I found the goldfinches took a while to get used to the niger seed. The feeder also makes a difference. My first one had a cylinder perforated with little holes, but it meant the seed got wet and then either germinated or rotted. I bought a newfeeder with a plastic cylinder with just 2 feeding ports and the seed stays dry and they like it.
It does cost a lot to keep up with them, but I feel I have a responsibility as I am literally the only person here to help them and winters can be bad. This year especially, as the farm next door is now vacant following the farmer's death, and so there are no more pickings of hayseeds and animal feed to be had, or cattle to follow for the insects they disturb. I stopped feeding through the summer as there is plenty of natural food available here then, and it saves me a bit for harder times.
Part of the reason for the variety I get is the range of habitat available: coniferous woodland a bird flight away, grazing fields, boggy moorland, deciduous trees and shrubs round the house. In the winter there are flocks of starlings and usually fieldfares on the farmland, in summer lots of meadow pipits and some pied wagtails. There are magpies and crows, and a sparrow hawk about, though rarely seen, but these don't generally come to the feeders, apart from one brave magpie. Haven't seen so much of the woodpeckers since we cut down the cankerous ash tree they liked
I have had a bird feeder for a few years now and really enjoy watching all that birds that come to feed, I get blue tits, great tits, coal tits, dunnocks, robins, gold finches, green finches chaffinches, starlings, sparrows, and collared doves. But I get really annoyed at the neighbours cats hiding in the bushes trying to catch the birds so we have been trying to catproof the garden...hard job! I have an acer tree in my back garden and I hang containers with fat balls and peanuts on that. Monkey nuts threaded threw a wire are a great draw for the blue tits. Its just a joy to watch them and know your doing your bit of helping them to survive threw the winter.
Sounds familiar Nick. We've been in the current house for 3 years now and within the first few weeks started putting out bird feeders - peanuts & suet pellet, half-cocunut suet / seed and wild bird mix. I try and always make sure the food is topped-up.
Three years on and I would say our visitation level is, err, rubbish. A few 'resident' pigeons, blue tits, crows, magpies and robin making up the bulk. We do have spells when we have a regular visit by a woodpecker and some brief appearances of a family of long-tailed tits. Occasionally some great tits too.
I've just added a nyger feeder in the hope that may attract some additional birds. We live on the edge of a woodland and of course through the spring - autumn period there is a bounty of natural goodies to be had and I guess they prefer that to my shop-bought offerings. In saying that, my folks, who live on a farm, have an absolute menagerie of visitors 24/7 12 months of the year!
hi all pleased to say that the new feeding station for birds seems to have taken the larger birds are now on the 3 tables and water place ok (it was t bird table but top broke of when we had a big winds the lower part was a water dish ) it is also nice to watch them getting a bath.. I am soft I cut some peanuts in half for birds and the rest hole will make a couple more bird tables for garden lots of blue tits coal finches blackbirds dunnets and the maggies went to b/m last week they had seed at a cheap price got 2 bags for( big garden ) looks like I might get a apple tree?s for xmas
Posts
I just looked at their website and they have a sale on plants at the moment, I will go back and have browse
I found the goldfinches took a while to get used to the niger seed. The feeder also makes a difference. My first one had a cylinder perforated with little holes, but it meant the seed got wet and then either germinated or rotted. I bought a newfeeder with a plastic cylinder with just 2 feeding ports and the seed stays dry and they like it.
It does cost a lot to keep up with them, but I feel I have a responsibility as I am literally the only person here to help them and winters can be bad. This year especially, as the farm next door is now vacant following the farmer's death, and so there are no more pickings of hayseeds and animal feed to be had, or cattle to follow for the insects they disturb. I stopped feeding through the summer as there is plenty of natural food available here then, and it saves me a bit for harder times.
Part of the reason for the variety I get is the range of habitat available: coniferous woodland a bird flight away, grazing fields, boggy moorland, deciduous trees and shrubs round the house. In the winter there are flocks of starlings and usually fieldfares on the farmland, in summer lots of meadow pipits and some pied wagtails. There are magpies and crows, and a sparrow hawk about, though rarely seen, but these don't generally come to the feeders, apart from one brave magpie. Haven't seen so much of the woodpeckers since we cut down the cankerous ash tree they liked
I have had a bird feeder for a few years now and really enjoy watching all that birds that come to feed, I get blue tits, great tits, coal tits, dunnocks, robins, gold finches, green finches chaffinches, starlings, sparrows, and collared doves. But I get really annoyed at the neighbours cats hiding in the bushes trying to catch the birds so we have been trying to catproof the garden...hard job! I have an acer tree in my back garden and I hang containers with fat balls and peanuts on that. Monkey nuts threaded threw a wire are a great draw for the blue tits. Its just a joy to watch them and know your doing your bit of helping them to survive threw the winter.
Pleased to report that I now have Goldfinches since putting up the Nyger feeder. Really chuffed with that.
hi all pleased to say that the new feeding station for birds seems to have taken the larger birds are now on the 3 tables and water place ok (it was t bird table but top broke of when we had a big winds the lower part was a water dish ) it is also nice to watch them getting a bath.. I am soft I cut some peanuts in half for birds and the rest hole will make a couple more bird tables for garden lots of blue tits coal finches blackbirds dunnets and the maggies went to b/m last week they had seed at a cheap price got 2 bags for( big garden ) looks like I might get a apple tree?s for xmas