Are these birds taking the piss?

[Serin]

We feed the birds but if feels like the little buggers are coming from miles around to eat at our table. Flocks and flocks of them, more every day.
Today at 8.30am I filled a large feeder with RSPB approved peanuts and it is already half empty.
I also put chopped apple and pear out for the thrushes.
I dont want them to starve but does anyone have any idea of what I can safely feed them that doesn't cost a fortune?
A budget meal plan?
Like lentils??

The rain has stopped here and the sun is making an appearance, and the birds are going mad in my little town garden. There's loads of long tailed tits noisily attacking the suet balls and wood pigeons picking what they've dropped off the ground.

That's good, snozzlemaid. Blackcaps are quite rare - definitely a good spot! They used to be summer visitors but now that the weather is milder some stay all year.

The lard balls I made when this thread first started are sitting in the tree still. One cat has decided to take up residence in the window looking out at said bird food and his sister has taken up sitting at the bottom of the tree, guarding it. The only things attempting to go near the bird food are a few squirrels who have sized up the cats and decided they are zero threat.

I have to show you the beautiful peacock that greets me whenever I go to one of my clients' houses.

I used to feed the birds but then our neighbours got cats. The cats used to hunt the pigeons! I stopped feeding them. In the end the birds used to peck at our window demanding food!

I have serious peacock envy

Some decent birdfeeders in Lidl from Thursday (6th):
here