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Location: Usually in a muddy field somewhere
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 20,145
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08-02-2012, 10:17 PM
Originally Posted by MerlinsMum 
Aaaqaargh! same problem here. We don't feed the birds all year round as we've had serious rat problems in the past, but when the ground is frozen and/or snow covered I can't not feed the poor little things.
Trouble is, it's mainly starlings that come down (last year when we had the bad snow, I was seeing flocks of 20-30 coming in every afternoon, they must have been so hungry).
We do have blackbirds, a few tits, a robin and a wren occasionally but they have NO chance of getting up on the table, the starlings always come and knock them away.
I've been trying to scatter some nibbed peanuts, suet pellets and dried mealworms in unobtrusive places under the shrubs for them, as they prefer to feed in cover....
BUT I have a Hoovering dog who knows there's food out there and is asking to go out about a million times a day
Two million actually, because he hears when the starlings come in to feed, and wants to tell them to bog off! 
Have been busy making 'bird cake' with all kinds of delicacies and melted lard to put out. The last ones I made in margarine tubs and put string through them so they can be tied to the latticework of the wrought iron garden table - starlings would knock them off otherwise.
The next ones will be made in tin cans, hoping I can squeeze them out once set, and put in the hangers.... the blue tits might have a fighting chance then!
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Location: Lincolnshire
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 8,950
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08-02-2012, 10:22 PM
Originally Posted by MerlinsMum
The next ones will be made in tin cans, hoping I can squeeze them out once set, and put in the hangers.... the blue tits might have a fighting chance then!
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Location: Shropshire UK
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 4,382
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08-02-2012, 10:27 PM
We also have a couple of blackbirds which have been about since the summer and i often put out some old apples for them and a robin also occasionally visits as well. I do try and put fresh water out but they seem happy to use Ted's water bowl for a drink if i don't have chance to empty and refill the bird bath.Luckily Ted doesn't bother with the bird food but i did once find a half buried suet ball in the garden which must have dropped down at some point and Ted decided to bury it
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Location: In an English country cowpat
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,810
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08-02-2012, 10:55 PM
Originally Posted by Brierley
Try opening the other end of the can completely with the tin opener and using the lid bit to push the contents out. Comes out in one lump then quite easily.
In fact the empty cans we had, I couldn't open the bottoms as they were too rounded (if that makes sense). I looked through Mum's cupboards for old tins [ha! it's like a museum in there!] and found two tins of soup, one dated BBE 2008 and one BBE 2005!
So the contents got dumped and I could open the ends easily. In fact they were pull-off easy open lids, so the top had a flange... turned them upside down and the bottom 'lid' fits into the cans like a sort of loose base, so it should be even easier to push out the set 'cake'.
When I do fill them, I will also stand them on slices of bread so any lard that leaks out will be soaked up by the bread and can also be used
If anyone wants to have a go at making Bird Cakes, this is the page I got my inspiration from: [PDF file]
http://www.britishnature.co.uk/activities/birdcakes.pdf
....although I melted the lard in a saucepan and poured it over the ingredients so that it all soaked in.
Edited to add: my cue to put food out is when the bird bath freezes. If that's frozen then the ground will be, and the insects will be frozen or gone so they need food, and moisture from food. The bird bath then becomes a feeding station with a tray on top, and the garden table is a second cafeteria. I put out a deep dish of water on the garden table but I've not seen them drink from it - baths will have to wait, as anything shallow would freeze over too quickly. At all other times we don't feed because of the rats... if a bit gets nicked by rats (if there are any) during my winter war effort, then good luck to them!
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Location: In an English country cowpat
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,810
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11-02-2012, 10:29 PM
Let Merlin out for a wee and at the same time noticed one of the bird-cake tubs was missing from the table, at the same time he found it!
The string had gone and it was on the ground, there was NO way I was going to prise him away from that! Managed to grab his collar and lead him indoors but he was welded to it... frantic minute while I tried to think what I could find equally high value to do a swap.
Saved by a tub of liver defrosting to make liver cake, still holding his collar I put it on the floor, and I swear his jaw dropped in excitement as he thought "WOW!" ... releasing his prize, and I was able to pick up both bird cake & liver at the same time!
I am not a meanie so he did get some bits of liver, but it was an anxious moment!
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Location: Stalybridge, Cheshire
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,159
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11-02-2012, 11:31 PM
So I have hung seed feeders and fat balls from the hanging basket holders to entice the birds but not the squirrels.... but no takers as yet....
They don't seem to have noticed them
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Location: In an English country cowpat
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,810
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12-02-2012, 10:42 PM
It was on its own, slender and light brown with a lighter slightly yellowish underside - smooth colours no visible spotting or barring - larger than a sparrow but smaller than a starling. It didn't seem to be a finch and didn't have a finch beak.
Nearest I can find in my book is a Garden Warbler.... not sure how likely that would be though?
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