Bird Feeding help!

I've been wondering about this too! We've had nearly 5 weeks of below freezing temps and snow - still some around (plus lots of icy pavements! ) - during this time I was out 2-3 times a day with food which just disappeared into big numbers of hungry sparrows, finches, blackbirds, starlings, crows (!!), collared doves . The last  3 days they have gone! Today a few finches came back to the sunflower seeds  but there were still some left by dusk and the niger that had gone quickest is still in the feeder! I'm assuming that the birds are having a lovely time finding natural food aroiund the trees and bushes and on the patches of green that have appeared. Anyone any other ideas?

I think you may be right Yellowbird. After the snow they may be enjoing a sojourn in the fields and countryside. My garden went a bit quiet, but they are coming back again.

Hope at least some are  back before the Garden Birdwatch otherwise it wont reflect a "normal" day!!

Hi Coal

I have noticed a drop of birds in my garden

There was a flux at the beginning of this week when the temperature dropped a little once more with the inpending snow

The snow never came so all is back to be quiet at the Bird Feeders

I also understand that birds like to feed early in the morning (peak) and during the day (trough) end of day before it becomes dark (peak) once more.

Hope that the Garden Watch is alright too.  I think i will get up early in the morning. or take the count just before it gets dark.

Regards

Kathy and Dave

Our numbers increased again today but as many of us have previously said, they always seem to vanish when we start our bird counts. The theory is that if they are not in your own count, they are in somebody elses, but that depends on most people taking part.

Hi Blackbird - I have just started a new thread about peaks and troughs each day as I am interested in what happens in other gardens.

I have seen a significant drop since the snow. I have put out their favourite;apples, and nothing has touched even these! Also I Have a question, I have Just bought a sunflower seed feeder, but i have sunflower seeds with white stripes on them, I have been told birds don't like these as they do not have as much oil; is this true? ;{ Thanks, Coal

Coal said:

i have sunflower seeds with white stripes on them, I have been told birds don't like these as they do not have as much oi

I have also heard that black sunflower seeds are the first choice of many bird species because of the high energy content, but if you only have stripy ones then they will probably eat them rather than have none at all.

I prefer to use sunflower hearts so that I don't get piles of husks on my lawn. However, with these I find some smaller birds fly in, grab one and take it away to eat it in a tree rather than eating it at the feeding station.

It's  trial and error to see which works best for you.