Is everyone putting food out for the birds?

[mysarahlee]

It's so cold, the ground birds can't dig.

Chuck some leftover Christmas nuts out, or some seeds. I put 10 fat balls out and filled the seeds at 5pm yesterday and it's empty this morning.

Feed your local bird pals if you can, it's so cold.

No. There are rats in the back tenfoot and I don't want to attract them. Pity as we would like to feed the birds.

That’s a good point. Going to look into bird tables.

Lots of long tailed tits today 😁
They are the sweetest little things!

They are still ignoring my treats

Do you have any trees near your feeders? My birds like to perch on a tree to check things out before they come in to feed. It took 3 months for me to attract any birds. How long has your feeder been up? I would highly recommend sunflower hearts if nothing happens soon. They all love them. Good luck

Our birds get suet, mealworms, peanuts and niger seeds, which attract goldfinches by the dozen. A full range of tits, blackbirds, robins and wagtails, plus a pied woodpecker and a green woodpecker, the occasional bullfinch, jays, jackdaws, wood pigeons, pheasants, nuthatches and dunnocks for the most part, but I did have a visit from a firecrest once. And last year, the holly had a magnificent berry crop which was systematically stripped bare by a small flock of redwings over three days.

And squirrels, pesky little blighters.

I love my squirrels, so cute

I'm very pleased because after what has seemed like weeks of zero activity on my bird feeders, I have seen a robin this morning on my feeder. It stayed there for what seemed like ages, looking around and then it ate some fat ball. I hope it will tell all his friends now :-)

Yey! Fingers crossed for you

That’s great news. You’ll have hundreds of them in a few days 😆

My dad has had 3 finches die due to trichomonosis, he cleans the birds feeders regularly etc but now can't feed any birds for the next 4 weeks, so please be on the lookout for sick birds and take the necessary steps if you see one. Really sad, finches are now on the red list due to their decline.

Oh no, that’s sad. What area is he in?

@BlueberryShortcakePixie South West area, he's really upset bless him, he's been feeding the birds for years.

How did he know it was his bird feeders?

He doesn't but the disease is spread between birds, the finches were found in his garden so if they had dropped food due to being unable to swallow and another bird ate it the disease spreads so in order to prevent it he's had to stop feeding.

I was, but then I listened to this podcast from Gardeners' World and now I'm not sure what to do! The gist is that there is evidence that feeding garden birds artificially inflates their populations with disastrous knock-on consequences for other bird species that aren't so inclined to come into gardens. It feels like we can't do right for doing wrong

open.spotify.com/episode/2jsDrHp2BrvFAFSbStw5TL

If you’re worried about that then I’d say just feed them when it’s really cold in the winter then.

But I feed all year round, I have loads of sparrows and starlings now which we never did when we first moved in, and their numbers have been decreasing since the 70s/80s, so my excuse is I’m redressing the balance somewhat.

Deleted post.

It’s the big garden bird watch this weekend for anyone interested in counting a few birds in this rotten weather.

www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/big-garden-birdwatch/submission

We do it every year @BlueberryShortcakePixie but not going well this year, very windy and rainy so only one bird seen!

Same, I’ve only spotted a few sparrows and the hardened starlings!

Always. But i have a hen and i have her feed out so birds help themselves.

bit disappointing but my Jay showed his face😁

I do 3 lots of an hour and submit the best. Gives me a lovely relaxing Sunday afternoon! Today I've had most of the usual suspects bar the long tailed and coal tits who are definitely hiding somewhere. Did get a female Blackcap though!

Yes my tits have disappeared (ooh err missus).