20-08-2002

[Steve]

In my garden today, there were Greenfinches, chaffinches,collared doves,and the usual suspects (robins blackbird etc) does what you provide really matter?and do you think you can attract other species by putting out a variety?

steve

[IanF]

Interesting topic Steve :)
I'd have to say that it does matter what you put out. We had never ever had any Goldfinches in our garden until two years ago when we started putting out sunflower hearts. I couple then occasonasianally showed up and my wife was over the moon and so statted putting out niger seed in one of the special feeders with just a small slit for a feeding port. Last Winter we had 20-30 birds several times every day which kept vitising until early Spring. Since then we still have around half a dozen at a time visiting. Having said that I have noticed a very large increase in Goldies in our area this year, but I don't know whether it's a trend or just a one off.
We also put out food to cater for each of the other bird species and from my experience I would have to say that supplying food has definitely led to an increase in gaden visitors, both in numbers and types.

[Andy Bright]

My own garden is very quiet at the moment (last few weeks), despite the various goodies on offer. An ever-present male Bullfinch is about the highlight (they seem to be rapidly learning the joys of black sunflower seed).
Varied foodstuffs make a difference in the winter months....putting out large quantities of apples (hanging them on branches) has seen upto 10 Blackcaps in the garden at once, not to mention the Fieldfares and Redwings. None of these birds would bother to venture into the garden (or at least stay) without the lure of apples (though my Blackcap insect cake attracts a couple).
Live food (mealworms/waxworms) won't usually entice exotics into the garden....but they do help to make the insect loving birds more visible.
Hanging berries up is hard work.....but can be 'fruitful' (sorry!)
It's nice to see different species of birds in the garden but I'm not too bothered what turns up to eat.
Andy B

[burhinus]

Variety is the spice of bird feeding!

As another addition to my feeding range I have recently erected a totum pole of Silver Birch. This has large holes drilled into it, when it gets a bit cooler I will start to pack these with beef suet to attract tits, peckers etc.

burhinus

[Motmot]

Hello everyone. In my garden in Monteverde, today I found my 174 species. This time was a Pine Warbler , a big rarity here in Costa Rica. The bird was on a giant fig-tree on fruit which brings home a great number of different hungry birds. Lots of amazing tropical birds come almost everyday to fatten a bit. Thank you Nature for making coincident migration and fruit in August and September. Sorry for my weird English.