Birding In The Garden: Getting Started With Bird-Feeding 2

On Getting Started with Bird-Feeding 2 we will talk about types of feeder. scattering bread on the lawn is the simplest way of feeding the birds. but bread (especially white bread) is hardly nutritious and on the ground it could attract rats which, although are fun to watch, in the long run, will bring disastrous consequences. to use a feeder or table is a much more hygienic option. The feeders you most likely to be familiar with (as a beginner) are the perspex seed-tubes and the mesh peanut tubes.

Seed-Tube in Crap Weather

Peanut Tube

Not Very Serviceable Pear Peanut Feeder

You may only be familiar with the mixed bird seed that you can buy practically anywhere, but this is not the best type of food to feed the birds with (see Getting Started About Bird-Feeding 1.) You can buy many other seeds on their own to put in seed-tubes. I only used mixed seed in the photo because the shop had run out of black sunflower seeds. One type of seed you can buy has it's own special type of feeder. Nyjer (also spelt niger on some packets of seed). Nyjer feeders are basically seed-tubes without the "ports". Instead, they have small holes with perches underneath, although some suppliers sell "Goldfinch feeders", tube feeders made from very fine mesh, also for feeding nyjer.

Nyjer Feeder with condensation in it (I'll give it a clean and dry)

Fat Ball Feeder

Peanut tubes are for feeding peanut kernels, not whole nuts. But other things can be put in them too. Dried peas, chickpeas, and basically any seed which will not fall through the mesh. Remember, it is best to not feed mixed food!
Other feeders include fat-ball springs ("Suet Spirals"), suet block holders which can also be used as household scrap baskets or bread slice holders, live meal- or wax-worm feeders, and predator-proof seed-tubes and peanut tubes which are ordinary tubes with a "cage" around them. Small birds, like finches, tits and sparrows can fit through the bars, but anything up to the size of a small thrush is excluded.
Bird-tables come in hundreds of styles, with or without roofs, wood or metal, squirrel deterrent or no squirrel deterrent. Choose a table with battens round the side and either drainage holes or a mesh base. A roof is good if you get lots of rain and to save space, hang feeders underneath it with cuphooks. Only put out as much food as the birds will eat. Scatter food on the floor for large birds such as pigeons and doves.

NO NEWS FOR NOW EXEPT TWO SENTENCEs. Next time, we will think about water for the garden birds. Carry on feeding and watching! Bye-bye! News sentence: I actually made a Nibbles-Dish feeder instead of a bird-bath because the wooden board buckled! And, I have left Barncroft School (so sad) and I am going to go to Warblington now!

BUT I DO HAVE THE USUAL GENERAL PHOTOS!!!: and lots of them!