One of my favourite bird foods is RSPB Peck n' Mix, and I use it all of the time in my new feeder tray on the fence in an attempt to keep the starlings off the tubular feeders on my feeding station. It's not cheap but all of the birds love it. Early in the mornings the tits, blackcaps and robins grab some before the starlings get there.
Today, when I went out just before 8am, I tripped and spilled most of the Peck N' Mix, from the empty cream carton that I use to refill my feeder tray, onto the garden border amongst the low growing shrubs.
I waited about 3 hours and none of the birds were going onto the ground to eat it so I put on my coat and went out with my tweezers and picked up every single piece that I could find! It took me so long that my back is now really painful (I have 2 permanently slipped discs) and I think I have chilblains in my fingers.
OH asked why I did it, and I could only reply that it was because he is the first to complain about how much I spend on bird food. However, I just couldn't bear to see it all get wet and go to waste.
I probably need to get out more. Sigh. :-(
Best wishes Chris
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mmmm. Hoovering the lawn. that is definitely above and beyond. I have enough trouble persuading myself to hoover inside the house!!!
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn...
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bramble67 said:mmmm. Hoovering the lawn. that is definitely above and beyond. I have enough trouble persuading myself to hoover inside the house!!!
Hi Bramble
Yes I'm with you there!
Buzzard said: Sorry Woodpecker but since you asked! I would opt for SAD!!!!!!!!!! LoL
Sorry Woodpecker but since you asked! I would opt for SAD!!!!!!!!!! LoL
Hi Buzzard,
Yep I did ask for it :-) LOL thanks!
There are other versions of the guardian or cage type feeder
Here's one from Vine House Farm: http://www.vinehousefarm.co.uk/acatalog/livefood.html
and here's another from the US that uses the Living with Birds blue glass dish
: http://www.bird-house-bath.com/d/Bluebird-Baffled-Feeder.html
I did a similar thing the other day with peanuts. I fell off the edge of the lawn as I was hanging up the feeder, pulled the bottom of the feeding tube off and all the peanuts ended up on the garden.
I wasn't the worse for drink in case you wondered, I just lost my balance!
So there I was in my dressing gown and slippers on my knees picking up the peanuts one by one and putting them back in the feeder. It took me ages! I was tempted to leave them but I didn't have any more and I was expecting the woodpecker and tits to call by for their breakfast. Also I had read somewhere that you shouldn't offer whole peanuts.
Luckily no-one was about to witness me paying homage at the foot of the feeding station or they would think me totally mad. Honestly! The things we do for our birds.
There is something new to learn everyday...
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Hi Bramble67
I never said I hoovered the house!!!
Regards
Kerry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kezmo6310/
I never have time for hoovering - too busy watching the birds ;-)
Echo! That's why my signature is so appropriate to me.
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
Unknown said:Luckily no-one was about to witness me paying homage at the foot of the feeding station or they would think me totally mad. Honestly! The things we do for our birds.
Hi Sarum Bat
The thing was that when I tipped my Peck n' Mix down my front I wondered if the grumpy neighbour (who cut off all of the overhanging branches of her tree when I hung a peanut feeder on one) might be watching.
So I went in for a while and went back out a few hours later when I was dressed to make it look more like I didn't really care.
I think Sparrow tipped her niger seed out of her feeder the other day too.
It must be catching....
Oh this thread has given me a good laugh this morning!
The tweezer thing makes it swing that little bit more towards sad but its perfectly acceptable behaviour, LOL!
Actually, I've never gone to the extents of getting the Dyson on the lawn (but there's an idea!) since we have one of those leaf vacuum things, whatever they're called - the big heavy orange things. I've used it once or twice for spilt seed and it sort of does the trick. I hate wasting the seed since it doesn't come cheap, I don't like wasting money!
Have to say some days I do wonder what the neighbours would make of the garden antics when I'm filling feeders in blizzards etc, lol!