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Peanut feeder

  • 16-04-2017 05:32PM
    #1
    Isambard
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,775 ✭✭✭


    Mine are come to an end shortly for the summer, but it occurred to me that the birds seem to have to work very hard to get a morsel of nut out. is it actually the best way to feed them? Is there a danger they'll expend too much energy gaining the bit of nut?

    What do you think?


Comments

  • #2
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Isambard wrote: »
    Mine are come to an end shortly for the summer, but it occurred to me that the birds seem to have to work very hard to get a morsel of nut out. is it actually the best way to feed them? Is there a danger they'll expend too much energy gaining the bit of nut?

    What do you think?

    No more effort than getting wild nuts and seeds from shells and husks. They wouldn't do it if the energy expended was greater than the reward.

    I use them all year round and year round feeding is now recommended.


  • #3
    Isambard
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,775 ✭✭✭Isambard


    Thank you/

    I'm still feeding and will be for a while yet no doubt but the rate at which the food is being taken has slowed down a lot.

    Oddly where I was swamped with Goldfinches, it's now mostly Tits and yesterday the Greenfinch were back. (Oodles of Chaffinch on the ground under all the time of course)


  • #4
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 54,065 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    Srameen, am i correct in thinking that mealworms are best used during nesting season? so from about now onwards?


  • #5
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    Srameen, am i correct in thinking that mealworms are best used during nesting season? so from about now onwards?

    They are certainly ideal if you can afford to keep feeding them. With the number of birds in my garden I just couldn't keep up with them . Average weekly counts are 19 species and 78 birds using the seed and peanut feeders. They had me nearly bankrupt when I used mealworms.


  • #6
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 54,065 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    i picked up a bag in tk maxx the other day. was curious to see how long they will last.


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  • #7
    Steve012
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 938 ✭✭✭Steve012


    I live (well moved to Wicklow) an old timer told me to push an apple onto a tree branch and wait!!, Some beautiful red breasted bird a bit smaller than a crow but bigger mid rift landed and fed on the apple for a few days. No idea what bird it was but stunning :) It was black with a deep red breast.

    Would love to know the name of the bird, if any folks might know. :)


  • #8
    Knine
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,775 ✭✭✭Knine


    I have stopped feeding them now. I have noticed fierce fighting between male Sparrows over the females & on a few occasions they have not noticed my dogs sneaking up on them.


  • #9
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,253 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    Friends in kerry have a nut feeder. I lost track of the number and variety of finches i saw last weekend

    my son(6) commented that we have a feeder but no birds....:)


  • #10
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 54,065 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    Jonathan Rapping Dashboard wrote: »
    They had me nearly bankrupt when I used mealworms.
    well, there's a little p**** of a sparrow out there now just pulling them out of the feeder and dropping them onto the ground. so much for that idea.


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