtable.co.uk/shop/images/bfp.jpg

[Emma]

If you look at the pics Optrex has included you will see the birds are feeding on a perching ring rather than a more 'normal' perch. I also find the birds seem more comfortable on a perching ring, and as a result they stay feeding a lot longer.

I have perching rings and normal ones but the rings are more popular.

[justsomeoneelse]

hello all,
..right, not trying to start a bickering match here, but although certain feeder manufacturers state ring perches offer a 'more natural feeding position', ie facing forward, how many trees offer ringed branches as opposed to normal everyday er... straight branches ? isn't it just a selling ploy ? :-/

as it is, many birds of different size and of different levels of agility use my peanut/seed feeders and suet cake cages at times hanging upside down or at gravity defying angles... i would argue that is more natural !

sorry, i'm not a bird expert, i'm just giving my personal opinion... for what its worth ! ;-)


justsomeoneelse

[Emma]

A bird on a 'normal' feeder type perch and twisting it's neck round to reach food isn't a natural feeding position.

[justsomeoneelse]

hello all,
..and birds NEVER twist their necks whilst feeding in the wilds of the british countryside ? maybe that's why numbers are dwindling... birds are becoming too lazy and expect food on porcelain platters ! ;-)

i'm not a bird myself, so i can only assume here, but if its a choice between twisting one's neck to get lovely sunflower hearts, or miss out by keeping an upright stature, i think i know what most birds would opt for !

lets face it, do birds really give a damn about what feeders are being used ?

sorry if i've ruined what was a pleasant thread...


justsomeoneelse

[Emma]

No, they probably don't, but from experience, our ring feeders need refilling far more frequently than then none-ring feeders - and they are twice the capacity at least (we have a variety of eleven hanging feeders - many different shapes and sizes). So make of that what you will.

Happy feeding, however you chose to do it.

:)

[optrex]

I too am only posting from experience. The birds stay longer on ring feeders than they do on post feeders.

[Chris]

Some birds which are more traditionally "ground feeders" such as Robins will feed from ring perch feeders but not from the traditional stick perches.

Other companies are now producing feeders with T shaped perches, also to allow the birds to feed facing forward; not only does the idea work but it's catching on.

[Whitezombie]

i have had feeding stations for the past 26 years and can testify that the perching ring has without a dought been the best inovation in that time.

obviously birds will feed from any feeder but this year i replaced all my seed and peanut feeders, from discovery to the new defender range and the birds have just loved them, they stay longer and even blue tits that would normaly take pieces of peanut to a suitible branch now fly from the peanut feeder onto a perching ring on a diferent feeder to peck at its prize.

i would also recomend anyone buying a nijer seed feeder to buy this design of feeder, i used to lose more seed than was eaten from the old "Slit" design,
now with the modified ports on the new feeders the wastage is minimal.

and as mentioned earlier, birds that would not normaly feed off the ground now take thier place on the perching rings, including Robin, Chaffinch and collard doves.

The most unusual visiter had to be a pipistrelle bat earlier this year, that decided to take a rest on a perching ring after leaving its roost.

I could go on but i think you get the picture....