Does anyone feed their garden birds?

[Dunnakos]

Just sat watching the teeny baby blue tits being brought to the feeders by their very frazzled looking Mum and Dad.

A coal tit is diving in when he gets a chance, and the starlings are amassing in the hedge for a raid. The starling babies are still asking their parents for food, but the parents seem to be hinting that it's time the babies were supporting themselves.

We have Robins (my favourite)

House sparrows (tons of them)

Dunnocks

Blackbirds

Starlings

blue, great, coal and long tail tits

wrens

Goldfinches (seen in the garden, but never on the feeders, they ignore the nyger seed bought just for them)

And the big guys - Jackdaw, Magpie and Wood pigeon.

I could sit and watch them for hours (and I do).

We did in our old garden where we got fabulous birds for London (woodpecker, jays, tits, robins, green parakeets, woodpigeons, magpies, very few sparrows, blackbirds, thrushes). Sadly though, the year we did it we also got a rat in the house and the rat man who came said the bird feeder was a very big encouragement.

We have recently moved to a very large garden and I haven't seen too many varieties yet although I have seen a woodpecker and more blackbirds/thrushes. If one has more space, and don't back onto a river, are rats less likely if we start feeding again. I'm not completely sure what we have in the garden yet. I know we have a beech hedge, two horse chestnuts, holly, an Acer, some things that look quite exotic, and apple, pear and plum trees.

Bath, they're fantastic aren't they!

Now sulking as we have a feeding station with peanuts, fat balls and seeds, and we get nothing except big wood pigeons coming and sitting on the seed tray! Oh the other day a flock of starling descended for about theory seconds. I have seen other birds in the garden, a robin and a few sparrows, but nothing else!

We had just pigeons for about 2 years. Solved it by planting lots of insect-friendly plants like budlia (I know that's spelt wrong!) and lavender and we get loads more birds now.

I love feeding the birds. We have had all sorts, but my favourite has to be the Green Woodpecker than occasionally visits. We have the Greater Spotted Woodpecker too and red kites that I put the bacon out for. Feeling the wind from their wings when they swoop down is something else.