I have seen that some people use Safflower seed - Squirrel and Birdmum have mentioned this.
I am about to do a bulk order for food on-line and am wondering whether to order some. Please can you tell me which birds eat it, is it popular, do you get a lot thrown out of the feeders, and anything else good or bad about it? I would be grateful.
Also, Peanut granules. I bought a tub of these to use instead of whole peanuts when my crew began to ignore the peanut feeders. I add some to my flat feeders but not much gets eaten. I have tried it in a peanut feeder but it either falls through the holes or gets soggy. I had thought of making peanut granule suet mix, but how else do you use it, and is it popular?
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
Hi Sparrow,
Greenfinches go mad for it! Goldfinches, Chaffinches and Sparrows all eat it. Dunnocks hunt for scraps on the ground. However I have only found it with husk on. The husks do fall to the ground & make a mess. Knowing that you have gravel I am wondering if this is going to be hard work for you.
What a shame we can't do personal messages, I would happily send you a small bag in the post to try in order to prevent you from buying a big sack.
If you get squirrels stealing your sunflower hearts you can mix it in with them. Safflower is bitter tasting (apparently, I haven't tried it personally) squirrels hate it & it deters them from stealing.
As for peanut granules I just mix them with sunflower hearts, suet, dried mealworms & safflower in a normal feeder. It doesn't last long enough to go soggy & stick.
I recommend it, it encouraged my greenfinches to visit.
Hi Birdmum,
It is very kind of you to say you would send me a small bag to try. Thank you for the thought.
From the sounds of it, it seems it is the finches who love it, plus sparrows. That will do for me. I already have my few goldfinches who I want to keep, and am trying hard to attract the chaffinches I know are in the neighbourhood, also I am desperate to satisfy my odd ball sparrows at the moment. You are right about the gravel though, but I get a mess anyway and am hoping to get hubby to do something about it.
I don't have a squirrel problem, at least not yet. I only have one who visits occasionally and he hasn't stolen anything other than the Jackdaws' peanuts as far as I know.
So it sounds like a good bet and I will order some. If it doesn't work for me I'll put it on Ebay and you can have it !!!
I'll try mixing the peanut granules as you suggest. I have been feeding it on its own and getting nowhere really.
Thanks
Hi Sparrow, sorry I have only just found this post as the site has been playing up all morning. I can confirm what thebirdmum says. My chaffinches eat very little else. Incidentally, great tits like the RSPB Buggy Nibbles (that's the ones with mealworms in, not the ones with dead insects in).
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!
Hi Squirrel,
Thanks for the confirmation, and the tip about the mealworm Buggy Nibbles. I don't have great tits very often, just the blue and coal varieties, so that is something else to try.
I have sent in my order including safflower, and funnily enough I had a single chaffinch land this morning. He must have been reading my emails!!!
LOL! Tell him he will have to hang on until the order arrives and then he will be in for a real treat.
Hi Sparrow
Well done for this thread, I had the same question. Safflower is sold in our local farm shop and I was thinking about buying some but not sure which birds would eat it. I have also bought myself (shhhhh....don't tell the OH) another hanging feeder, a huge one and I thought about putting a a mixture of foods in that....you know a few inches of one food and then a layer of another and so on and so on to see what happens.
Regards
Kerry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kezmo6310/
Kezmo - are you like me?. I buy new bird accessories and smuggle them through the house so hubby doesn't notice - a bit like when I wear a new top and say I've had it for years!!!!
LOL at Kezmo and Sparrow
My OH foots the bill so I cannot sneak any bird/feeders food in - sadly.
Anyway it is share and share alike in our house and we are happy that is the main thing
Kathy and Dave
Susan H said: Kezmo - are you like me?. I buy new bird accessories and smuggle them through the house so hubby doesn't notice - a bit like when I wear a new top and say I've had it for years!!!!
Oh Sparrow LOL - As I said before "birds of a feather"!!!!.......I did the new top ploy only last weekend (Huge howl of laughter!)
The problem is that my new bird feeder is bright green and over a foot long - am wondering how I can put it on the tree without him noticing it....and of course for a big feeder I need big food so need to go out and get another sneaky load without OH's knowledge!
Lol Kezmo & Sparrow, Most women smuggle new shoes in. As for me I am an independant woman & earn my own money and don't answer to any man / live with one. Hence a garden full of feeders :-O