bird food shopping

lol the choccy wasn't strictly "bird food"! I've put one of each of the suet bars out, and one coconut shell. they've all been nibbled to some extent, but maybe the feeder pole is a bit suet-heavy at the moment! need a second one to accommodate all the new feers and food.

Oh what a feast Fran. I've stopped the suet balls for now Fran. I was putting 3 at a time in the holder. All day the bush they hang in was twitching and next time I look all gone. I just leave one flat insect one on the wire hanging table, that lasts a few days. We have pound shops coming out of our ears here. Must have a another look.

the suet balls do seem to be a popular item! I put three in the feeder, still got one and a bit left. I put one of the suet bars on the ground, for ground-feeding birds, and also because I ran out of hanging space - not sure if that's the insect or fruit bar, but both show signs of visitors

I've got no trees to hang them from, other than the trees just beyond the fence, and that's a bit hard for me to get to, so the pole is about all the hanging space I have for mow.

The hawthorn was twitching with sparrows again this morning Fran. I showed my brother the picture of the bird that died. He was sure it was a baby woodpecker. He had been watching them on their camping site and my picture was identical to what he had seen through his binocs. So that really was a shame. We had rain yesterday morn early for four hours. The canopy butt filled up again.

real shame, indeed. they're not exactly a common garden bird. I've heard them in the distance here, plenty of fairly wild wood for them, but no reason for them to come closer.

Got an inch or so in the pond, courtesy of the rain; really should get the hose out and top it up!

Nice selection of bird food and a bargain too. Must go and have a look.

one of the coconut shells is almost empty, and one of the suet bars vanished, along with the cage it was in! i'll have to nail the rest down

Hi Fran I used to put suet blocks down for the birds but we had a fox that used to take them so I don't buy them anymore.

Now we have magpies being a right nuisance. They have pulled the moss off 3 of my bonsai, in spite of the moss being wired on to try and get it to fix to the soil. The other day there was a curious encounter lasting about 10 minutes between a small rat darting at a magpie and retreating under the bushes. Then chasing off the magpie again. Eating the grapes and pecking at apples. Who needs human vandals?

@ Linda - I've seen food holders for ground-feeding birds, the grds meant that only birds could get at the food and there were spikes that held the feeder to the ground so that the food couldn't be taken away as a whole. I'd thought that if I put more suet down on the ground, I'll anchor it with metal tent pegs to stop it vanishing.

@ Dorjac - why are they after the moss? it can't be to line nests at this time of year; do they eat it? it sounds like that rat is acutally acting as "gardenerr's friend"!

While looking for squrrel deterrents for my previous garden, I read htat imitation snakes will keep birds off - the snake has to be moved a little bit every day to make thebirds think it's alove, and so make them keep away. didn't work for squirrels, though - and if it kept magpies off it'd probably keep all birds off

We have the moss taken from our bonsai too. The birds either peck it off to get at something crawling underneath or take it to line their nest with for the winter ....... ie perhaps wrens or blue-tits .

I saw the magpie doing this evil deed Fran and Lindak. Four feet away from the kitchen window and under the verandah. He was tugging at the wires round the pots to get at the moss! The have very powerful beaks. No fat going to be put out unless it is very cold and harsh. Loads of moss on the roof and often thrown down on the patio after they look for insects under it. It was a little teenage rat and a bit loopy. The magpie was a big bossy one, but the collared doves stand up to him too.

We have a large plump woodpigeon that sorts out the bigger birds. He sways towards them and stomps at them.

lol that's the way to do it, wearing bovver boots! maybe the birds try for the moss because they can't get anything else so soft - I read that when people clean their hair brushes of accumalted loose hair, they could put that out, it mkes good nest lining. maybe if we all did the birds would leave the moss alone.