Feed the birds

Mrsmopp For the past two days I have melted the ice on my pond and immediately attracted a blackbird, robin and & wren who were thirsty. Today more than twenty fieldfares arrived to forage in my garden. First time I've seen this. Know what you mean about magpies!

We feed the birds and they are getting through a lot seed but not much of the fat balls ( I think they might be frozen as they usually eat lots of them) I bang on the window to frighten the pigeons away - they forage all over the place I'm feeding the little chaps.

The birds are flocking to eat the berries on our Cotoneaster? tree. The ones perching are all fluffed up to three times their normal size, and look so big. I did make a "cake" this morning and have just hung it out. I melted some suet and lard, and added crushed cereal and a few washed and crushed peanuts. Then "cooked" it in the fridge till solid. I hope they like it, it was all I could muster, as I don't usually feed the birds. Too many rats around here.

Auntieflo, I do that too and press the mixture into half coconut shells to hang on the tree. The shells are used over and ove. Pigeons and magpies can't get them because they can't perch on the dangling shells, it's all for robins sparrows and tits. Bless their little cotton socks ?

My mum once grumbles as she had put a load of food out for the birds, and the starlings had scoffed the lot.
But starlings are birds too mum! I was baffled.
Yes, but I only want to feed the LITTLE ones!

This morning we have had flocks of birds on the lawn!! . We don't know what they are, but on looking in a bird book, they could be Fieldfares, a winter visitor. I have taken a photo, but it's not very good. These birds do have quite a yellow/gold throat. If anyone knows, I would be pleased to hear.They are also scoffing the berries, but so far my cordon bleu that I made yesterday seems to have been ignored.

I too am feeding the birds. They are starving and I have a little Robin who visit's regularly

My Robin sat watching me melt the ice on the pond a little and I floated a tennis ball to try and keep the hole open . He was up there like a flash as soon as I came back into kitchen and took a drink.

We had two Mistelthrushes on the laurel which is full of red berries - marvellous birds. I wasn't quick enough to get a photograph.