samboy Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 Hi gang. When i put my bird feeders out a while back there was no action. I mentioned it on here. Now they are eating me out of house and home. I will have to get a job soon to pay for the seed if it carry's on like this. Sparrows will be as big as Turkeys soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCB56 Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 2 minutes ago, samboy said: Hi gang. When i put my bird feeders out a while back there was no action. I mentioned it on here. Now they are eating me out of house and home. I will have to get a job soon to pay for the seed if it carry's on like this. Sparrows will be as big as Turkeys soon. That's Christmas dinner sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 All will have fledglings now which need feeding. They are also eating us out of house and home. We not only have five hanging feeds by the kitchen but also feedsix feed tables in our wood. I recon on about £45 a month but well worht every penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmicblue Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 Me too, we have one feeder and have to top it up 3x a day, = 10Kg a month of this:https://www.birdfood.co.uk/hi-energy-seed have bought cheaper but the garden birds drop the cheap stuff to the delight of the ****** pigeons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, samboy said: When i put my bird feeders out a while back there was no action. I mentioned it on here. Now they are eating me out of house and home. I will have to get a job soon to pay for the seed if it carry's on like this. Sparrows will be as big as Turkeys soon. What did you expect? From not having food there, you put it out regularly and they will happily take advantage of it. Good practice to feed all year round too. Please post some pictures of the turkey sized sparrows, we only have normal sized ones here. Edited June 14, 2022 by TIGHTCHOKE SYNTAX! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 1 hour ago, Cosmicblue said: Me too, we have one feeder and have to top it up 3x a day, = 10Kg a month of this:https://www.birdfood.co.uk/hi-energy-seed have bought cheaper but the garden birds drop the cheap stuff to the delight of the ****** pigeons. This is why I only feed sunflower hearts, Nyger seed and fat balls, very little waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 We feed regularly (including wood pigeons - I know - I'll get me coat....) but we have picked up a new one - a hedgehog - loves the dried mealworms - it had two lots last night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westley Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 39 minutes ago, discobob said: We feed regularly (including wood pigeons - I know - I'll get me coat....) but we have picked up a new one - a hedgehog - loves the dried mealworms - it had two lots last night We coat the meal worms in chocolate and feed em to the Grandkids ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 (edited) Sunflower hearts too. I get to bag the odd squirrel as a bonus for feeding. Edited June 14, 2022 by oowee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rim Fire Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 Wild birds dont need feeders this time of year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 2 hours ago, Rim Fire said: Wild birds dont need feeders this time of year Tell that to all the house sparrows that I have helped over the years. We had 4 when I moved here in 2004 and now there are at least 60 of the little chaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 I feed the birds daily, this chancer now comes into the house, beats me at pool and eats my biscuits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 49 minutes ago, islandgun said: I feed the birds daily, this chancer now comes into the house, beats me at pool and eats my biscuits Lovely. Not so many where I am unless i leave the door open to the fruit cage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalkedUp Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 Our garden backs onto open farmland, woods and a pond. We feed, shoot vermin and deter predators (putting the dogs on any invaders). Consequently it is teeming with birds, I’ve no idea if there is a wider conservation benefit but for me the pleasure of watching Greenfinches, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Bullfinches, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Wrens, Chiffchaff, Dunnocks, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Long Tailed Tits, Blackbirds, Robins and Sparrows makes the effort and expense well worthwhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 There is a view that feeding a limited diet and limited range of feeders and stations encourages some birds at the expense of others. Here gold finches are in abundance with collard doves, blue and great tits, and an assortment of woodpeckers, ducks and pheasant on the feeders. Not so much of anything else. WE have a few black birds about but they don't use the feeders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted June 14, 2022 Report Share Posted June 14, 2022 6 hours ago, Westley said: We coat the meal worms in chocolate and feed em to the Grandkids ! Don’t joke - that’s what they are going to do in Wales !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rim Fire Posted June 15, 2022 Report Share Posted June 15, 2022 9 hours ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: Tell that to all the house sparrows that I have helped over the years. We had 4 when I moved here in 2004 and now there are at least 60 of the little chaps. All bird feeders do is encourage Rats and the local Sparrow Hawk wild birds don't need feeding in the summer months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted June 15, 2022 Report Share Posted June 15, 2022 2 hours ago, Rim Fire said: All bird feeders do is encourage Rats and the local Sparrow Hawk wild birds don't need feeding in the summer months You have your viewpoint and I have mine. The increase in sparrow numbers supports mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted June 15, 2022 Report Share Posted June 15, 2022 A bit of a side step, at a local farm where we have a small diy shoot the farmer has been planting nectar and bird seed rich fields on some government scheme. It is incredible how much more bird life there is compared to the cauli's that used to be there. Not really a surprise I know but loads of Skylarks, Greenfinch, Goldfinch plus many other small birds that I have no clue what they are called, this has also increased the amount or Sparrow Hawks, Owls etc. and our Pheasants also love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted June 15, 2022 Report Share Posted June 15, 2022 19 hours ago, Mice! said: This is why I only feed sunflower hearts, Nyger seed and fat balls, very little waste. /\ This. Strangely - mine have dropped off considerably now - I think there are so many natural wild foods around ........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted June 15, 2022 Report Share Posted June 15, 2022 2 hours ago, JohnfromUK said: /\ This. Strangely - mine have dropped off considerably now - I think there are so many natural wild foods around ........ There should be plenty of bugs and caterpillars etc at this time of year, it's just supplementary feeding really and I like seeing the birds in my garden, the Goldfinches are hammering the Nyger seed, but the sunflower seeds ho down slowly, and no real waste means no unwanted critters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted June 15, 2022 Report Share Posted June 15, 2022 I get a few rats come to clear up the droppings. The woodpecker is on the feeder and looks to waste as much as it eats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted June 15, 2022 Report Share Posted June 15, 2022 22 hours ago, Mice! said: This is why I only feed sunflower hearts, Nyger seed and fat balls, very little waste. Tried the fat balls and hung a tray underneath. The tray was full of waste vey quickly as they just picked out the odd seed never touched the fat. So considered them a rip off and don't use them now. For the house feeds and hand feeding on the wood tables I buy a bag of Robin/songbird mix and a bag of black sunflower seed and mix the two together in the cement mixer. They love it I also feed three feeders of peanuts at the house and a peanut feeder in each live catch cage in the wood. The smooth tail rat this morning didn't appreciate that one little bit. Died of lead poisoning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted June 15, 2022 Report Share Posted June 15, 2022 I have never had any takers for nyger seed, but the sunflower hearts get a hammering from the parrokeets as well as the bluetits and the suet filled 1/2 coconuts seem to attract the robins and woodpeckers. Only ever seen one sparrowhawk polishing off a starling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rim Fire Posted June 15, 2022 Report Share Posted June 15, 2022 5 hours ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: You have your viewpoint and I have mine. The increase in sparrow numbers supports mine. 😂😂😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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