Feeding the birds

and refused the slightly wrinkly apples.

They are very fussy round here.

I put out a seed mix which I'd bought for myself and didn't want - they ate most of it but left all the pumpkin seeds

The birds pretty much ignored the food I put out for them when it snowed; having decided it's time to clear it out of the garden, they're now happily munching away. Maybe they prefer it when it's gone rancid ...

I ve recently started feeding the birds never did before as the neighboutprs cats were always stalking my garden however I got bought a nice bird feeder for my recent birthday then didn’t know what to put in it ground up some peanuts and porridge oats and ground up some musili hope that’s ok ( glad I did a quick look at this post as iPad speller had changed it to ground up Muslims ?

I do wonder how dogs survived a generation ago
Dogs lived on scraps years ago, none of this tinned meat or special dried food which is apparently essential these days.

Easily pleased too as I get pleasure having my morning coffee watching various birds arriving for breakfast. Perfect way to start the day.

I have gone all Wordsworthian. The daffodils on my patio were looking very sorry for themselves two days ago after those dreadful icy winds , but they have raised their heads again and are looking up.
As I walked about the garden I heard lots of little birds twittering as before.

I warned you. I was wondering how they survived ,
ww2.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/ask-an-expert/previous/coldnights.aspx

Our blue tits love meal worms but won't eat peanuts. The blackbird sits under the feeder eating the worms knocked out by the blue tits. The robins had a tough time at first trying to hang onto the feeder for long enough to get a worm but they are as agile as the blue tits now! I was a bit put out when I read that meal worms are fed on human excrement in China.

Easily pleased me.
I have just had two beautiful Goldfinches stop for a short while at my bird feeder. It has made my day.
I am also becoming a bird watcher.

I do wonder how dogs survived a generation ago. My parents trained their dogs with raisins as rewards and a chocolate treat or a grape or two wasn’t unknown. They loved them.

I've just checked and apparently it is the stems and leaves of tomatoes and green tomatoes are unsafe for dogs.
He always seemed fine and what I didn't know I didn't worry about but they were were ripe tomatoes anway.

I didn't know that ...

apparently tomatoes are poisonous to dogs, I never knew that when my dog used to get the left-over spaghetti bolognaise (his favourite).

Grapes are poisonous to dogs as well [although my last dogs stole a bunch, scoffed the lot and were perfectly ok!].

I know that blackbirds love grapes, they always pinch ours which grow on the vine.

Well, I didn't know that, thanks for that tip Tegan

We don't have dogs now but we feel a bit sad as the birds seem to be ignoring our our offerings. I think there are a lot of neighbours feeding them.

We have some apples in the fridge, may put those out tomorrow if I can plough through the snow in the back garden.

DH threw some sliced apple out onto the snow today and we had two fieldfares eating them for a good part of the day. As said upthread they guarded their territory quite viciously.

Be careful if any of you have dogs as raisins are poisonous to them. I prepared a veritable smorgasbord of delights for the birds today and they've hardly touched it. Ground seeds mixed into lard; peanut butter, grated cheese, eggshells [even put on a tiny bit of minced beef]. Annoyingly, DIL put some apple aside for me to bring home and I've forgotten it; I know the blackbirds would have wolfed that down.

What about dried fruit ie currants, raisins, which look rather too dried to use in cakes? Would they be suitable for birds?

I did put a home-made gf loaf out the other day which was rather leaden - some seagulls came and demolished it in a few minutes. I'd rather feed the smaller birds but we have seed and fatballs out for them.

We have several hanging feeders with various seeds for the sparrows and other small birds. They’re quite picky and much gets dropped to be gobbled up by the wood pigeons and blackbirds etc. No rats luckily. We bought a couple of half coconuts filled with fat and seeds and refill them with melted lard with seeds in. The tits and robins love them.

The main thing which brings birds into the garden I think is having a little waterfall to our small pond. Running water is most important. It brought in a couple of redwing and a field fare today and we’re quite well into town.

My late husband used to feed the birds, but it led to rats, so sadly I don't feed them now. However, yesterday I had three Redwings right up near the patio doors, turning over any exposed leaf litter for insects, which made me feel rather guilty! As I don't eat bread (being a low-carber) I did find some ciabatta croutons (for my soup) which I crushed to crumbs, and also grated some rather ancient cheese, which I put on the patio. So far, only a crow and a wood pigeon have noticed them.
I am going to get a window feeder (as linked above), as I do love to see the birds, and hope the birds find it, and the rats don't!

They were making the most of the remaining ornamental crabapples on the trees around our estate today. We have a lot of fruit trees and berried shrubs in the landscaping so there are rich pickings at the moment. As you say, large flocks of them this year. Not many redwings though. They are often seen together.

Whitewave. thanks for the lovely picture of Fieldfares. There seem to be two threads running on Feed/ing the Birds, and I have just found your picture. We have flocks of them in the garden today, and I wasn't sure what they were, as I don't remember seeing them before, but you have confirmed it. They are scoffing the berries on our tree like billy-o.

I think so Elegran but now I’ve got big gull like birds sweeping down so haven’t seen the little uns for a while. It’s snowing again here again so you’ve got to feel sorry for the poor little things. Arhh their back must be desperate. Oh yes I can see the tail wagging.thanks for the input.

Ive got 1 fieldfare. Yesterday he ate 3 apples and a tomato. He wont allow any blackbirds or robins. He ignores sparrows but hides when the crows come down. He chases anyone near his food. He is so cute but i wish he would let the others feed