What do Black Caps eat in your gardens

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  • LOL Janet, me too!

    Lucky you Bramble67 if it likes Safflower I have lots (I know sorry I will stop mentioning it soon but I'm desparate to get rid of it!).  Just to have a blackcap would be a welcome addition to my every day flock of visitors.

  • Hi bramble67 we have a pair visit us and are very bossy but easy to please have a small amount of peanuts ,bread,sunflower seeds and probably odd bits of other things.  

  • bramble67 said:

    Tony did you make yours using the tray a bought one came from to get the size right?

    Sarah

    I just used one of those plastic trays of the right size that the supermarkets use to sell their products. Good luck.

    TJ

    ____________________________________________________________________

    Tony

    My Flickr Photostream 

  • Hi Sarah, I have a regular male and female who visit. The female calls maybe a couple of times a day but the male is here almost continually from before daylight until it gets dark. His choice of food, in order of preference, is:-

    Raisins - 1st choice

    Mealworms (dried) - 2nd choice

    Buggy Nibbles - 3rd choice (they are suet pellets with mealworms in)

    Berry Suet Pellets - 4th choice

    and he will take the odd seed or two but not much of them.

     

    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!

  • Thanks Tony

    I've learned that I still have a lot to learn...

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramble67/

  • Unknown said:
    I made a fat block by mixing blitzed sunflower hearts with lard in the ratio of 2:1 by weight plus a few currants thrown in for good measure.

    I should of course have said melted lard - but you'd know that and after mixing put it in the fridge or freezer to set.

    Tony

    ____________________________________________________________________

    Tony

    My Flickr Photostream 

  • Thanks again, Have read a post before about melting fat balls, so yes did think it would need to be melted.  Never hurts to make sure though.

    Are the raisins you buy for birds the same as those from supermarkets does any one know?

     

    Sarah

     

    I've learned that I still have a lot to learn...

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramble67/

  • Hi Sarah,

    Our pair of blackcaps love the fatballs, suet blocks and nibbles but the male regularly visited and systematically stripped the berries from my purple berry bush (calicarpa) in the autumn.

    There is something new to learn everyday...

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/skylark58/

  • bramble67 said:
    Anyone any ideas what might tempt him?

    Hi Bramble67

    I have 3 Blackcaps that visit every day and they all eat Insect flavour suet cakes. They seem to particularly like the Insect Tub Cake from Jacobi Jayne, but they also eat others. I have seen the female dipping into the RSPB Peck n' Mix once or twice, so she might be going for the mealworms.

    Good luck Chris

    Best wishes Chris

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  • Thanks SB.  I have planted a few more bushes with berries this year, but have not heard of that one.  Would rather provide a sustainable source in the long run

    Sarah

    Unknown said:

    Hi Sarah,

    Our pair of blackcaps love the fatballs, suet blocks and nibbles but the male regularly visited and systematically stripped the berries from my purple berry bush (calicarpa) in the autumn.

     

    I've learned that I still have a lot to learn...

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramble67/

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