Blackbird using a fatball feeder (1 Viewer)

O

owhy

Well-known member

• May 17, 2018

• #1

Title says it all - I have never in my life seen a blackbird use a fatball feeder. In fact, I have never seen a blackbird use any kind of hanging feeder - I've only seen them feeding on the ground.

He was joined by his partner who was on the ground eating bits that fell off. Do you think this is a sign of great hunger? I put out mealworms every morning but the starlings, crows and magpies get there first, and then there's nothing left.

 

jape

Well-known member

• May 17, 2018

• #2

interesting, mine too hardly ever use suet feeders or trays or hanging, covered table but i have seen them use all from time to time especially during March and April. females in this case on the suet hanger. not very successful but enough to come back to it again

the males seem to prefer rooting around the garden beds and the females the hedges and dead leaves but that is not 100%. seven or eight of mixed sex is the most together at one time when really cold but usually they are more territorial with females dominant

 

O

Old Silhillian

Member

• May 17, 2018

• #3

I have a male in my garden that regularly jumps up to peck at the suet feeder which is about 3 foot off the ground. Sometimes he succeeds and feeds on the crumbs that fall to the ground. I have resorted at times to crumbling up an odd suet ball and putting it in the ground tray when he is around. His female friend started doing much the same thin, but she has disappeared lately. I don't think its hunger as he regularly picks up other seed and worms, just seems to have a particular weakness for suet !

 

B

baz1973

Member

• May 18, 2018

• #4

I've got a tray feeder hanging from a branch of a tree, which is mobbed by blackbirds all winter long. On the occasions that I've let it run dry, none of them has ever been tempted to take any of the same food from the cylindrical feeders hanging on the next branch. I presume the hanging tray feeder is similar enough to foraging on the ground to feel familiar.

 

J

jdc

Member

• May 24, 2018

• #5

When I started feeding birds (many years ago) Sparrows could not cling on to peanut feeders like Tits but attempted to 'hover and peck'.
Now Sparrows here are quite adept at clambering all over mesh feeders.
Rapid evolution? Will Blackbirds adapt similarly?

 

S

Steve Lister

Senior Birder, ex County Recorder, Garden Moths.

• May 24, 2018

• #6

A male Blackbird clings to my suet-ball feeder constantly flapping and pecking at a ball mainly to knock chunks out. It seems to eat a few bits while it is doing it but the drops to the ground to find all the bits that fell off.

Steve