manxchatterbox Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 with all this wet snow around and damp cold weather can everyone please put something out to feed the wild birds...I have put the fat off the pork roast out on a piece of string and some grain bird food undercover on the bird table with a couple of apples...there are lots of blue tits and finch's and a robin and a blackbird..they all need that little bit extra at this time of year please do what you can to help them all out till the weather improves... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahc Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Nice one. If you put stuff out for them when it's cold they'll thank you by eating all your insects in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minxie Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 I put some bread out but the seagulls ate it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issues99 Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 i would love to put some food out for the birdies but i think my cat will think all his christmas's have come at once pouncing on all the poor little birdies and i dont have a bird table either! and breathe !!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladys Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Yep, a timely reminder to put up the bird feeding bits following major disruptions at home. Thanks, MCB. You see, it is possible to post something useful and welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Flynn Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 We have two seagulls -Harry and Sally - who we are happy to allow to share food with all the rest of them. Extra bread went out today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molly Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 we had a family of long tails feeding of the bird feed, so the bird feed had to go unfortunately. that would be rats to most of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladys Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Sadly, that's a natural consequence. Unfortunately, it stops people putting out food for birds when they really need it and can only feed in that particular way or on that particular foodstuff. Rats, however, will feed off almost anything and whilst I can understand you don't want to encourage them, they are already there and will go off to find an alternative source. The birds, however, are more limited in their range of alternatives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladys Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Nature is nature, and if you are a lover of nature, you have to take the rough with the smooth, I'm afraid. The best way to feed birds in a land without squirrels, is by hanging feeders from a slim tree branch. Bird tables are lovely, but they are very easy to access for rats, etc. The best place to feed birds is somewhere inconspicuous, but that denies you the chance of watching them! However, I suppose if you asked the average bird they would agree that having food available, albeit risky, was far preferable than not having it at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 the usual approach to stop vermin travelling along ships' ropes etc was to place a disc on the cable, a similar device can be seen in the stone mushrooms commonly seen in many old farms |(certainly across) these used to act as supports for a grain store - the vermin could not travel horizontally under the lip of the mushroom - I would have thought a well designed birdtable (ie one without struts from the table to the post) should act in the same way and be vermin proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alias Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Sprinkling some baking soda on the bread normally keeps the rats away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teapot Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 We use to put food out for the birds but had the same problem as molly re long tails. We don't have a problem with the cat that use to come into the garden and get the birds now though because it got run over on the main road (30 mph speed limit) on Monday by an idiot driving past out house at about 60 mph and ended up in next doors front garden! (That's the cat not the driver!) Arh well...it's an ill wind etc etc etc.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Fox Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 I feed the birds all year round.. At the busy times I can have up to 30 birds feeding..( green finches, gold finches, blue tits, cole tits chafinches, robins, blackbirds, thrushes, and long tailed tits).. I have a big bird table ( the des' res') and masses of feeders hanging along the side of the house.. At this time of year I put out fat cakes full of seed, and in the feeders- bird seed, nuts, fruit and nyger seed. In the spring and summer it's a less rich diet.. All my bird food comes in bulk in large 20 lb sacks from th e R.S.P.B in the uk... There is nothing more lovely than sitting in the dining room looking out the window watching the birds come and go.. The best is when the mother birds bring the young to feed in the spring ahh.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manxchatterbox Posted March 14, 2006 Author Share Posted March 14, 2006 I like to see swifts that come back year after year and back to the same nests which they refurb and re-use..bet they're glad they don't have to pay rates on second homes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanner Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 We also feed the birdies all year round and what pleasure they give us,unfortunately a sparrow hawk has found out where the local take away is and often sits on the bird table waiting for the next course to arrive,balance of nature I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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