2nd try on edit
Happy New Year to everyone.
I am using peanuts, sunflower seeds, niger seeds, mealworms and fatballs in the garden at the moment.
I have experimented this year with peanut butter with smashed bird peanuts added to it, the birds seem to like this.
I have bought, suet, animal and vegetable which I thought to mix a recipe adding some peanut butter and bird seed to the mix, just wandered what other recipes combinations may work and also what feed others are using in the garden. If there is something in particular that will entice the birds especially for the bird watch weekend.
The jackdaws and crows have been stealing off the little birds fat ball hanging cage this year and the magpie is hanging off the suspended seed table, poking his head in to pick up seed, this seed table is with a roof designed only for little birds to hop in.
Any way grateful for any tips. Also if any one has a step by step recipe using the suet.
Hate to be cynical but I would guess prices were up because of the Christmas period and the captive audience of mincemeat makers. Have you ever noticed the huge price increase in un-iced fruit cake around the same time and that's pretty much any fruit cake?
No, you are not cynical - you are right!!! Trouble is that the prices never seem to go down again!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Hi People,
I have gained quite a few tips from reading your posts, thanks to you all, about what to feed by birdies in the garden. I also put out a variety of foods ie mixed fruit, nuts, mealworms, suet pellets, sunflower seeds, etc. I only moved to Dorset in May and when I first moved here there were no birds visiting - now I have a few but there aren't many shrubs or trees as the gardens are quite open so I am wondering how I can attract more - any ideas please?
I'm using 12 fat balls and about 2kg seed a day. Plus I make a mix with seeds, pellets and mealworm and use 3 mugs of that per day. Also 3 suet blocks every 2 days. So I want to buy much better value.
I get 12.5 kg of suet pellets with insects for £18 from eBay. 30kg of mixed wild bird seed for £23, eBay.
50 fat balls for £5.99 from pound stretcher. Their seed and suet blocks are great value too.
Also buying sunflower and Nigeria seeds from eBay . Get raisins from the supermarket 'basics' range.
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A bird in the hand can make an awful mess!
Do some planting of things to provide cover and also to attract insects and that produce berries and/or seeds.
Hi Have you looked at Pet-Supermarket they do mixed wild bird seed www.pet-supermarket.co.uk/Products/NS2318/harrisons-wild-bird-mix-all-seasons-20k 20Kg for £11.12 free delivery
whilst I do agree that you can get cheaper products elsewhere...I have found that the majority of it gets wasted by the birds. I tried buying cheaper seed & suet products for a while and then returned to The RSPB for my supplies as the birds don't waste anything. The cost may be a little higher, but anything that is quality usually is more expensive :)
"We, as humans, are the same...it's just that we all see the world from different angles"
AndyW
I've never had anything wasted. They're eating me out of house and home!
I have just put out the remains of yesterday's Yorkshire pudding (crumbled), suet, mixed seed, mealworms, oats, dried fruit and chopped apple - all mixed together and I bet it will all be gone within an hour. I had to clear an area in the snow and defrost the water dish as the pond is frozen. The feeding station is very busy with tits and finches, the feeders which I filled yesterday at dusk are already half empty (9 a.m.).
For those who find that the birds won't eat the fat balls, my solution is to pop the balls in the microwave for a few seconds to soften them a little and then crumbled them into whatever other foods you are putting out. The birds eat them then! Also, if I am not going near any bird food suppliers, I buy ordinary suet from Lidl's and use that as a supplement. It is cheaper than other supermarkets.