Feeding wild birds

angeldaisy

Hi I was just wondering what else I could give to the birds?

I currently have robins, blackbirds, thrushes, wrens, pied wagtails, starlings, sparrows, chaffinches, 1 goldfinch, coal tits, great tits, blue tits, as well as crows, magpies, rooks and jackdaws, and the odd snipe.

As you can imagine this lot is costing me a fortune in bird seed. I currently have 2 seed feeders, a flat feeder, i have some fat balls out and throw out raisins, apples and also make a hot mash out of leftover bread and cereals stuff. Anything else I can give them?

Feargal as Luimneach

Bought 5kg of pork lard (20x250gramms at 35c each) today from tesco. Going to make fat mixed seed cakes. Working out cheap and providing a high energy food for the birds:)

goat2

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

Bought 5kg of pork lard (20x250gramms at 35c each) today from tesco. Going to make fat mixed seed cakes. Working out cheap and providing a high energy food for the birds:)

i do the same, i am finding all my neighbours are great this year, if it can be eaten and leftovers are all being spread on lawns, i had to buy a big bag of dry dogfood at aldi, i let it steep in boiling water overnight, in mornings it swells to four times its original and there in i feel i am giving them liquid as well, i steep all leftover bread in water and put it out for them as well, there are so many birds i could not afford to keep up with the seeds as they cost alot,

Rancid

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

Bought 5kg of pork lard (20x250gramms at 35c each) today from tesco. Going to make fat mixed seed cakes. Working out cheap and providing a high energy food for the birds:)

Exactly what I've been doing this winter so far, mixing in bird seed, sunflower seed, sultanas, all the bread and rice left-overs, and enough porridge to bind it all together. It sets pretty quickly in the fridge and then out onto the bird table the following morning. Also throwing out cut up apples and peanuts, and keeping the feeders full too, the nyjer disappears soooo fast!

I've set up "ground-level bird tables" too, just surfaces that I can keep pretty much snow-free, I found all the food was sinking into the snow and with every new fall, the birds couldn't find it.
Currently I have blackbirds, starlings, many many pigeons, a thrush or 2, wood pigeons, robins, a few dunnocks, goldfinches, redpols, all the tits and less sparrows than before the snow. Even had 2 jackdaws yesterday and a little flock of gulls early in the morning.
I'm hoping for redwings and fieldfares, though they didn't arrive in my garden until the end of January last time.

They're all a pleasure to watch!

angeldaisy

thanks for the advice, going to get some of the pork fat next time I'm in tesco. I can't put out dog food, too many dogs in the area!!

I had the redwings arrive over the last couple of days, not many around today, bit wet and windy, just had some thrushes and blackbirds. thankfully it looks like the thaw is starting here