Basic bird feeding questions (1 Viewer)

[Stacey]

Grrrrrrr. Not one single bird today! Not a single one! Yesterday I put some of those old black oil sunflower seeds in with the seed mix whiach came with the feeders.

I'm going to dump it all out and put in fresh BOSS. But why aren't they coming to my suet?

Well - winter's on the way.

 

[Stacey]

OK. Yesterday I bought a new 50-lb bag of BOSS, replaced all the seed in my feeders, and I'm "patiently" waiting in front of the windows again.

So - I wrote a little song and I can sing it to the tune of "Four and Twent Blackbirds" while I sit and watch for birdies.

My feeders sit alone now
no birds before my eyes.
I offer the best seed in town
Where are the little guys?

While the leaves are falling,
the birds prefer the weeds
but someday soon the snow will come
and birds will eat my seeds!

hehehehehehehhehehe I crack myself up.

 

[birdman]

Nice One!
:t:

 

[pduxon]

My feeders sit alone now
no birds before my eyes.
I offer the best seed in town
Where are the little guys?

While the leaves are falling,
the birds prefer the weeds
but someday soon the snow will come
and birds will eat my seeds!

hehehehehehehhehehe I crack myself up.

I like that. The back garden feeder here doesn't get touched much, but the little devils ransack the ones at the front. They seem to have a peanut fetish at the moment.

 

[Stacey]

thankyou thankyouverymuch

going to get the peanuts!

 

[pduxon]

Just how much are you spending on bird food at the mo!!

Mine like the peanuts that are in special peanut feeder. Oh and you need specialist bird peanuts, not sure what the difference is.

 

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Just how much are you spending on bird food at the mo!!

Mine like the peanuts that are in special peanut feeder. Oh and you need specialist bird peanuts, not sure what the difference is.

Is is recommended that people only buy peanuts guaranteed "Safe Nuts", ie tested for nil aflotoxin contamination. Naturally these cost more - and I can only get them by mail order (I choose the 25kg sack, which lasts for ages). Aflotoxins can kill birds apparently (check on RSPB site for more info).

 

[Tammie]

Hi Stacey, hope you don't mind my jumping in here. I don't know if this will make you feel better or not but here goes. I had tons of birds at my feeders last week.... this week, I can pretty much count them on one hand! Once the snow flies, it will be a totally different story. You'll probably have all kinds then! I don't know about your area, but we had a dusting of snow this morning so it's not that far off. Have faith!! You built it.... they will come!!

 

[pduxon]

Is is recommended that people only buy peanuts guaranteed "Safe Nuts", ie tested for nil aflotoxin contamination. Naturally these cost more - and I can only get them by mail order (I choose the 25kg sack, which lasts for ages). Aflotoxins can kill birds apparently (check on RSPB site for more info).

Some branches of Tesco and Sainsbury's do them. Not that that helps Stacey!!

 

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Some branches of Tesco and Sainsbury's do them. Not that that helps Stacey!!

We don't have a Tesco near here, but I was in Sainsbury's a couple of hours ago. Must compare costs - but I bought 25 kg only a month or so ago. They don't go as quickly as the black sunflower seeds.

 

[joser]

Hi stacey. Thought Id just mention, though your poem was brill!! I find that too that the birds will be queing at my feeders one day and the next my feeders lie dormant. Dont lose your enthusiasm though, the birds will eventually get it!

 

[Stacey]

Chickadees!!!!!!!!!!!!! Three of them!!!

Thanks for the reassurance Tammie! Snow shouldn't be long here either. I'm in the Upper Penninsula. Ooooo - 3 more chickadees! We had snow either last week or the week before, but of course it melted immediately.

Another Chickadee.

pduxon, I'm not really going to get peanuts. My husband would kill me if I got more bird food right now. But so far I've only spent $10 for a 50-lb bag of black oil sunflower seeds. Plus the seed that came with my feeders. Another Chickadee.

Another one. Another one! Ooooo - you know, I think they liked my song. That must have been it. Another one.

OK - time for another song - again to the tune of "Four and twenty blackbirds".

I have chickadeee heees
I have chickadees
I have chickadeee heees
I have chickadees

I have chickadeee hees
I have chickadees
I I I I I I I have chi ii iii ckadees!

 

[Stacey]

Thanks for the compliment, Joser4! I think the new one is even better though (heheheheheheh)

 

[joser]

Yeah! Most deffinately!! Just pure genius!!

 

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Chickadees!!!!!!!!!!!!! Three of them!!!

............pduxon, I'm not really going to get peanuts. My husband would kill me if I got more bird food right now. But so far I've only spent $10 for a 50-lb bag of black oil sunflower seeds. Plus the seed that came with my feeders. .......................

Stacey - that's incredibly cheap by our standards. I've just bought 12½ kg (approx 27.56lb) for £11 at my local pet shop, therfore no carriage charge.

If I bought the equivalent of 50lb at your rate, it would have cost £19.95 - equivalent to 34.47$. More than 3 times as much!!!!!!!!!

Of course you bought a larger quantity, but it would only have made a small difference.

PS How about putting a year's supply of bird food on your Christmas list?

 

[Stacey]

Elizabeth - the feed store was having a sale. But even when it's not on sale, the bird seed is probably only about $15-20 for 50 lbs. Don't you have sunflower farms in England?

I wonder if the cost of living is higher in England?

The chickadees are still coming! They're just so cute.

Good idea - I think a year's supply of bird food would be a great Christmas gift!

 

[Tammie]

Wow, I thought seed here was expensive! Stacey, you've got me beat! $20 American is pretty much equal to $40 Canadian (what you're paying) but I pay about $21 to $30 CDN for a fifty pound bag of seed.
Jeez, I feel better now! Congratulations on the chickadees! Aren't they wonderful little birds? Here's hoping all their friends are on their way to your place too!!
Good songs too..... I think you missed your calling in life!

 

[TimF]

Hi all

Buying in Bulk (25 kilo sacks) from seed merchants is a real money saver.

I get mixed wild bird seed for £7.40 + vat for 25kg sacks.

House Sparrows
Blue, Coal and Great Tit
Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Chaffinch
Robin and Collared Dove

All seem to love it and feed in turn (except the boisterous sparrows!) all day every day.

Cheers

 

[Stacey]

Just thought I'd update everybody on the progress of the bird feeding. I'm still getting a few chickadees, and Saturday I saw another bird that wasn't a chickadee or a bluejay at my feeder. I still don't know what it was because it was hanging upside down from the other side of the feeder and all I saw was it's head peaking out from the bottom. It had a long, skinny beek and it's throat was white or light grey. I also saw another bird on my vine - which I'm going to look up right now.

But I've only used up a total of about 1-2 cups of food, in all 3 feeders. They'd better start eating! I have 50 lbs of BOSS to get rid of !

 

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Elizabeth - the feed store was having a sale. But even when it's not on sale, the bird seed is probably only about $15-20 for 50 lbs. Don't you have sunflower farms in England?

I wonder if the cost of living is higher in England?

The chickadees are still coming! They're just so cute.

Good idea - I think a year's supply of bird food would be a great Christmas gift!

Stacey - there is an ad in our RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) magazine for "home grown" sunflower seeds, but I've never seen a sunflower farm myself. I bought a sack a few days ago as I mentioned (sorry I did not answer right away), but I've just been to check it - no mention of where they came from, but I have emailed the supplier, and hope to find out. Incidentaly, it was not a 12½kg sack, but a 15kg - so not quite so expensive as I thought - my price comparisons will be all wrong!!