Bird Feast!

We are clearing old shrubs from the front garden, but we left the one with red berries that kept the blackbirds supplied all last winter. I also feed them and we have some quite rare birds, even the shy woodpeckers come for peanuts very early in the mornings before people are around

We put up a bird table earlier this year, with 2 hooks underneath, one for a peanut feeder, the other for hanging fat balls. I also put a plant saucer of water on the table. Funnily enough, there was a bit of french bread left over from visitors we had, and the birds wouldn't touch it! They love home made brown bread - it goes rapidly. I buy mixed bird seed frrom the pet shop, and also the fat balls as they seem to be cheaperI there than from the supermarkets. We also have shrubs with berries, the birds soon strip them! I don't get the chance of bringing holly with berries in at Christmas...I agree with you - I love watching the birds.

I hear there is a way of making your own fat balls - does anyone know how to do it?. I know you can make them in bowls or old marg pots and turn them out but I dont know the recipe. I am longing to get more birds into my plot.

My daughter has been making fat balls at her Nursery for the last 2 years. Simply, melt lard or fat in a pan, add wild bird seed, small cunks of fruit, etc and stir, pour into yoghurt pots already with a hole in bottom and string put through, leave to set and voila! Homemade bird feeders. You can also form them into balls and, when set, place in saved net bags from mandarins, onions, etc (recycling) and hang. We have also taken some short log cuts, drilled indents with a 5cm router bit to a short depth, hammered heavy u-shaped staples into one end and strung, filled with a fat/seed/nut mix and, when set, simply hung up on tree branches. We do, however, only feed the birds in the winter months, stopping in march or Ap[ril, depending on the weather, to encourage them to forage for garden pests.

I have heard some birds get their little feet caught in nets, better to use other methods if possible

yep , like David I make my own " cakes " for the birds and they love it , making your own is a lot cheaper than buying them and it makes you feel good that some-one loves your cooking ! lol

During the winter I cook every day for the birds, I make suet puddings in the microwave, fat balls, cakes, pancakes and all sorts for them bread pudding with fruit in, lol. And all year round i buy all the reduced donuts from tesco at the end of the day about every three or four days and this is the birds favourite treat lol. They even eat the jam or apple fillings lol.
Lynne x

Oh, Wizzbang - wish I were a crow, or something. I'd fly to Lancashire every mealtime. This is gr8!