Post by nutsberryfarm 🏜 on Nov 13, 2020 17:28:37 GMT
Refill bird feeders with small suet pieces rather than large blocks, which can encourage birds to stay at the feeder, exposing them to predators
www.ft.com/content/9ac73231-e4d8-4c93-a385-ddbcca146318
Encourage birds
If you have just five minutes to spare, give bird feeders an MOT because, as Bradbury puts it, “Winter is the time when the birds get interesting.” When food sources become scarce, birds group together in mixed flocks: goldfinches, greenfinches and chaffinches turn up at feeders en masse, while seasonal visitors such as waxwings, redwings and fieldfares may put in an appearance.
Wash feeders in hot soapy water, dry and refill: think carefully about where to place food supplies, as birds may fail to visit if food is left exposed to predators. “Put it where there’s some cover, near a tree or a hedge or suspended from a tree, so if a bird of prey or a cat comes they can fly to safety,” Bradbury says.
It may seem counterintuitive, but the key to repeat visits is not tempting birds to linger at the feeder, Bradbury says. “Suet blocks and whole peanuts encourage the birds to stay at the feeder which exposes them to predators, whereas suet pieces and kibbled peanuts can be carried away to eat. They are at the feeder for less time, but it means they are more likely to come back because it’s safer.”
