What to feed birds.

Commotion Ocean

It always irks me to see people feeding white bread. It is very well known not to feed it to them. Worse still is people feeding them STALE white bread. Mold is lethal for birds.

I often venture to a nearby estuary to feed wild birds some homemade wholemeal "cakes" made from whole flour and porridge and oats. I'll also bring blocks of margarine and lard and suet balls and bags of wild bird seed. I also feed the garden birds too. Thrushes, blackbirds, sparrows and starlings are very common here. Sometimes, I often cook an entire chicken and put the meat out for them. Seagulls love the chicken meat.

What also annoys me is children being encouraged to "scare" birds. I've seen mothers and fathers egg children on to run into a crowd of birds, even once as I was hand-feeding some pigeons in St. Stephen's Green park.

Worse was seeing a person encourage their child to scare a seagull that was nesting in a part of Howth.

I'd like to encourage more birds to come.

Look forward to what people have to say on bird feeding, I'd say Srameen could contribute well here.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

It's a minefield of an area, to be honest.

Feeding ducks and swans: Lettuce leaves are ideal but it's not easy for a small child to toss a piece of lettuce. Personally, I have no problem with children (or elderly people) feeding bread in the park. It could be their only chance to enjoy the birds. Many a child, my own kids and grandkids included, have been introduced to birds and learned to identify them when feeding them bread. I feel it a price well worth paying. And to be honest, at a reserve/community area I have been involved with for over 40 years, there have been no adverse affects on our ducks, swans, coot, moorhens, Little grebes etc from the years of frequent bread feeding.


General feeding: Porridge oats are excellent. Margarine is debatable and birds would get little benefit from it. The BTO recommends against it. It can contain oil and chemicals not recommended for birds. Lard is good in small doses and really only in severe weather.

Seed of course is ideal.

As for a child charging through a flock of Pigeons; what child hasn't at some time. It never seems to cause the Pigeons much distress. That said wilfully disturbing any nesting bird is an offence for a good reason.

Half-cocked

Drew Itchy Toad wrote: »

As for a child charging through a flock of Pigeons; what child hasn't at some time. It never seems to cause the Pigeons much distress. That said wilfully disturbing any nesting bird is an offence for a good reason.

Had 2 parents getting their child to scare a flock of Brent Geese in Portmarnock while they videoed it on their smart phones the other day. They looked at me like I had 2 heads when I politely explained why they should leave the geese alone.

Isambard

i would have thought Margarine, being one step away from being Plastic basically, wouldn't be suitable to feed to birds.