Hi folks,
Can anyone tell me why none of my birds are using my peanut feeders? I have 2 different types, one in back garden and one in front garden. I am beginning to think I am wasting my money as none of the birds are interested, even during this freezing weather. I end up throwing a lot away when the nuts get soggy.
I also provide sunflower hearts, nyjer seed, high energy mixed seed, dried mealworms, fat balls, sultanas, and my own yukky mix of seeds, crushed fat balls, suet flakes and peanut granules. These attract the house sparrows, starlings, a few tits, robins, dunnocks, blackbirds, my one goldfinch, jackdaws and of course pigeons and collared doves.
Unknown said: - I bet if we all halved the amount of food the peanuts would go! Not like we'd do that just to shift some peanuts though eh? ;o)
- I bet if we all halved the amount of food the peanuts would go! Not like we'd do that just to shift some peanuts though eh? ;o)
That doesn't work - trust me! All that will happen is the birds will sit around and grizzle a lot, then they will tut a lot, then they will tsk a lot, then they will go and find their preferred food elsewhere!!! Birds will not be bull-dozed / have their wings bent half way up their backs / be brow-beaten / etc. (metaphorically speaking, of course) - I know, I tried it. Human NIL, Birds ONE (or WON) lol.
Hi Paul,
Squirrel is right.
However, you can try Kezmo's method. She kindly told me how to crush your spare peanuts to small pieces and add this mess to your general seed mix.
Put them in a bag of some sort (I use tin foil or you could use cling film), wrap them up, then bash them to smitherines with a rolling pin. (I use a hammer). Then add them to the seed before adding to a normal seed feeder. This does work, and they will eat them.
This is trial and error because if you don't wrap them up carefully, you will end up with bits of peanut all over your clothes and kitchen walls.
I was only joking about halving the food.
In fact, I just took the peanuts down and replaced with with a suet block feeder. But I may just break the peanuts I have left up and mix into the other food...or maybe break them up and put them back in the peanut feeder.
Hi Sparrow
I have used the rolling pin method on many occasions. It is hard work bashing peanuts but it is all worth it for our feathered friends
I think we will buy a small Peanut feeder as it will suit the birds that want it most like the Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Nuthatches.
I will observe if any other birds take a shine to the feeder or not.
While I stayed in Aberdeen birds would empty three good sized Peanut feeders a day. This was while we lived in the countryside, and there where lots of pines and spruces around for birds such as Coal Tits.
Never seen so many members of the Tit family in my life. Having 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, and a regular Red Squirrel was a bonus too.
It is different living in the inner cities, and it is touch and go what you get on your Peanut feeders.
Regards
Kathy and Dave
I have noticed lately both blue tits and great tits are ignoring the mesh feeders, and are using the "quick" ones,
we are filling these every day. The tits are using the nyger seed feeders all the time, but dont sit on them, just fly and pick up and back into the bushes.
Jaybee
Just had a thought, the people who tell us the Birds prefer Peanuts are the Peanut manufacturers.
:-/
LOL Juno !!!!!! Another cynic, like me!!!
I have moved my peanut feeder in case it was the location rather than the contents that wasn't liked. It is now hanging from the shed guttering, with the back of it against the shed wall so it isn't swinging about, and provides a bit more security. No takers so far though.
Hi everyone, I'm sorry to say my blue tits have been using mine today :-)
Hi Juno
I can see you point about the whole nut feeders, and the manufacturers. The manufacturers will love to take the profits from the comsumer not the birds.
I still feel a lot of it it is to do where you stay. In the countryside there are more 'common' birds to consume the nut feeders.
While we lived in Aberdeenshire, we used to get good sized flocks of all sorts of birds. The members of the Chaffinch to the Tit families where everywhere. We had a Window Feeder and the birds would queue up on the branch closest to the feeder and take turn about - so polite in the bird world. We could see the birds close up feeding, and the trust built up day to day - brillant to see and beats TV viewing anyday.
The nut feeders where emptied in a day all too easily. The birds where costing us a fortune but we loved the fact we had such a lot of them around. The singing and the songs where everywhere in our back and front garden areas. Great to hear, and ID all the bird songs.
IMHO, in town there are less 'common' birds, so a lack of peanut consumption goes on for that reason.
Just a comparison going on with bird populations.
Hi Blackbird can I ask what you mean by 'common' birds in the countryside, I live in a town and perceive my common birds to be Collared Doves, Wood Pigeons, Sparrows, Blackbirds, Starlings, Blue Tits,Great Tits, Robins, Greeenfinches & Chaffinches.
What are common birds for the countryside?