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Don't forget to feed the birds in the cold weather

SpotSpot Posts: 25,126
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in Pets #1
Please remember wild garden birds in this weather when they are often unable to fend for themselves due to everything being covered by snow. As well as any food you can spare, remember that birds need water so clear the ice from anything they normally drink from or put some out in a bowl and check regularly to make sure it hasn't frozen.

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    turquoiseblueturquoiseblue Posts: 2,431
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    #2
    Just been in the garden and topped everything up for the birds. I like seeing the wild birds in my garden.
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    CRTHDCRTHD Posts: 7,602
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    #3
    Spot wrote: »
    Please remember wild garden birds in this weather when they are often unable to fend for themselves due to everything being covered by snow. As well as any food you can spare, remember that birds need water so clear the ice from anything they normally drink from or put some out in a bowl and check regularly to make sure it hasn't frozen.

    Good shout Spot.

    I'll be out topping everything up in the morning.
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    soulboy77soulboy77 Posts: 24,494
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    #4
    We have been putting seeds and nuts out in a feeder all Winter so far and are getting a great variety of regular visitors. Even some birds who can't use the feeder have worked out that if they hang around below then there will be fall out on the ground.

    So far we have had: Great Tits, Blue Tits, Long Tail Tits, Chaffinches, a Hawfinch, a Coal Tit, pair of Robins, a Dunnock , a Wren and a Tree Creeper.
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    BellaRosaBellaRosa Posts: 36,552
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    #5
    The birds in my garden have become proper snobs. I have always brought good quality sacks of bird seed which they have eaten but threw out the bit's they don't like :rolleyes:

    I made the mistake of buying meal worm and suet for the Robins... little buggers now only want mealworm and the peanuts I buy for the squirrels :mad:

    I brought a different sack of seeds.. better quality, and they still want the mealworm. They also have fatball that use to go in minutes :eek: But they are even leaving them :mad:

    I even make them pancakes and yorkshire puds which get ignored.

    Apart from that they are better than watching the tv :D And know that I will be trotting off in the snow to get them more mealworm and peanuts. And they say animals are stupid :o:D
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    blossom24blossom24 Posts: 411
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    #6
    Like many others on here I have been feeding the wild life over the winter ( in fact all year round!).

    Its lovely to see all the different birds in the garden, we are very fortunate and back on to a wooded area and then open fields, so we see quite a variety;buzzards, jays, woodpeckers, green woodpeckers, a pair of sparrowhawks, tawny owls,bull finches, a barn owl spotted this summer, the usual array of tits(!) and finches, sparrows blackbirds, robins, magpies to name a few.

    I also feed the foxes who come up to our garden gate, today they are having lamb chops.....better fed than my husband!:D

    Also put monkey nuts on the patio for the squirrels who actually come and fetch/eat them while we sit outside and watch...how very lucky are we?

    Nature is fantastic!
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    MuzeMuze Posts: 2,225
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    #7
    First year I'm not feeding them this year because of the local 'outside' cat that loiters in my hedge :mad:
    Already had two this year so not encouraging birds into my garden any more :(
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    HieronymousHieronymous Posts: 7,290
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    #8
    If you're going to feed birds please be aware of what is likely to be harmful:

    https://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/feeding/index.aspx
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    potatolegspotatolegs Posts: 5,099
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    #9
    Spot wrote: »
    Please remember wild garden birds in this weather when they are often unable to fend for themselves due to everything being covered by snow. As well as any food you can spare, remember that birds need water so clear the ice from anything they normally drink from or put some out in a bowl and check regularly to make sure it hasn't frozen.

    Nice post Spot.

    I just wanted to say something.

    We've been putting seeds out in our garden for about 3 years now and we have the nut cages.. At first we got a large variety of birds from Great Spotted Woodpeckers to Pied Wagtails and Wrens but they've all vanished it seems and now all we get are Woodpigeoons.
    Sometimes we have 12 in our garden and they are really fat.
    Also our garden is getting wrecked from Squirrels

    Is there any different seed varieties that will entice different birds?
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