# Bird Feeders



## Lollypop86 (Oct 26, 2013)

So for anyone on my book of face you'll know I purchased a bird feeder a few weeks back....

....reading on the RSPB website they have said it can take months for birds to have the confidence to not go to a known feeding site and I thought "ah bugger it"...

.....but to my surprise only a few weeks in I've had blue tits, young male black birds, sparrows, starlings anddddddd a Great Red spotted woodpecker.....I blame my friend for having feeders in her garden and loving the sound of all the birds feeding but I was amazed that only a few weeks in my feeder now appears to be an active feeding site where I've been refilling the feeders every other day and the water every day

For anyone not interested in birdlife then this isnt for you and I never thought I would be but its amazing to see them flying in to the feeder especially on a nice day 

J
xx


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi Jess, Yes I always feed the birds with fat balls & seed.  
Even had Blackbirds come just inside kitchen door for cheese, they can get quite tame-ish.
Hoggy.


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## YoungOldUn (Apr 12, 2011)

I'm another bird feeder, fat balls, suet, mealy worms and nuts. The only downside is that they can attract vermin in the form of rats so for them I have a couple of pre-charged air rifles.


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## Lollypop86 (Oct 26, 2013)

i havent gone for meal worms yet lol just seeds, nuts and fat in coconut shells  still amazed at the wood pecker!

J
xx


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## igotone (Mar 10, 2010)

I 've been photographing birds for years and have a number of feeders set up in the garden which costs us a small fortune to keep going.

The ideal site for a bird feeder is close to cover as they feel much safer from overhead predators while feeding if there's cover close by. We regularly get Great Spotted Woodpeckers. They like a site reasonably well off the ground and cover close at hand to retreat to. One of those pole mounted feeders is ideal for them it's what we use.

Top tip - Great Spotted Woodpeckers are crazy for peanut butter. Brings 'em down like nothing else. :wink:


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## igotone (Mar 10, 2010)

Obviously, this wasn't taken in the garden and the three young in this nest fledged and left the nest a couple of days later.










All young GSWs have that red bar on top of the head (both males and females) In adult males the red bar moves to the back of the head, while females lose it altogether - hence you can see the adult bird in this shot is a female, although both parents take turns at feeding the young.

It's a fair bet that if the GSW is a regular visitor to your feeders it's nesting nearby so with a bit of luck you could be getting visits from the young very soon.


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## brian1978 (Jul 10, 2013)

YoungOldUn said:


> I'm another bird feeder, fat balls, suet, mealy worms and nuts. The only downside is that they can attract vermin in the form of rats so for them I have a couple of pre-charged air rifles.


Poor rats. Bottom of the wildlife social ladder since the begining of time. :lol:

In all my days of throwing bread, old nuts, food etc... out for the birds I can honestly say I have never once seen a rat.


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## Skeee (Jun 9, 2009)

I feed the birds too.


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## brian1978 (Jul 10, 2013)

Skeee said:


> I feed the birds too.


I can haz pidgeonburger. :lol:


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## Cloud (Sep 4, 2012)

I put out fat balls, nuts and sunflower seeds and the garden is a hive of activity. The robins and blackbirds love mealworms when I put them out, but I tend to save them for the hedgehogs.

Here's a recent addition to my garden collection viewtopic.php?f=8&t=643513

I saw it hopping in and out of a conifer with moss on Sunday so I'm hoping it's found a mate [smiley=sweetheart.gif]


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## mighTy Tee (Jul 10, 2002)

We have a feeder which attracts the usual suspects (Starlings, Pigeons, Sparrows etc) along with the occassional blue tit. However most pleasing is "twitterings" of "our" Goldfinch family. It is not uncommon to have 8 on or around the feeder and we have seen up to 13 at one time.


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## Pugwash69 (Jun 12, 2012)

The loudest wild bird we have is a wren! Heard and not seen most of the time.

I put my camera out on a remote trigger and wifi card sometimes. The feeder hangs from the table I built on top of the old concrete washing-line post, because we didn't use it for washing.


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## igotone (Mar 10, 2010)

Pugwash69 said:


> The loudest wild bird we have is a wren! Heard and not seen most of the time.


The Wren is definitely one of my favourite birds, as you say, their song fills the air and is unmistakable. They tend to zoom around low, taking advantage of every bit of cover so you do tend to hear them more than you see them. They're never still either even when perched they're very twitchy living life in the fast lane. Makes them maddeningly difficult to photograph.


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## Lollypop86 (Oct 26, 2013)

I'll stick some pics up of mine later but I'm surprised at how active it is now 

J
xx


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## igotone (Mar 10, 2010)

Lollypop86 said:


> I'll stick some pics up of mine later ..
> 
> J
> xx


I double dare ya! :lol:


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## brian1978 (Jul 10, 2013)

Pugwash69 said:


> The loudest wild bird we have is a wren! Heard and not seen most of the time.
> 
> I put my camera out on a remote trigger and wifi card sometimes. The feeder hangs from the table I built on top of the old concrete washing-line post, because we didn't use it for washing.


I find it hard to believe they are louder than a herring gull. Those buggers are LOUD.

According to the google its a bittern, never heard of it


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## Pugwash69 (Jun 12, 2012)

Louder because when I'm sat on my decking, the wrens are in the bushes about 10 feet away hidden mostly. 
Our ducks are louder than gulls, but not wild, just crazy.


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## Lollypop86 (Oct 26, 2013)

igotone said:


> Lollypop86 said:
> 
> 
> > I'll stick some pics up of mine later ..
> ...


ooooo a double dare!!!

J
xx


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## brian1978 (Jul 10, 2013)

Pugwash69 said:


> Louder because when I'm sat on my decking, the wrens are in the bushes about 10 feet away hidden mostly.
> Our ducks are louder than gulls, but not wild, just crazy.


Loud ducks! when the gulls here (I work in a seaside town) start that screaming that "caawwwwk cawwwwk cawwk kok kok kok kok" noise its about all you can hear, even over traffic [smiley=bigcry.gif]


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## zltm089 (Jul 27, 2009)

I'm a bird feeder too! It's all about the fat heavy balls, they love it!


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## brian1978 (Jul 10, 2013)

zltm089 said:


> I'm a bird feeder too! It's all about the fat heavy balls, they love it!


Yep, always got to get the fat balls out when there's a nice pair of tits in the garden.

We are talking about birds right?


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## Lollypop86 (Oct 26, 2013)

I'm pretty chuffed with the woodpecker 

J
xx


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## YoungOldUn (Apr 12, 2011)

I just happened to have my camera in my hand when I noticed the sparrow hawk in the garden, didn't have time to check the settings on the camera just took the photos. In the second and third one a magpie had appeared to the left of the sparrow hawk, hence the posturing by the hawk.

For the Robin, I had my camera set on a tripod in the kitchen looking through the window with a remote release.


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## Skeee (Jun 9, 2009)

YoungOldUn said:


> I just happened to have my camera in my hand when I noticed the sparrow hawk in the garden, didn't have time to check the settings on the camera just took the photos. In the second and third one a magpie had appeared to the left of the sparrow hawk, hence the posturing by the hawk.
> 
> For the Robin, I had my camera set on a tripod in the kitchen looking through the window with a remote release.


Excellent close up of the Sparrowhawk!
I too have a regular Wren and they are indeed loud.
I even once saw a Tree Creeper climbing in the garden, but had to ask at work to confirm it was one. :roll:
_The Stuart Goddard stripe gave it away_. :wink: Google it children!


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, Blackbird eating cheese & inside kitchen..














Hoggy.


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## Lollypop86 (Oct 26, 2013)

I never thought I'd be the sort of person to be sat outside on a nice evening watching the different types of bird come down to a feeder but it really is amazing

J
xx


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, Changed my Blackbird Video to YouTube, better playback.  
Hoggy.


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## Lollypop86 (Oct 26, 2013)

lol was gona say all I could see was cheese on the floor and was going to suggest clearing it up 

J
xx


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## Skeee (Jun 9, 2009)

Lollypop86 said:


> I never thought I'd be the sort of person to be sat outside on a nice evening watching the different types of bird come down to a feeder but it really is amazing
> 
> J
> xx


 Alcohol is a terrible thing! :roll:


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## Lollypop86 (Oct 26, 2013)

no its not  [smiley=cheers.gif]

J
xx


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## Skeee (Jun 9, 2009)

Lollypop86 said:


> no its not  [smiley=cheers.gif]
> 
> J
> xx


 Oh but it it is! I've sent Sam B back away into the cupboard but now Jack D and his twin brother are visiting tonight. Ten quid off at the mo in Sainsbr'y. :wink:


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## brian1978 (Jul 10, 2013)

Lollypop86 said:


> I never thought I'd be the sort of person to be sat outside on a nice evening watching the different types of bird come down to a feeder but it really is amazing
> 
> J
> xx


Its a sure sign your getting older. :lol:


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## Skeee (Jun 9, 2009)

brian1978 said:


> Lollypop86 said:
> 
> 
> > I never thought I'd be the sort of person to be sat outside on a nice evening watching the different types of bird come down to a feeder but it really is amazing
> ...


 I thought that too, but wasn't brave enough to say it. 

_ Jess knows where I live! _


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## zltm089 (Jul 27, 2009)

brian1978 said:


> zltm089 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm a bird feeder too! It's all about the fat heavy balls, they love it!
> ...


ohhh yes,....lovely birds!  i like it when they spread their wings....and flap flap flaps..... big flaps... :lol:


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## Lollypop86 (Oct 26, 2013)

stop it Kevin or I'm going to spam your facebook so your gf knows what your like 

J
xx


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