No Spanish or Tree Sparrows on my bird table

[ausmar]

Hi all!
Recently i built a simple bird table and set it up on my terrace overlooking neighbors' gardens. When it was still wintering here the Black redstart ate cake crumbs i put out. However both Tree Sparrows and Spanish Sparrows are common here but i've never seen them feeding on my bird table. do you know if they come at all to bird tables and if so what food they like? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! thanks.
Martin

[Clive Watson]

Funny that, there's no Spanish or Tree Sparrows on my feeders either. Seriously though, I see no reason why either species should not come to bird tables. Are you only feeding cake? You might have more success if you put out some of the seed mixes that are available for bird feeding (presuming such things are available in Malta). I've seen millet seed being advertised here as being good for attracting attracting House and Tree Sparrows, you could try that if you can get hold of any.

[ausmar]

Thanks for the advice! I've never seen any seed mixes down here but i'll search a bit. All the same i ' ll try seed, maybe they''ll visit...
Thanks and good luck with birding!

[ausmar]

Hi, today i bought some millet seed, i'll put out tomorrow. hopefully i'll have some visitors. fingers crossed;)

[Quercus]

It sometimes takes birds a bit of time to discover a new food source, but have patience, as soon as one bird finds it, the word will get around!

I'm sure that people keep cage birds on Malta, so someone must be selling seed!

Let us know when something happens.

[ausmar]

Yes i know when nature is involved you have to have patience but it can be VERY REWARDING! I'll tell (and send pics) if i have "visitors"
Martin

[Jos Stratford]

Tree Sparrows are very common on my feeders here and will use any of the feeders I use - peanut feeders, fatballs, plus seed on the table or ground. You will probably find that one day a single bird will find the food and the next day the whole flock, then they'll be there forever ;)

[ausmar]

Thanks for the advice! Tree Sparrows are frequent here too, but there are only 3 pairs in the gardens behind my house. It would be great if they all come down to feed. :t:

[Quercus]

In BWP (Birds of the Western Palearctic) it says that tree sparrows first bred in Malta in 1959, and now breeds in scattered colonies on all 3 islands.

What else do you see out there?

[ausmar]

Interesting! I did not know it was then they first breeded! I think ill get this book, seems quite detailed.
Well the total list of birds recorded down here is 381 ( 380 if you like because the Jackdaw was hunted to extinction by maltese "hunters" in the 1950s). I just posted on my blog what i saw today at one of the two reserves, it ' ll give you a picture. also you can visit http://www.birdlifemalta.org/ and see the sightings section.
Good luck with Birding!