# Bird Seed



## Drew (May 30, 2005)

Whenever we run short of bird seed I pop down to the garden centre and put two or three scoops from their sack into a plastic bag and from there fill the feeders.

In December last I followed the usual pattern *BUT* on this occasion the birds have refused to feed, the come down to the feeders and fly off again without feeding.

Any suggestions please.

I watched Richard Jackson on TV last night advertise his special Premium Bird Seed at £26 for 12.5 Kilo's, what is premium bird seed?

What bird seed do you use? any special brand?


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## shingi (Apr 18, 2008)

I buy a big sack of jumbo oats and store them in a plastic bin in the greenhouse. I also store nibbed (broken) sunflower seeds in a smaller bin. I mix the oats with a lesser amount of sunflower nibs and add sunflower oil until it is all just coated and then I leave it to soak in. I have been doing this for years and the birds love it. It is housed in a bowl in a contraption my husband built to stop the larger birds getting their beaks on it. I get Woodpeckers, virtually all the Tit family, Robins, Blackbirds, Green and Gold finches and Nuthatches and whatever other small birds happen to be around. You wouldn’t think that the Woodpecker would get in but he manages! The Pigeons, Crows, Jays, Jackdaws etc., don’t nay, can’t get a look-in. In fact, if I put out the type of food you describe, they won’t touch it which is slightly counter productive although they would take it after a while I guess if it was all that was out. Fat balls as well in the winter. If the bowl is empty, as I am walking down to refill it I can hear all the Blue Tits start to squeak and fly into the nearby tree and they are there feeding as soon as my back is turned. It’s a joy to witness, truly. Makes me happy. Small things eh?


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

Yes Shingi, I use fat balls etc. it is that they no longer feed from the seed feeders.

Do you have a picture of the contraption that your husband made for your concoction please?


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Fat balls and pea nuts go faster than we can replenish. My wife must spend £20 a month at times on nuts.


Ray.


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

Everything other than the seeds disappear as quick as lighting. The just won't touch the seeds.


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## shingi (Apr 18, 2008)

I would love to Drew but I haven’t got a clue how to. I have taken the pics on my iPad, went into advanced settings and got the attachment thing and managed to download the pics and then closed it which seemed to be my only option and they are nowhere to be seen. I tried that twice. Anybody help me step by simple step please?


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## shingi (Apr 18, 2008)

Oh how did that happen? 😃 We also did similar for the peanuts. We are away quite a bit so it self fills. It also completely befuddles those damned squirrels! Also that is a silicone dish that you can wash, screw up and get back into the feeder through the small door.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

We are a long way from you Drew, but all our birds have deserted us.
We have fed sunflower seeds and our own fat mix, bunging in everything from flour, oats, saltines etc. for years, but this year a few blue tits go to the feeder in the fur tree and that's it. Mind you we are having the mildest winter, so far, we have had since we came here. No snow has settled for more than half a day when usually we´ve had quite a bit by now. All the snow has been dumped in the south and Austria I think.
I do hope we're not going to have a late winter.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

I was given a bird feeder station for Christmas. Got it up a few days ago and have Peanuts, sunflower hearts, suet slab, fatballs - and not a single bird!!

Might take them a while to catch on it's there?


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## HurricaneSmith (Jul 13, 2007)

I know where they've all gone.... Into our garden.

We buy 20kg of Romanian sunflower hearts and the stuff goes in no time. 

All the usual birds, including woodpeckers (and sadly, a visiting Sparrowhawk) but by far the most common are Goldfinches. There's rarely less than a dozen in the garden at one time.

Last year a Woodpigeon fledged and he still struts around as if he owns the place. When I go outside, all the birds fly off for a while, except him, cos he knows it's his home and he's safe. 

.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

We just feed them birdseed and fat balls 

They compete with the rats

Yes if you feed birds you feed rats 

But we feed a colony of sparrows, blackbirds and robins 

And wood pidgins

The rats are a side issue 

Sandra


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## shingi (Apr 18, 2008)

We don’t feed rats as our feeders are way off the ground by way of being suspended from trees. Works a treat.


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

Drew said:


> Whenever we run short of bird seed I pop down to the garden centre and put two or three scoops from their sack into a plastic bag and from there fill the feeders.
> 
> In December last I followed the usual pattern *BUT* on this occasion the birds have refused to feed, the come down to the feeders and fly off again without feeding.
> 
> ...


I get 20kg sack of Sunflower hearts every month off Amazon. Cost varies but usually around £23. Sunflower hearts are 100% food, no wasteful husks. I have 3 crow proof feeders for the hearts and I also have 3 peanut feeders plus a bird table. I also scatter the hearts and a good quality mixed seed on the ground because many birds are ground feeders only. Of course the crows and pigeons can get at those but hey, they've got to eat as well:grin2: I reckon I spend about £40 a month on bird food in the winter but I do cut back a bit in late Spring until late Autumn when there is lots of food in the garden and hedgerows. People think I'm mad to spend all that money but we get enormous pleasure from watching the birds and we do get a heck of a lot in our garden!


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## Ozzyjohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Drew said:


> Whenever we run short of bird seed I pop down to the garden centre and put two or three scoops from their sack into a plastic bag and from there fill the feeders.
> 
> In December last I followed the usual pattern *BUT* on this occasion the birds have refused to feed, the come down to the feeders and fly off again without feeding.
> 
> ...


Apologies if this suggestion is too obvious. Had you considered going back to the garden centre and describing the problem to them? It may be that the batch of seeed was contaminated in some way - they possibly wouldn't know unless customers reported back to them.

Regards,
John


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

shingi said:


> We don't feed rats as our feeders are way off the ground by way of being suspended from trees. Works a treat.


So are ours

But seeds drop to the ground as the birds feed

And rats are excellent climbers

Sandra


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

shingi said:


> I would love to Drew but I haven't got a clue how to. I have taken the pics on my iPad, went into advanced settings and got the attachment thing and managed to download the pics and then closed it which seemed to be my only option and they are nowhere to be seen. I tried that twice. Anybody help me step by simple step please?


I could make something similar, but Liz would veto it on ugliness I think.

This is our feeding station.
@Drew
I wonder if perhaps the stuff you got was a bit off, birds are mega fussy.


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## shingi (Apr 18, 2008)

Yes they are rather ugly but I’ll put up with it if it affords the smaller birds a chance of getting food which is much more important.
They are suspended 8ft or so from trees and 6ft from the ground so rats CANNOT get to them.
Nothing gets thrown out of the bowl as it has sides and I fill it up little and often so it stays fresh. The rats here (we are quite rural) are far too interested in either neighbours chickens and the food they get left out for them to bother with the few bits of peanuts that fall out. The pigeons and crows hoover those up in double quick time.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I personally wouldn't mind it, feeding the birds is the important thing, we left the feeders at the last house so the birds had continuity and knew where to feed.

We don't have anywhere to have one like yours, I'd like to set up one for squirrels too as we have a few around here.


Liz is also looking into getting a bee hive.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

A French plumber friend who is into bees was going to 'site' a hive on our land. But in the end decided not as we occasionally get the farmer spraying 

It's complicated and can't be too hot or drafty, etc. etc.


Ray.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

raynipper said:


> A French plumber friend who is into bees was going to 'site' a hive on our land. But in the end decided not as we occasionally get the farmer spraying
> 
> It's complicated and can't be too hot or drafty, etc. etc.
> 
> Ray.


The ones I've seen I recall were usually near trees or in a walled garden, they are odd little buggers though, bit like women, got to be pampered or they go on strike.


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