# Feeding wild birds



## Matt Holbrook-Bull (31 Dec 2008)

Recently I decided to renew my bird feeding tactics by adding a much better selection of feeders to my cat proof cherry tree.  

Before improvement I just had 1x 2 port seed feeder which never really got any interest at all.  Out I went to our local little pet shop and spent Â£15 on a proper 18inch peanut feeder, a 4 port seed feeder and some fat balls.  

Within minutes of putting it all up in the tree I had visitors!  I live right in the middle of a highstreet, with a well used pathway up the side of my house.. oh and the 101 cats in the area as well.  All the feeders are hung on the outermost branches away from swiping paws and hidy places for furry ambushes.

All can be seen from my sofa through the window.  I find myself sitting here for hours watching Blue-tits, coal-tits and a multitude of long-tailed tits come and go.  After just 2 days there is at least 3 visitors an hour, with this evening breaking all records when 9 long-tailed tits all feeding on the peanut feeder at the same time!

Its chuffing cold out there folks, theres no food around for the birds and they struggle.  Feeders and seed cost practically nothing.. its amazing the satisfaction you can get from watching them come and go.  A small pair of binoculars is useful if your feeding stations are a little way down the garden.

Get feeding!  its very rewarding.


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## Nick16 (31 Dec 2008)

yeah, at all times during the light part of the day we probably have at least 8 birsds feeding at all times and about another 20 in the trees around. the blue tits make good use of the 2 bird boxes we have. we even get the greedy squirrels  . my air rifle loves them.


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## aaronnorth (31 Dec 2008)

we have hundreds of rook's that fly from one set of trees (side of the house) to another set a couple of hundred metre's away. It is a great sight


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## Nick16 (31 Dec 2008)

im fine with birs, but when the squirrels chase things like lesser spotted woodpeckers away, that are rare, i have to shoot them. plus they breed so fast. well the cat doesnt get them anyway.


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## aaronnorth (31 Dec 2008)

Nick16 said:
			
		

> im fine with birs, but when the squirrels chase things like lesser spotted woodpeckers away, that are rare, i have to shoot them. plus they breed so fast. well the cat doesnt get them anyway.



A squirrel was teasing our neighbours cat, it kept hanging it's tail in front of it but the cat wasnt quick enough


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## Nick16 (31 Dec 2008)

i dont think i would mind so much but it got to a point this summer where we went from 2 squirrels to 5. they were always on the feeders where ever they were put, so we had very few birds. we then dropped to 2 of them    now we are back to 3 again.


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## Matt Holbrook-Bull (31 Dec 2008)

you could get some squirrel proof feeders that have cages around them, that might help!


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## Nick16 (1 Jan 2009)

e have tried, they just chew through the wire or the hanging bits, whatever i do, there is no way to beat them.
they used to chew the stand of the wooden bird table, i coated it in really old creasote, thats stopped them!


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## altaaffe (1 Jan 2009)

I'm lucky in that I live at the edge of a small village so birds are a common sight, but we too get planty of visitors.  The bird table and a few feeders are place outside the patio doors so that our zebra finches and parrot see them come and go.

Another thing to do is soak any fats from cooking (roasting potatoes, frying, etc) into bread and seed and throw it out for the birds too.  Saves throwing it away, and the birds can do with the oils and fats especially during the winter.

The only problem is the seagulls go mad for the food and tend to nick all the bigger bits before the sparrows and finches get a chance !!


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## Thomas McMillan (1 Jan 2009)

We do get quite a few birds around in our back garden, even though we live in the city and there's a few cats (including our two who bring us bird-shaped presents now and again). We dont' feed them, but our neighbour has some grape vines right next to our back door and in the mornings there's sometimes flocks on there eating the grapes - sometimes the squirrels have a go at the grapes too. We get Magpies and everything chilling on our lawn too. We also have a bird box on our shed but I've never seen anything go in there!


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## Joecoral (1 Jan 2009)

we've got one of those 4 hook feeding poles, got peanuts, seed, fat snacks, its great
the birds literally queue up along the fence to use it, theres often 10 or more birds on it at one time, all sorts too!
fortunately we don't get any squirrels, certainly never seen one anyway


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## Matt Holbrook-Bull (6 Jan 2009)

had gold finches on the Niger sead feeder the other day, amazing how they find them huh.


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## Garuf (6 Jan 2009)

I've had what I think is a bee eater (sure as hell looks like one) coming to eat the bread I leave on my window sill he's a beauty of a bird.


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## Joecoral (6 Jan 2009)

Garuf said:
			
		

> I've had what I think is a bee eater (sure as hell looks like one) coming to eat the bread I leave on my window sill he's a beauty of a bird.



Tis possible, they've certainly been spotted in the UK before, albeit not very frequently. Only the summer months though


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## Matt Holbrook-Bull (7 Jan 2009)

Garuf said:
			
		

> I've had what I think is a bee eater (sure as hell looks like one) coming to eat the bread I leave on my window sill he's a beauty of a bird.



sure it wasnt a beef eater?  odd facial hair and silly hat?


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