My daughter's fiance built us a new bird feeder with a shingled roof on it. We got a new post and mounted it on Friday. Up until then we had cardinals and blue jays, chicadees and nuthatches etc come to the broken down feeders we had.

Well when the blackbirds found out that this one held lots of feed they called all their friends and we have been inundated with grackles and the odd redwing. A cardinal was in the bushes but we never saw it get the nerve to come to the new feeder.

You should have seen my husband firing stones up into the trees to discourage the blackbirds. They were really determined. I think we will have to get several new feeders.

I have discovered a magazine printed in Canada called Birds and Blooms.
It has wonderful ideas on building your own birdfeeders.

Today I tried out a new recipe in the magazine, ideal for winter feeding.
When it was set, I scooped it into an onion bag and have hung it up next to my avery where the wild birds come to get the 'crumbs'.

I melted a pack of animal fat, and added a coop of peanut butter, 2 cups of rolled oats.
When that had almost set, I added enough budgie seed to go through the mixture.

I will be watching this weekend to see how long it takes them to tackle it.

If my dogs could reach it, they would be in with a grin!

I sat my onion bag of bird feed on the top rail of the fence attached to the grapevine that is now bereft of any leaves. It sat there untouched for over a week, so I decided to move it over to the top of the Gazebo which was even higher.
The next day it was visited by some sparrows, and the following day, yesterday, the wax-eyes had discovered the free food! There was no stopping them, and wasn't long before they came in droves. The gazebo is alive with birds, and I noticed a finch there today as well as a starling.
At this rate, I may need to put up other dishes.

Before going to church this morning, I took some from the bag and left it in the dish, thinking it would be a lot easier for them to access.
Well, the dish was empty after church so put the bag back. Besides, it's more fun for them to have to work out how to get at it.

To see the yard full of birds is such a delight - like one giant avery, bringing it alive and joyus with their happy discovery of food on such a cold winter day.

The birds around my place love dry cat food. I guess it's okay to feed it to them, but don't know for sure.

I can't think why it not, Restin, if cat's thrive, why not birds?

I have fed my wild birds their 3rd lot of fat.
This time I added cornmeal and sultanas along with the rolled oats and left out the birdseed. The wax eyes have been in the droves all day, enjoying.

We are now in the middle of winter, and I am going through a pack of fat in less than a week! so have to puy 2 packs at a times so as not to run out.
The wax eyes are in the tree, flitting about, most of the day looking for food.
Such a delight to feed them in the cold weather.

I like to feed my tweet birds with shelled sunflowzer seeds because it makes em happy. Other day I gave em rolled oats. They eat just about anythin I give em. I give bluejays raw peanuts. And the SQRLs (squarells) get nuts and black sunflowzer seeds in the shell.
--Ðøug ™ 2005.12.10.19.21.30 PT