bird suet assortment

That little lot looks tasty Fran. I got a big bag on offer from QD at the start of that cold winter with a gang of blackbirds sheltering in the garden. I scattered them between the plants in the border and they rang rings trying to get to them first. Plenty of exercise and lots of fat on board for the flight back to Norway or wherever.

I thought I'd try a small one to see how the locals liked it before I went bigger. Seems to be popular, the bits I've put out have gone next day. Not put any on the ground, didn't want to encourage unwelcome visitors, but there was a blackbird hopping around the lawn yesterday, so i might put some down for it and its chums.

Don't worry about unwelcome visitors Fran just put a little at a time. It won't stay there long enough for the rats to get at it. Good way to attract birds into the garden and then put up some higher stuff as well. I don't bother with it on the ground normally, but that winter was so bad and so many blackbirds fighting it was the best way to give all a fair chance of feeding well enough to fly off as soon as the weather improved. By the way the blackbirds have left in disgust after the 4 eggs laid in the new nest were taken(magpies) and the remaining baby picked off too. I was really upset yesterday. Silence, none of that lovely powerful song anymore.

I put out a sprinkle of the suet pellets and a smaller sprinkle of mealworms around one corner of the lawn, among the edges of the plant - also put some of each into the tray on the feeder pole.

The blackbirds lost the entire family? oh, that's sad! nature is so unkind - small lives seem dispensible.

I think all the blackbirds have gone as they have probably all been robbed by these villainous Magpies. It really has gone quiet very suddenly. Such a shame.

would think that they'd learn from experience and always have at least one parent "at home", or that they'd nest close together to give gorup protection to the entire nest site. but maybe they've eolved the way they have for a reason - or maybe this is just a bad year, not usual.