Fat balls for the little tits.

It's usually Woodpeckers and Long Tailed Tits that visit daily for the fat balls this time of year, but I've not seen them.

 

We dont get many of either down here.

 

They tend to be more rural living birds Pete and I don't know your situation. I see the occasional Starling here at this time of year but they usually prefer urban/suburban areas. They are greedy birds and probably find more food to sustain them there.

 

My situation is surrounded by millions of houses and getting more all the time.

 

You've probably got plenty of Starlings around then.

 

My mealworms vanish in a few hours. The robin likes them but I worry that the bigger birds could be getting to them before he gets chance. I have even seen the pigeon eating them, and pigeons are supposed to be granivores.

 

Pigeons are gregivores. They thrive on the shower of pastry flakes that fall from Gregg's sausage rolls and steak bakes.

 

Round here they are vegetarian, tucking into young brassicas and pea seedlings.

 

All your neighbours probably have bird feeders and fatballs.
The fact that my neighbours all have bird feeders is why I don't.
In particularly cold spells I do put some food out and also make sure that there is a tray with some water in it, has to be under the trees otherwise the seagulls get the lot.

 

I'm still convinced some fatballs are not good, I have had them disappear in a few days but some just dont get touched.

I'm thinking of buying just a few of a different make and see if they eat them, I did read once that some manufacturers pad them out with sand.

 

Lordy, at first the title read like a description of certain plastic surgeries!

I've bought a couple of hanging "suet" balls. Would that be the same thing?

 

These are what we buy @CanadianLori and I've noticed over the years the seed content has decreased. There's very little in them now.



The only birds that are eating the fat balls in my garden now are the rare visits from Long Tailed Tits and Woodpeckers. I've got about a dozen left from a bulk buy and once they're gone I won't be buying anymore.

 

I got the title for the thread from a large roadside sign outside a local pet food store.
Needless to say it wasn't up there for long, I assume some people complained.