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??

Thanks

DF used to ground feed pigeons on the patio, then they left the feeders in the garden alone. He had to give up though, when he realised he'd accidentally set up a feeding station for birds of prey!

DM got very cross the fourth time she found a disembowelled pigeon whilst hanging her washing out.

totally agree! they cost us a fucking fortune last winter and so much work to keep all the feeders clean. literally like having another child. i can't afford it! this year i am just not, sorry birds. i do have a lovely wild garden that should have plenty of naturally occurring goodies i hope.

Current cat is a serial killer, so don't feed the birds at the moment and have removed nesting boxes.
When previous, non-murderous, cat was resident, I used to feed bread scraps ( soaked if dry), fruit such as apple, peach, pear if they were soft or bruised, melon rinds hung up for the bits of flesh to be pecked off, soaked left over cat biscuits, cooked rice and pasta, hung up meaty bones from roasts, breakfast cereal dregs etc. Attracted a good range of birds.
My old house had a huge Virginia creeper and flocks of starlings ( hundreds of birds at a time) used to dive bomb the house for the berries, screeching their heads off!
We get murmeratiions of starlings, swooping and swirling like smoke. Birdwatchers travel to see them in season as they are so impressive.

also at this house (we moved this year) we've got at least 3 squirrels in the garden at all times so that's another reason not to put food out.

Watch out for hungry husbands if you put fatballs out though.

I got a bird feeder station for Xmas. I’ve watched the wild birds flinging seeds out of it and my chickens underneath clearing it up. Little bastards are all in cahoots.

Have you ever tried making your own fat balls? The birds in my garden had got used to Wilkinson's best. I decided to save some money and make my own - not a great success - they lay untouched apart from the occasional peck for days until I replaced them with Wilkinsons whereupon they disappeared in hours. I won't be trying that again

I wish I could use my birdfeeder but the pigeons kept sitting nextdoors rotary washing line and cacking on the washing. So had to take me feeder down ☹️ hardly got any sparrows or robins just greedy pigeons

I've just got some sunflower hearts which will go in their own feeder. I'm mixing meal worms and suet nibbles in with the usual seed mix, so that will be easier to dole out. I've Hung a coconut shell and some fat block. We'll see who comes to the new improved station! Photo from above, so not very effective.

I got niger seed too, but I haven't got a special feeder- I was planning on making one out of a bottle.

DH made some @SilverySurfer. The blue tits and great tits were very unimpressed and headed for the seed feeder but the starlings adored them. Swooped right in, more than for the garden centre ones.

Yay. A thread on birdies. I spend a flipping fortune on them. Today it was about £20 on fat balls and fat cakes as I have starlings roosting nearby and I love them. Such pretty colours in the feathers if you see them in sunlight.
I also have at least two dozen goldfinches which will happily clear out the feeders in a day or two. And squirrels and pigeons... Have also got a pigeon and squirrel murdering cat so that discourages them nicely.
I got a Gardman pole with squirrel baffle years ago which worked a treat but could only protect one feeder, so last week I bought one of the gardman multi feeders and put the baffle under that. Seems to have worked (with five feeders!).

I look on it as a way of ensuring more birds survive winter to offset the murdering bastard cat. And helps my stress levels drop when I just sit and watch with my binocs and a .

I make my own bird food a la Blue Peter. Melt lard and pour over stale bread, dried fruit, seeds, chopped apple etc and pack it into half coconuts. It all gets scoffed. The robin will now come down and eat from my hand

Been enjoying reading this thread as a fellow bird feeder. They've been eating loads here recently too and they're getting cheekier too.
Just sat in the living room with dp having a coffee when he quietly announces 'there's a bird in the dining room'!

Somehow a cheeky robin had got in. Window was open a little so could have crept in that way or it was when I left door open for a couple of minutes about half an hour ago and he's been hiding quietly somewhere.
I'm useless at recognising them all though and I've signed up for the RSPB bird watch so I need to get learning.

Get a cat

I read bits of this thread to DH, who greatly enjoyed fat bastard squirrels, thunderdomes, and pigeons body-slamming the bird feeder.

This lunchtime in the Funnel household, we had visitors again. Despite some menacing at the back door, they haven't been fed but are staked out under the feeders waiting for a kind tit to throw them some food. At one point we had four on the roof of the shed looking like prettier versions of vultures waiting for us to die to feed them.

Bloody hell have they escaped from a zoo or wedding venue, @funnelfanjo?

Oh come on fanjo, that's s stealth boast and a half. How can I compete with my three and half pigeons and a two tits now?

Now, if you had three and a half tits, Chardonnay...

I never seem to get it right.

I want your visitors @funnelfanjo. Utter envy.

Though we did have a green woodpecker over for lunch today, strutting and dipping his head to show us the red. Very handsome lad.

LOL, they live at a nearby office park. One started visiting at the weekend (we assumed he was bored), he now visits regularly and brings his mates. We try not to encourage it as we also get foxes in the evenings. Plus they leave poo. Lots and lots of poo.

But they have sussed we are a soft touch bird-friendly, and they are obviously very used to humans. They tap on the window to let us know they are there and when they have worn us down they will take food from our hands.

The main male was displaying to the magpie, who is most unhappy at his scavenging role being usurped. Mr Magpie was distinctly unimpressed, but Mr Magpie is obviously a bit badass as it picks fights with our cat too.

I'm such a sucker for peacock displays. I'd probably leave DH and run off with your boy from the office park.

I saw this beauty the other day. I should have tried feeding it!

Pound stretchers and if you’re up north the big country type stores (Richmond and Northallerton). Dh bought a huge (as in fucking enormous) tub of mealworms for 14 quid. The cat and the dog hoover up leftovers. But as its blowing a hoolie they aren’t going out.