If you do put bread out wholemeal is better than white & it should all be soaked first

Hi H, just wondered what you ended up getting, the birds on my feeder are definatley feeling the affects of spring and I want to be able to give the babies some decent food

Niger and wild bird seed is what we use aswell as peanuts the Goldies are taking these as well as the robin's, we have blue tit's great tit's goldfinches. robins sparrow's black birds magpies and they all take something each day, the fat balls are good, and the goldies love the niger and nut's.

I bought a big bag of that niger seed and put it in one of those tall round feeders, but nothing touched it! Also some of the crushed nuts, they weren't interested. My birds only seem interested in the sunflower hearts and the coconut fat shells. I did, however, notice some of the greenfinches trying to get at the niger seed, but I think that was only because they had eaten all the sunflower hearts, and I really must take it down coz it's been there ages and it's probably mouldy!

Hi Christine, got no babies here yet? Mine are still nest building. The woman up the road has told me she feeds the robin and the blackbird BY HAND every morning!!! She uses very expensive sultanas, and puts them in a line on her back doorstep every morning, and they come down one by one, and some of them land on her hand! Incredible isn't it, I'm going to get some sultanas now!

I haven't searched for live mealworms yet, but I guess it's going to have to be a fishing tackle shop?

Blackbirds and robins love suet and currents, which should be soaked first.
I understand that bread is a big no no.

Yes, I think bread is a big no no when the babies are around? I only put it out the morning it was snowing, so it got wet anyway, only their seed was rapidly getting covered in snow and they couldn't get to it!

H I think there is/was a fishing tackle shop in your village, but can't remember where it was now.

We use suet too, and normal wild bird feed. Have nests in our holly tree at he moment.

Hi Tracy I think the nearest one is in Littlehampton? There is a pet shop down in the valley which I use, but he doesn't do bait, but then I haven't asked, so he might do! Failing that, I will go on the RSPB site coz they should do them mail order?

I remember a good few years ago, when my elder son went fishing and had a load of maggots left over, he said to throw them out to the birds, so I did, they didn't have time to crawl away, the starlings decended on the garden like something out of that Alfred Hicthcock film 'The Birds', they went down a real treat for them

Brilliant Christine! I must get some of those live mealworms, I sort of prefer them to the thought of maggots!!! I'm hoping the robin might feed off my hand if I get some of these and maybe the blackbird, coz they always stay on the feeders when I fill them up, they trust me now, so with the right bait I can get them eating out of my hands!