Best things to offer on my feeder? (1 Viewer)

Hey folks new member here, never really done this before but I've purchased a bird feeding station and was wondering what was best to put on it for the birds which I can assume to have in my area (East Midlands)?

I'll probably end up getting another station if it eventually attracts a decent number of birds as this thing is a bit flimsy and not as tall as I'd have liked. (all the ones on Amazon seem to max at 226cm tall, which after you've stuck the bottom pole far enough for them to not fall over ends up making it not all that much over 6ft)

Anyhow at the moment it seems it's just the pigeons which want to have a go... It can hang three feeders, so far I have one with mixed stuff, one with black sunflower seeds and one with peanuts. Then it has a mesh tray which I've put a fat ball on. I\ve also hung a half coconut fat ball type thing on the station as well, this was eaten in a couple of days, but seeing a pigeon balancing precariously on the water dish I think it was responsible for eating that, doesn't seem as keen on the ball itself.

I've heard some birds prefer suet pellets to the balls, especially since I imagine this fat ball is a very cheap one, maybe the coconut was of better quality fat haha.

I've had nyger seed mentioned to me, I might swap the sunflower seeds for that or hang another coconut suet thing and fill the mesh tray/bowl with seed.

Hi Joeyboy and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators.

It can take birds a while to find a new feeding station, so do be patient. The birds that come to me just love mealworms (an all year favourite with Blackbirds, Starlings, Blue Tits, Chaffinch and House Sparrows).

They'll come to you, but maybe not until the autumn when there is less natural food in the area.

Good luck and keep us posted on what comes.

delia todd said:

Hi Joeyboy and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators.

It can take birds a while to find a new feeding station, so do be patient. The birds that come to me just love mealworms (an all year favourite with Blackbirds, Starlings, Blue Tits, Chaffinch and House Sparrows).

They'll come to you, but maybe not until the autumn when there is less natural food in the area.

Good luck and keep us posted on what comes.

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Ah okay, I assume you use dried...since they'd escape this fairly shallow dish I think.

Joeyboy said:

Ah okay, I assume you use dried...since they'd escape this fairly shallow dish I think.

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Yes, I use dried ones. I soak them overnight though.

I make a mix to put in in tube feeders of sunflower seeds, a good varied mixed seed, chopped peanuts and suet pellets. I also put out dried and live Mealworms and fat balls. I know that sounds like a lot, but a good mix will tick all the boxes.
Jackie

jackied said:

I make a mix to put in in tube feeders of sunflower seeds, a good varied mixed seed, chopped peanuts and suet pellets. I also put out dried and live Mealworms and fat balls. I know that sounds like a lot, but a good mix will tick all the boxes.
Jackie

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So do you just put this same mix in the different feeders? Well the ones designed for seed, of course peanut feeder wants peanuts, though I guess suet pellets can always fit in too.

Do you put a lot out all year round? Obviously right now it's brand new and I don't sit watching it all day obviously, but I don't think there's been any activity bar a couple of pigeons yet, do things like dried mealies and fat balls/pellets go off/rancid if left for months without being eaten? Not sure if I should wait until the end of summer when it might be more popular..

This mix goes on the table, in tube feeders and I feed it in a dish on the ground protected by a cage. All will go off eventually if not eaten.
Jackie