Do you feed the blackbirds/starlings etc?

I used to think it was the same one, until I saw a programme (sorry, can't remember which one) which pointed out that it is not the same blackbird year round. Seems they move around Europe.

Ok, quick search found this:

 

Yeah, i found out Mr and Mrs Robin are not the same pair each year either... really upset about that! Thought they came and sat on my spade to listen to me because they like my chat from year to year.

 

Just cleaned out the feeders and have topped them up. I do not favour one type of bird over another they all get fed including the big birds.

 

I have a free standing bird table, another on the fence, a fat ball feeder, a peanut feeder, a suet block feeder and a ground feeder/hopper (the type you fill up and it comes out of 4 feeding trays around the base). I also hang coconuts filled with suet and put out apples cut in half.

I mix standard wildbird feed mix with striped sunflower seed, suet pellets, mealworms, crushed peanuts and black sunflower seed. That goes in the hopper and on the tables.

We get hoards of sparrows around the hopper and on the tables along with collared doves, wood & feral pigeons and magpies, blackbirds and starlings pick out the suet and mealworms. The starlings though prefer the suet blocks, fatballs and peanut feeder.

The tits use the peanut feeder and the bird tables and we get dunnocks, robins and wrens and a lone pied wagtail just pottering around picking up bits from the ground and the tables.

All birds are welcome in our garden and I try to cater for them all, just wish the feral pigeons wouldn't bring so many mates at times as they 'clean house' in minutes....

 

Here are but a few of the visitors to our humble feeder station.

 

That's a nice flock of Longtails, we have ony had them in the garden here twice.
Here are our Boxing Day visitors.
5 Redpolls.

 

Apart from the odd blueit, gt tit or robin all we get to see is the starlings. I do occasionally get the jay to come down for the bluetits peanuts. I'd love to see other birds but suspect we are too urban here.

 

Getting hacked off with the starlings, they have trodden our lawn into a muddy morass!

Cheers, Tony.

 

Good job they weren't Woodies then.

 

Troubles is the ring necked doves and starlings all trample the lawn below the feeding station! Still I suppose it is better that they clean it up than rats and mice.

 

We had a visit from the Lesser spotted Woodpecker today, shame me camera was in the other room or I would have snapped it.

 

Our beautiful Jay came to pinch all the peanuts again. At least he cannot get at the hanging pot of them but he takes all the loose ones.

 

Lesser Spotted Woodies are quite scarce now, get a pic if you can.