Sunflower hearts not popular (1 Viewer)

[Spooge]

Greetings!

I'm new to bird feeding. I bought a bird feeding station a few days ago that has a tray for any food, a tray for water and three hanging feeders - one for fat balls, one for peanuts and one for mealworm.

I did a wee bit of research and apparently (before I found this website existed) it seems most birds love sunflower hearts.

Therefore, I bought a massive 12kg bag from Home Bargains along with a tub of fat balls and a bag of dried mealworm.

They all love the fat balls and go absolutely berserk over the mealworm, so much so that they only last about 15 minutes after filling up the feeder!

I can't afford topping up the mealworm as they're the most expensive by far.

The problem is, they hardly touch the sunflower hearts and I thought they were going to be the most popular or at least popular especially if the others weren't available.

Have I missed something? Are sunflower hearts not that popular or not popular during this part of the year e.g. fledgling feeding?

I'm wondering if there's something wrong with them specifically? I was reading an Amazon review on some peanuts where the reviewer said her birds love peanuts but didn't touch the ones she had bought from Amazon. I understand peanuts must be free from Aflatoxin but don't know if this also applies to the hearts.

Also, if this could be relevant, next door's garden bird feed as well.

The birds are mostly:
Sparrows
Starlings
Blue tits
Wood pidgeons

Thanks very much and hope you can help.

 

[PYRTLE]

Yhis time of year, many species prefer natural food. Currently, I have 8 species feeding on sunflower hearts, tits, doves, finches and sparrows.

Perhaps the peanut feeder is not quite correct for the extraction of the hearts but seems unusual to me. Just persevere- perhaps scatter a few on the floor or in a tray to encourage them.

 

[Spooge]

I've put them in the tray.
The peanut feeder's mesh looks like the hearts will fall through.
The mealworm feeder is now empty. Should I put some in there?

I was thinking about just scattering them on the lawn so thanks for that.

 

[etudiant]

Just make sure the hearts have not gotten moldy or rancid, they can go off more easily than the seeds in the shell.

 

[Spooge]

Just make sure the hearts have not gotten moldy or rancid, they can go off more easily than the seeds in the shell.

Actually, this is what I'm wondering. Is it possible that they're were off or rancid when I bought them and that's why they're not touching them?

I also received some peanuts from Amazon the other day and they look like they've seen better days but I'm not sure how to tell with the hearts.

Thanks.

 

[etudiant]

Actually, this is what I'm wondering. Is it possible that they're were off or rancid when I bought them and that's why they're not touching them?

I also received some peanuts from Amazon the other day and they look like they've seen better days but I'm not sure how to tell with the hearts.

Thanks.

Not an expert on this by any means, but thought these give useful data:

http://www.eatbydate.com/proteins/nuts/how-long-do-nuts-last-shelf-life-expiration-date/

http://www.eatbydate.com/proteins/nuts/sunflower-seeds/

The punch line appears to be that if the hearts smell moldy or funny (like paint), they are off. So perhaps a sniff test makes sense.

 

[Nobby27]

Sunflower Hearts

Hello,

I like yourself have only recently put up 3 feeders in my garden in Essex (24th May).

I put up a mixed seed feeder, fat balls and sunflower hearts all purchased online from Wilko's.

First few days, I didn't see any birds visit the feeders at all, then the recently fledged blue tit family from my bird box started to visit the fat ball feeder. which seemed to kick start activity.

Now a week on I'm getting some birds on all the feeders but mainly early in the morning and then later in afternoon but by far, fat ball feeder is most popular. Sunflower hearts is visited occasionally and mixed seed feeder barely at all.

So mixed seed for me seems to be least popular and I also have a 12.5kg bag, but just a case for me of wait & see what happens.

 

[buck mulligan]

Hi

I have found (western France) that it took a while - several months
but we now have

Goldfinch
Tits Blue / Great / crested / Coal
Nuthatch
Woodpeckers


and doves etc eating the droppings

The remark of étudiant is very pertinent

we came to réalise that if the birds stopped is was that the hearts had gone "off"

so when its wet we put less out


hth

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Note that in spring, particularly late spring (this thread is from May 19), birds are often searching for insects which are plentiful at that time, and which are very nutritious and easy for young birds to digest. Also research shows that feeders can lead predatory birds like hawks back to nests with fledglings, and, young birds can choke on feeder seeds if they are too big. For this reason, it's recommended not to keep feeders up when young chicks are in nests and insects are plentiful - for us this is from mid-late spring through mid summer. The birds most need the feeders from fall through winter and early spring.