To Prepare A Feast

Bird feeding season is upon us again, with the arrival of snow at the weekend.

Having a real "real" garden for the first time, I take the bird feeding responsibility seriously, especially considering the temperatures and conditions that can come with a Finnish winter.



With the coming of snow, I put the feeding station at full strength. Sunflower seeds (with and without shells), suet logs, fat-balls, peanuts and oats are the staples. Oats are placed both on the ground and on the newly built "Smorgasbord" to allow different species gain access. Peanuts are provided whole on the smorgasbord, which particularly suits our Jay flock.

Attaching a series of cut spruce branches to the metal frame serves multiple purposes.
1. It provides a modicum of snow cover, helping to keep the feeders reasonably free of snow and ice.
2. It provides more natural perching for birds than the conductive metal frame, which naturally gets far colder than the spruce sprigs.
3. In late autumn/early winter the spruce houses small swarms of insects which provides an additional food source.


"The pine" - I equip the pine with a suet log and a bushel of oats. Using the tree as a base allows Treecreeper to feed in comfort, as well as providing an extra feeding option for woodpeckers. The oat bushel provides feeding for Yellowhammer, just in case the oats scattered on the ground are eaten, or covered with fresh snow.



A small secondary feeding site gives a feeding option if the main feeders are crammed. This is often appreciated by our Tree Sparrows, which is the primary species availing of the fat-balls.




A free hanging suet log, with no access restrictions, provides another feeding option for birds with individual preferences (which does happen). Woodpeckers and tits favour this.


One of the things I love about Finland is the sheer variety of food available for birds, particularly in the suet category.


A Peanut fat based suet log. These are popular with most species.



This peanut based suet log is top of the line, and the price reflects that. Birds adore it though, and it allows for free hanging with in-built twine 


Suet log with inbuilt twine for free hanging, also very popular with birds.


This brand is very popular, with your standard nylon sock. Easy to place. Suits all species and rapidly devoured.



Shelled sunflower seeds. More expensive than the whole seeds, but particularly favoured by the 3 Spruce forest tit species, Coal, Willow and Crested Tit. Only Coal Tit is regular in the garden, but we live in hope.



Fat balls sourced without netting. Bucketfuls last most of the winter. They really only appeal to the tree sparrows.

As well as an abundance of birds brought in by the snow, the feeders have been very active at night.






Demonic 


Children of the corn.


Bugs.


Not talking to each other.

Looking forward to another active feeder season and hopefully a garden tick out of it.



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