Our Feeding Stations :):)

Sounds like the birds appreciate your feeder PPH - they need to get themselves organised re times for feeding we find different birds at different times of the day which is great, so ours must have decided their pecking order.

Lai

Thats fantastic PPH, sounds as though the Birds are really finding your feeder now you've changed it. It does take a whilebut your getting lots of different ones which must be lovely to watch. Its surprising how just the slightest movement scares them off though. Thats a typical Robin they are real charachters. How are you enyoying Autumnwatch ?
WS

Whats also great is that the 'hedge' outside my window next to the feeder has got some orange berries on them so I also get a tree sparrow sitting on there eating them.

Autumnwatch is great as always, I will confess to being more of a Springwatch fan but thats because I am a natural spring person and love everything about the season. All the new life popping up everywhere makes me happy after the dullness and general ickiness of the winter

PPH we have bushes and trees at the back of our garden and the birds are going crazy for them, which in turn is driving our cats crazy.

Winter is my favourite season. Christmas with snow on the ground is the nicest thing, makes me feel cosy for some reason, must be an Irish thing!

SM

I'm originally from North Wales so definitely used to bad snow and even though I think the snow looks great the best thing about it is that you're all snuggly inside with the fire on, a cup of hot chocolate and a big bowl of 'lop scouse' that my mum makes

One thing I do like about autumn is the cold but sunny autumn days you get at the beginning of autumn before the bad weather sets in and going for a long walk with the trees changing and the leaves crunching beneath your feet

I'm an Autumn and Winter girl myself, I love the changing of the leaves in Autumn and the bright cold sunny days and Winter just leads to that real cosy feeling, just love it.

Whats Lop Scouse PPH???

littlewid-x-

best way I can describe it is a meat and veg stew, its originally from Liverpool (hence why people from Liverpool are called scousers) I think its German in origin

recipe here http://www.scouser.com/scouse-recipe/

real stick to your ribs, warm you up food

I know that one. I thinks it's actualy called Lob Scouse, and in the Potteries it's called Lobby as PPH says it does stick to your ribs Lovely Grub Yum Yum
WS

Read the recipe PPH. It reminds me of Irish Stew without the Worcester Sauce and other variations but definitely good for those cold winter nights!

SM

Mmmm thanks for that PPH, will have a look at the recipe and see if it can be altered......wonder if Veggie quorn will be the same outcome the way it's been so cold here we will need something to stick to the ribs soon

littlewid-x-

my dad has tried it with quorn and he says its still as nice. I've heard it called Lob and Lop Scouse WS. I think its one of those things that goes by many different names depending where you live.

My mum calls it proper 'peasant' food but in a good way. I think she means good hearty simple food which doesnt need fancy culinary skills. I've lived in many parts of the country and the same recipes turn up with slight regional variations everywhere with different names

does anyone know if you can put out tangerines for birds to eat. I have some that I know won't get eaten and even though my council collects waste food to compost I would rather put it out for the birds to eat

There you go PPH a recipie for Bird that you can attract with different food s

Hope this helps, not sure what Tangers are though ?
WS

thanks for that WS, I'll put them out tomorrow cos I get visits from a chaffinch. I've started using a food mix with dried berries in too

Thats good PPH. Birds love sultanas as well. Mrs S has a recipie that uses flour, soft lard, and sultanas. The Birds go mad onit, in the cold weather it gives them lots of energy, and they dont have to expend to much getting it which is important for the smaller birds. Talking about fruit, Blackbirds love apples, and pears as well, if you have any left that have gone soft
WS

Thanks for letting me know that Quorn is just as good PPH, I will give it a go.

That list of foods for birds is really helpful WS, a good way of attracting different birds into the garden. Not heard of birds eating Tangerines though

littlewid-x-

My partner said something nice today

I was worrying that I don't seem to get a lot of birds to my feeder like my Dad's feeder gets and my partner said that. My dad's feeder is in a big garden in the middle of a garden in the countryside and mine is is a 2 foot wide strip of grass in the middle of a town so he is going to get a lot more as its more accessible for birds.

He then says that he sees my dads feeder as a supermarket where birds as coming and going all day and he sees mine more of a local cafe where birds come along and have a bit of food in a more relaxed and sedate way without other birds getting in their way and competing. They then go about their that business and then pop back when they feel like it and know there will always be food available

I am now happy that my feeder is a local amenity, maybe a chilled out health food type cafe



How do you all see your feeders?

I like that PPH - a good way of thinking about it.

I would say ours is a supermarket, and today it is especially busy we had two woodpeckers trying to feed at the same time, luckily one was able to feed on the nut ball under the apple tree and the other came to the main feeder.

Some days it's like Piccadilly Circus it's so busy and then other times its at the moment the trees are so full of berries and there are so many nuts in the woods I am suprised the birds visit at all. Also we have a lot of fallen apples which the dogs like as well

Lai

Loving both your accounts of your feeders

Sadly mine is not on the SatNav map yet it obviously does not have a Michelin Star. It's in a nice little back garden, by a lovely wisteria and a garden that is not bothered by cats. However it is not sending off the right radar or smells. Maybe it's seen as more of a Greasy Spoon Cafe and I need help.

littlewid-x-

I'd say Littlewid that its an undiscovered gem

With any new place it takes them a while to find it, once one bird finds it word of mouth will get round

Thanks PPH thats a much kinder description and i'm really hoping it gets discovered soon especially as winter will be setting in and I really want the birds around here to know there is a constant tap of food for them and water. I have a mix of seed and nuts and also fat balls and a half coconut stuffed with a fat ball mixture and nuts, I may not have got it right and need to try different food for them. Even if I don't get a Michelin star I do want it to be in the good food guide and become that little Gem.

littlewid-x-

Perhaps the birds have seen your lovely Littlewid - as the setting sounds idyllic, and a lovely wisteria for them to hide in. As for the food combination, it sounds just right. It always makes me laugh when you see these different foods saying 'for bluetits' and 'for robins' to be honest our visitors like all the different feeders, whether it's nuts, fat balls, suet cakes, seeds, mealworms, sultanas etc.

Don't give up, word will get round - maybe there is so much food around at the moment with the berries on the trees and the nuts on the ground, that the birds don't feel they need to visit your little Gem yet.

Lai

Thats a lovely description PPH, and I would'nt worry LW the Birds will soon find your Caff, and they love greasy stuff. Our's is like Lai's we are in the country side so it's like a motor way cafe all go. Mrs S nipped up home from the pub this morning, she said the Birds were going mad, and as she phoned me she saw a flock of about 20 Sparrows all descend at once.
WS

Thanks WS and Lai I wont give up, I live in hope that they will all soon come visiting. It is in a nice safe place for them it probably just needs discovering or maybe I need to put up a few arrow signs

20 Sparows WS, thats alot of birds but how wonderful, did Mrs S manage to get any pics of them all? I bet that was a truely amazing site........I would love just one

littlewid-x-