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.

Thank you!

@shellyleppard Thank you. I'll try mealworm and look at smaller fat balls. Fingers crossed.

Coming up for 65.

My mum always fed the birds when I was a wee girl. We had a lot of pollution because of the local coal mines: we only saw pigeons and sparrows.

When we moved to a new build, blackbirds started to visit. Dad used to go out and feed them cheddar.

My husband and I did always used to look after the birds here, but DH died during lockdown. The next morning, our new bird table arrived. I recall crying and putting it together, so that I could get it out of the house and into the garden - but never did anything with it, I'm afraid. That was 4 yrs ago.

To be fair, there's probably plenty of 'natural' feeding in the back garden with fallen apples, berries and seed heads. There's a redcurrant bush and a bramble. Most years, they've just been left to the birds and there are rosehips too.

This New Year is the start of me feeding the birds again.

@fixingmylife try a website called chubby mealworms..... they have loads of bird food on there. Free delivery too, saves lugging heavy stuff home!! Peckish extra goodness nuggets are really good too

I'm putting food out every day.
I have a peanut feeder suspended high in a tree.
Yesterday, I had a woodpecker feeding on it as well as parakeets and nuthatches, tits and even a jay had a go.

I scatter alot of general bird seed on the ground for the fat, greedy birds, not to mention squirrels, and the robins and blackbirds get some as well.
I've just put water out now as someone mentioned this.

The only paving in my garden is the path front and back. We only had the back path installed because we needed it for a wheelchair.

My parents always fed the birds and they grew flowers and vegetables - plenty of rosehips and other seed heads.

I feed the birds and the squirrels- little squirrel comes and does a little begging motion for nuts. So cute.

Ah, so sorry about your DH. I bet he'd love that you put the bird table out. My Dad died a few years ago and my Mum feeds "Dad's" birds now. I think she's happy that he'd be happy if he saw her doing it.

@mysarahlee
Thank you for the reminder- I'll put some out today xxx

@shellyleppard I've just placed an order. I hope the birds eventually come to feed!

I love seeing the squirrels and am so happy they come into my garden - one comes right up to our door - absolutely wonderful.

We are in SW London and get the parakeets, noisy little buggers but so pretty. Have seen two jackdaws too.

Have just put out extra today, thanks for the reminder

Keeping my feeders topped up, the squirrels are a bit of a pain, had to stop feeding peanuts as they just ate them all, I have a squirrel proof feeder for seeds which does work

We do always feed them via a feeder, but recently I’ve been making ‘bird pudding’ to put out for the ground feeders. Melt a block of lard, stir in porridge oats, and breadcrumbs/cut up bacon rinds/bits of meat fat/any dried fruit/nuts, etc. I just sprinkle on the grass - it soon vanishes.

What a lovely thread OP. I'm putting food out and defrosting a tray of water. Our garden did have some small trees but they were dotted around in the middle (small to medium sized garden) and other than those it was completely paved when we moved in. Unsuitable for young kids so we had it done and it now has lawn and deep borders all around the edge. We kept a couple of the bigger trees that were nearer the boundaries and I've planted a fair bit. Chiff chaffs, tits and sparrows plus a wren like picking off the bugs and I've got a big magnolia that has a feeder in it that the goldfinches sparrows and chaffinches enjoy. Also put in a tiny water feature for the critters and have seen a little mouse and frogs near it. Sadly the back border is clay and waterlogged in winter so a lot of the apparently suitable hedges and small trees I've attempted there die and it's more barren than I'd like. I'm hoping to afford some big deep planters built there this year for some native hedging for the birds to enjoy.

We are. A few years ago I bought lard,omg it smells disgusting (especially as I haven't eaten meat for almost 50 years) seeds,nuts, made fat balls,they didn't touch it! I buy mealworms, winter and summer food,got best boxes. 3 feeding stations, pigeons welcome, we've had nesters for about 5 years.we also get gulls...not so welcome. I love hearing them, but they make a mess on the car. We have a wildlife camera,get foxes, never seen a squirrel.

Nest boxes.... blasted phone!

I have a Birdfy feeder that records the visitors and sends the clips to my phone. Since Christmas it's been a steady stream of robins, blackbirds, jackdaws and several types of tit. Not a single squirrel.

Thank you for this.

Thank you.

Yes, I agree with all of this. :)

DH was a big softie. Before he had his stroke, he'd sit on the back step with his coffee and speak to the bees as they buzzed about the self-seeded aquilegia.

Yes we feed them and we have lots of small birds in our garden all the time. We have a squirrel but he only comes to the garden twice a day and just takes peanuts so we don't mind, he needs to eat too.

I love the squirrels; it seems people get brainwashed into hating them, but they are living creatures that suffer in winter, too.

It delights me to provide them with fruit and nuts.

Make sure any nuts you put out aren't salted.

We got new bird feeders this winter, a caged one that only small birds can get into and a peanut butter feeder with a sprung perch so if any heavy bird sits on they slide off. They are both covered in blue tits and robins, and the ground beneath is a swarm of chaffinches, bull finches and goldfinches. I could watch them all day

We have a lean to outside the kitchen window. Lots of dry spiders and insects.
The robins/sparrows perch on the wood stored there hunting insects come right up to window.

And we leave all the seeds from trees flowers vegetables that I leave to bolt on purpose they love it

Always feed the birds, since the cold i've chucked a load of sunflower hearts on the lawn for the ground feeders, put out extra fat blocks and am out every morning removing ice from the bird bath and toping it up

I agree. I love my 3 squirrels and I put enough food out so everyone can eat. My birds and squirrels all seem to get along as well.