Hi Paul. I have recently found your channel and have already watched every video (more than once!). I find your content so helpful and relaxing. The videography is beautiful. I have just moved into my first house - I am only using plants featured in your garden to fill mine 🪴 When is the next video coming? 😃☺️
Hello Sophie, I am so pleased you're enjoying my videos and the garden. How exciting moving into your first house! With Spring coming along you'll see lots happening in your garden - that's so nice you are getting some of the same plants I have featured and I appreciate your lovely compliments. Just working on the next video!
I miss feeding the birds....My wife of 44 years has died of cancer, I left there, moved everything, and am living in TEXAS USA now to escape the dreaded winter..Looking to start a homestead eventually then I can feed the birds again over here somewhere.... I really Enjoy your channel sir ! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL !!!
So sorry to hear about your wife. When you start your homestead you will be attracting a fabulous variety of birds - and all sorts of interesting wildlife. Merry Christmas to you and thank you for watching and enjoying my garden. All the best for 2023.
Hello Paul, I am a complete beginner when it comes to feeding birds and your channel is amazing. Thank you for all your valuable advice. I am 67 now and have plenty of time to watch the birds now. Thank you once again. 🙂👍
Hi Martin, glad you like my videos. If you’re new to feeding the birds then a whole beautiful world awaits. Get some binoculars to watch from the house. Birds can take a while to discover and get used to the feeders so you may need to be patient to begin with. Good luck.
What a wonderful video on a cold January day. I’ve been feeding birds for many years. Love watching their antics. I especially love the hummers in the summer. Thanks Paul. Always love your videos 😁❤️
Thank you - so nice to hear from you Vicki. I would so like to have hummingbirds in my garden, but I know it’s a bit far for them to fly all the way over here 😀
@@bonnyphotinos4262 I have hummingbirds as well but I haven’t put up a feeder in several years. They come to my mock orange bush for the flowers. I found when I had the feeder they would get aggressive and dive bomb me when it was empty. They are my dad’s favourite bird though so he may put up a feeder in late spring.
Thanks for the bird fee tips, I have my first 2 bird feeders ordered, not the same style you showed, I pre-ordered fun looking feeders, but looking forward to trying different styles, we live in the smoky mountains Tennessee USA
That's a great idea trying different feeders. I love the Smoky Mountains - what a beautiful part of the world - I really enjoyed my travels there and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. I've just watched some of your videos and see you really enjoy Trail Camera footage - I've just started a new channel featuring my Trail Cameras. www.youtube.com/@paultreviews
@@paultsworld yes I subscribed to your channel, but I keep subscriptions private, simply because I have people who tried to tell me what I should be watching, and I am able to peacefully enjoy what I like to watch without interference when I stay private, I am high functioning autistic Aspergers Syndrome, so my love for watching animals goes back to early childhood, and I watch a lot of nature, it calms me
Thank you for subscribing - I appreciate it. Nature is a lovely force - I have three cameras out every night in my garden, I also love to sit out quietly and enjoy the birds getting on with their lives - and enjoying the food I put out.
That's right - it's interesting to have distinctive birds. I notice you have a lot of different types - for example: we have 3 types of woodpecker in Britain and you have 23 native to the States.
Paul, I just found your site... I'm almost lost for words. Thank you for the pleasure it has given me. I love the birds. I am in transition from living on the lake in the country, to an apartment with a 10-foot wide balcony with cars below me. A great challenge. UNTIL NOW. I have several feeders with all kinds of different foods, and always have a massive mess to clean up. After watching this video, I'm going out for the sunflower hearts. I am in Canada I have always fed the birds. Listening to you talk about the group behaviour is music to my ears. Thank you thank you thank you kind sir.
Thank you Karen - I am so humbled and delighted with your lovely, positive words. Enjoy your new apartment and that big balcony. Let me know what the sunflower hearts bring. Best wishes and greetings to Canada, Paul
Hi Paul.Nice to see you again.I couldnt agree more about feeding the birds.We did a varied feeding regime last winter and spring and the birds came in their droves.it got to the stage that if we were late getting the foid out,some would tap on the lounge windows.No kidding.I feel we owe them the help through the difficult time of winter.Love the robin.We have a native robin that doesnt come out of the bush ,so we nerer see one.The english robin is my favoirite bird,but all of nature is incredible.A great video thankyou Paul.keep safe
Hello Yvonne, love your story of the birds tapping on the windows - I had a robin a couple of years ago that stood on the kitchen window sill watching me and when I went to the back door, it would fly to the door handle to encourage me to speed up with the supply of mealworms. Really pleased you have a variety of birds coming to your garden. Best wishes Yvonne.
We hadn't seen the bottom of the garden for many years & while on the 3 month lock down we did it , so now we have a focal point that we can see from our living room , a big home made gird table , bird bath , & lovely flowers in summer & birds ...brilliant
Lovely vid Paul! When the birdies have finished eating the fat from inside the coconut halves, I spread a thin layer of peanut butter (natural peanut butter with no sugar/salt/artificial sweeteners) inside and coat that with seeds and the birdies Love it :) XX
PAUL IF I MAY A DRESS YOU BY YOUR FIRST NAME . WE HUMANS WITH OUR EVER GROWING INTEREST IN THE BATHING OF TECHNOLOGY ARE MISSING THE REAL BLESSINGS OF NATURE WHICH WE AS HUMANS NEED TO EVOLVE . PS. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS.
The birds are so colorful and different from the birds in the USA, I have the titmouse and black capped chickadees, just to name a few. Thanks so much.!
A very good video. Over here in the States stores sell ready made suet cakes (about 4" square) but I never have been able to get birds to even nibble on them. So, I found a recipe to make my own suet cakes using a cup cake pan. Flour, corn meal, quick oats, some sugar, lard & peanut butter melt/mix together & freeze. Great for the winter but the summer/warm weather will melt the cake. Birds love them & so do the squirrels.
This is a very informative and practical video. After watching it, I feel like I know exactly what to do to get started on feeding the birds in my yard. Thank you for this video!
Glad you liked my video. I have found that mixed doesn’t really work as they will pick through and discard a lot of the seed. Virtually every bird that comes for food loves, and prefers, sunflower hearts - that’s the one to definitely offer first.
Hi Paul, I'm so happy to see you again! Happy New Year! Such a beautiful garden with those cute visitors can be a bless during these lockdown times. I'm jealous seeing how much you enjoy every minute you spend in your garden. I "lost" the nice garden of my childhood when we moved away with my family and my eyes are teary every time when I watch your videos. Thank you. Because of you I realized how much it meant to me and your love for your garden inspires me a lot to buy a house in my favorite suburban area of the city where I live to build a beautiful, diverse, colorful garden like yours. Thank you again, I really enjoy the "fruit of your work".
New subscriber. You are so kind and have a sweet spirit. I have learned so much from this video. I’m hoping to start feeding the precious birds soon. I only have one feeder and the squirrels won’t leave it alone.
Welcome to my channel Joyce. So pleased you found my video useful and are about to feed your birds. Squirrels can be a problem - if you haven’t seen it here’s the video I did showcasing how I tackle the squirrels. ua-cam.com/video/BiQXq622XQc/v-deo.html
Thank you so much! I’ll check out that video. Guess what I did after watching this video? I went and bought a new pole and feeders, a squirrel guard, some new food and those worms! I even bought an 🍏. I’ll let you know how it all turns out. You have greatly inspired me!!
Brilliant! Enjoy your birds. Don't forget it will take a little time for them to get used to the situation and gain confidence - so have patience and you will be rewarded.
You are absolutely correct. The baffle is working and keeping the squirrels from the feeders… but the birds haven’t come yet. 🙁 I have seen them fly by but not land and eat. I will have patience. Thank you for encouraging me! I really appreciate it.
So far so good! If the birds seem a little wary of coming to the feeder, put it closer to the tree or bush where they like to land. Once they have confidence and are coming to the feeder you can move it back. Good luck - once one brave bird shows the way then the others will follow.
Hello Paul! Lovely channel thank you. I live in Brittany France and live in a rural area. I feed my birds all that you suggest. I tuck an apple into my window boxes and I can watch the birds close up from every room!
A delightful video. Kibbled peanuts are a hit in my garden. From what I understand as long as its kibbled it is safe for young birds in the spring and summer. I keep it simple whole sunflower hearts, kibbled peanuts and fat balls. Insect Pellets and meal worms here and there. I started last summer and intend on doing this all year around.
Hi Chris - I’ll bet the birds really appreciate you putting out food in your Winters. My two jays come every day now for the meal worms. I like your blue jays - really cute birds.
I also feed the birds often. I buy good birdseed, add mealworms, golden raisins, sunflower seeds, and mix. Sunflower hearts I never tried. I also put out suet.
Our blackbirds love raisins. your birds are well fed with excellent food Brenda. Try the sunflower hearts and let me know what your birds think of them.
So glad I zoomed out! I planted this mixed hedge to give a woodland feel and be useful to wildlife and also to create an area behind it, out of sight for my compost bins
I ONLY FEED WALNUTS IN THE WINTER TIME, IN THE SUMMER TIME THEY FEED IN BERRIES AND FRUITS IN THE WINTER TIME THEY NEED HEARTY FOOD TO KEEP THEM WELL NUTRITIOUS.
One my brother-in-laws loves birds and he has all kinds of bird feeders at the cottage. I forwarded this video to him & he is using some of your great ideas in his bird feeders. Thanks for the great ideas Paul! ❤️🙏
This was a great video, I've just started feeding the birds in my garden and I was prepared to be patient, but my feeder received such great attention [ a lot from squirrels too😏 ] I'm thinking of putting up another, I really love watching them feed👍
Thanks for explaining how a few bird turned into dozens. I felt like they told their friends. Now I've had a variety of at least 10 birds and woodpeckers.
the birds near me now knock at my windows when they want to eat - I'm not sure if that's such a nice thing , but say ' wow ' to myself at how smart they are !
Same here! I live in Oz and I have Magpies calling out on my balcony demanding to be fed. I've got some of them eating from my hand now. My cat hates it. How dare those birds come onto my territory!
@@rubytuesday5412 , funny about the poor cat ! the oddest thing about the birds I feed , other than the window thing , is that if I leave my house to walk anywhere they follow me , like to the corner grocery and will wait for me and follow me home !
@Ruby Tuesday that is so funny - I would love to see you walking down the road followed by the birds. I'll bet they get excited when you go in the bird food shop!
@@paultsworld , the thing is that I like to keep it on the QT that I feed the birds , so it makes for some interesting conversations when the neighbors bring it up , that whenever I'm around , that they see a lot of birds !
What a gorgeous video we feed our birds in our garden but we live in New Zealand and our winters are not severe in Auckland where we live. We get our lovely native tuis and many thrushes but we don’t have the amazing variety you have. The thrushes love when we dig the garden and they sit on the spade waiting for a worm. You have given me many new ideas, thank you.
I've just checked out your tui birds Meryle - wow, what a beak they've got! Our blackbirds and robins love to follow gardeners - just like your thrushes. Makes digging more of a joy.
Thank you for your reply. Our tuis are nectar feeders so we put out sweet sugar mixture for them. The feeders are shaped like coloured flowers and they like yellows and reds. The birds make the most amazing sounds as they mimic the sounds they hear so sitting in the garden you will hear many strange sounds. Some people say they sound like a rusty gate closing. I have just subscribed so i can see all of your lovely videos.
Welcome Meryle and thank you for subscribing. I am trying to remember if I saw your tuis when I spent a month driving all round North Island. Bird sounds are fascinating - particularly if they also mimic what they hear!
Hi Paul, What a great and informative video! Although we are in such different growing zones, and have different birds, I guess they still like the same food! We use sunflower hulls the most and, as you say, it attracts a wide variety of birds. But, this year, we tried fat cakes mixed with seed in a feeder suitable for woodpeckers (a tail rest). From your video, your woodpeckers do not seem to need a tail rest 😉. We just love watching the birds from our breakfast nook table, especially the cardinals 🐦 .
Hi Rosanne, those sunflower hearts do seem to be universally liked. The woodpeckers manage on my fat ball feeder, they're well practiced! The male calls round once a day and the female only occasionally. I can't help but keep looking out from the kitchen to see what's happening in the garden - it's a wonder I get any work done. 😉 Your cardinals are simply spectacular!
Personally, I feel the folks urging woodpecker feeders with “tail rests” are just pushing a product that they sponsor or have for sale. Ive watched all types of woodpeckers here in MD peck away at suet cakes in standard wire cages/feeders.
Here in Northern California, I have the best luck with sunflower seeds (hulled). I buy it in 50 lb bags. My feeders are always full and the ground is covered with other birds scavenging the seed (& bugs) on the lawn. I mostly get finches and doves. House finches and yellow finches. Gardens full of birds are happy places.
Nicely done Paul! Good of you to slip the “jumbo jet” in there for a cameo appearance. 😉 Fantastic edit! Excellent job with the zooming and freeze frame. The tripod looks like a nice bit of kit. 🙏🏼🥂
What a beautiful green winter garden! It looks like my summer garden! I worry about the peanuts now! Even the tiny chickadees steal them, one at a time, and fly away with it. I was going to stop feeding peanuts in the spring. In one feeder, i have mixed them with sunflower seeds and kernels, which attracts everyone but the sparrows; The feeder with mixed seeds only attracts the sparrows who throw most of the seeds on the ground. This keeps the squirrels right under. My suet is only eaten by the woodpeckers. The thistle seeds (Nyger) is yellow finches' favorite. The blue Jays share a huge bowl of shelled peanut and sunflower with the squirrels. The Cardinals and juncos mostly eat on the ground and haven't tried the sunflower kernels yet. They're timid. I think everyone is happy at its own feeder, and the squirrels are just as fun to watch. Major problem with water that instantly freezes. Must put rocks in shallow water to prevent bathing, otherwise birds' wings would freeze and prevent them from flying. Today is really mild, -10°C to -5°C in afternoon, (instead of -30°C,) so they will have the time to drink a bit.
Wow, you have a lot going on in your garden - the birds must love it! Nice variety of birds as well. That’s a harsh Winter you have, today it is 8c and there has only been 5 frosty nights this Winter and one frosty day at -1c. Lowest overnight frost -2c the others just managed to put a thin coat of ice on the bird bath - it melted 2 hours later. The Winters are mild because I’m right on the West coast of Northern England and the Gulf Stream washes into British waters directly from the Caribbean. I am on the same line of latitude as Edmonton.
@@paultsworld Thanks so much for the reply! I'm in Québec! I realized you have many more colorful bird species than we do! I just started bird feeding this Christmas, since my older cat doesn't want to go out anymore! But it all started with feeding the squirrels first! There's a new problem today: neighbors' cats come over! I will have no choice but feed the birds only in winter, with less cats around. I'm a new subscriber! Thanks for the great video!
@@sgueymard that’s a lot of action considering you only started feeding at Christmas! Cat’s can be a problem - I make sure they know they’re not welcome in my garden.
I don't often actually see birds around my house, but you can hear them singing early in the morning and my windshield on my car has poop all over it that has to be washed every week or so! This video has inspired me to put in some sort of 'feeding station' or a couple of poles with the right kind of stuff mounted on them... I love to see birds.
I used to make my own suet logs by melting suet and adding seeds and other 'goodies' but melting fat is a smelly procedure so I now buy all the bird food.
Nice to watch. We've been feeding birds this sort of product for over a decade now. However you won't necessarily get the variety that Paul does, however hard you try. You will get certain species if your garden is within their range and occasionally a migrant, but if you don't live reasonably close to woods you won't get a woodpecker, for example. We never get greenfinches which are reasonably common, but by a stroke of luck once had a siskin which was passing through on migration.
@@paultsworld I have a fairly large garden and when I water the plants, these little birds come to drink the droplets... I feel bad, because they are hesitant to drink from the pots I keep. ..the larger birds only come to pick my fruits, and the worms. !!!
Here in New Hampshire, USA, I don't have much luck with bird feeders on my deck. Huummm maybe it's because my two cats like to sit there in the sun? :-) But I always put my Christmas tree on the deck with just lights, and the birds move in. They stay there for months: Dec to April. By then the tree is starting to get brown, so we toss it out. They fly from the tree to the one feeder I have. The tree is really is beautiful with the white lights and new snow fall.
Hello Paul. Unlike yourself, we also feed birds all year round. We installed two ways of feeding them. Suet and hanging bird feeder. In addition, we also scatter mix seeds for the ground feeders. It can get messy so I have to keep up cleaning up after them. I like the idea of the dried mealy worms but unsure where to get them. I live in the US San Francisco Bay Area. Thanks for the video.
Hello AM - the birds obviously love it in your garden. Pet shops might sell meal worms or you could get them delivered from Amazon. I’ve just checked and they have them available. Good luck.
Great video! I live in Michigan. Our winters are very cold with below freezing temps all winter, so I don't use my birdbath. I'd have to have a heater for the water. Your birds are lovely. Its nice to see the birds in other countries. 🐦🇺🇸
Thank you - glad you enjoyed our birds - I really like the incredible variety of your birds. For example we have 3 types of woodpecker and you have 23.
Hi, a new subscriber here from across the pond. I have been feeding my birds for several years and the ones I really enjoy are the wild turkeys. Just today an old friend returned for spring. It's a Tom who has a broken toe. It healed well but is still bent. I call him Lefty because his bent toe is on his right foot. I feel the turkeys unshelled sunflower seeds and dried corn. They require a heavy mack so I don't feed them simple seed. Enjoyed your video and looking forward to more.
Welcome to my channel Carol! That's a nice story about your wild turkeys - I have a male pheasant that visits in the mornings during the Winter; he has a bent tail feather. He and I get on really well together and he likes to sunbathe on the lawn after he's had breakfast of a few seeds, some mealworms and a bit of suet. I'll miss him when he stops visiting - but hopefully he'll be back next Winter.
@@paultsworld Thanks Paul. I have been a bird watcher for decades. I live in the mountains on three acres so I have lots of wildlife to see. Love to think of you visiting with your pheasant. Is that a Ring Neck Pheasant or do you have another breed there?
Yes, it's a ring neck pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). Thank you for mentioning it because I wasn't aware they were called 'ring neck' - I've learned something today. That is the common one although although there is a 'black pheasant ' - I had one in my garden a few years ago. They look identical except for the colouring - I think they are melanistic mutants. Wow, three acres - and in the mountains! You must have a massive variety of wildlife.
Many people prefer a garden without birds, for me a garden without birds is empty. I love watching them all the time. Next week I will start counting them for "Big garden Birdwatch" xxx
I live on an Estate in the Birmingham Area , b45 Post Code . Always feed the Birds . Jays , not very often , usually when it has Snowed a lot . Woodpecker , Nuthatch . I went out to fill the Feeders on a Cold Morning last Week . I was outside filling the Feeders on a Cold Morning last Week . Something flew past me , and if it had been a Hot Summers Day , I would have thought Large Bumble Bee , but , it was , I think a Goldcrest , it alighted on a Bush for a moment , then disappeared .
You get a good variety of birds Clive. I have never had a nuthatch in the garden - don't know why. What a lovely sighting, a goldcrest! I have seen one on about 5 occasions in the last 10 years - usually flitting about in the bushes. Britain's smallest bird!
Just discovered this. Great to get some guidance my feeding has been self thought. I do love the few birds I have attracted. Maybe I can get more variety thanks to you.
How beautiful it is to see nature at its finest!What a shame we humans are destroying the earth sea and skies .Bless all u kind folk for helping these magnificent beauties
i live in end of terrace house in a street only birds i get is crows blackbirds and some neighbours pidgeons from up the road so i think it all depends where you live really not what you feed them
Yes, indeed - I'm not keen on domestic pigeons but luckily I don't get them here. Hopefully your blackbirds will be singing soon - such a delightful song.
Hi Paul. We don't have a garden as such as we live in a concreted area. I have had to fix a feeder hanger to a wall and then hang the feeders.I'm feeding live meal worms, suet balls and mixed seeds. I once noticed a robin, but notice the regular visitors are pigeons, magpies and blackbirds. The magpies go for the suet balls and I use a ground feeder for the mixed seeds and sultanas which is successful. Unfortunately , apart from the suet balls, the mixed seeds in the hanging feeders tend to be avoided.
Hi David, You are doing well with a feeder on a wall. I'm sure the blackbirds love those sultanas and I'm sure when a robin finds those live meal worms he'll be back.
I agree with you that sunflower hearts are the best choice to feed backyard birds. It's a low to no mess approach. Seed mixes all too often end up getting tossed to the ground by birds at feeders when they don't fancy a particular type of seed. Seed on the ground also attracts unwanted varmints like rodents, raccoons, etc. Also, seed on the ground can too easily become contaminated with salmonella-contaminated bird droppings leading to the spread of avian salmonellosis, as the disease can spread easily from bird to bird. Or, seed can become contaminated with mold or mildew on the ground, which can also lead to the spread of backyard bird diseases including avian aspergillosis in flocks and larger populations flocks belong to. Seed that falls to the ground from a feeder should be trapped and discarded on a daily basis to avoid having it become contaminated with bird feces, or mold and mildew. I crafted a ground based seed trap that's shown on my channel that I use to trap seed that falls from a feeder. The trap is covered in a chicken wire that enables the seed to fall through to the bottom of the trap, but keeps birds from being able to access this all too often fecal-contaminated seed. You only have to trap seed for a day to see how easily seed on the ground can get mixed up with bird droppings. I also designed and crafted 2 sheet metal, dropping-proof bird feeder systems several years ago, if you want to check them out on my channel sometime. They weren't something I developed to bring to the retail market. I just wanted to prove that more sanitary bird feeders could be designed and crafted for the benefit of garden birds, and the backyard birder. It's a bit of a read below the videos in the description and comments, but I'm thorough about how the different components of the feeder systems function together to protect birds from droppings. Even tube feeders like the one you showed on your video can be problematic for the spread of salmonellosis when the flat top seed refill caps and hanging loops easily enable birds to deposit their droppings onto the cap that the birds will then perch on while they wait their turn at the seed ports below, exposing them to the droppings and the salmonella bacteria they can all too often contain. There were huge waves of avian salmonellosis in Pine Siskin populations from the Carolinas all the way to California this past winter, and the culprit was determined by ornithologists to be exposure to salmonella-contaminated bird droppings on feeder surfaces, or salmonella-contaminated bird seed these Pine Siskin populations were exposed to. The waves of the avian disease resulted in the mortality rates of tens of thousands of birds. Keeping feeders clean and sanitary is of course important, but there are no inherent qualities in any feeder cleaning solution that magically ZAP the bacterial out of droppings birds will be exposed to on feeder surfaces in between feeder cleanings.
Thank you for highlighting the need to keep moving the bird feeders to different places and also disinfecting them on a regular basis. Having a baffle above the hanging feeder has the advantage of discouraging squirrels whilst keeping the top of the feeders clean.
I subscribed. Want to know why? Paul made me laugh while talking about registering with Brinvale because "points make prizes." I replayed that part 3 times, lol. I love birds too... actually I love ALL wildlife. even skunks. One of my favorite quotes: *"When you hold a seed in your hand, you're holding the most magical and powerful thing you can touch."* anon And now to google and find out whether Brinvale has stores in America, where I live. Thank you Paul.
Hi TheraP2014 - thank you for your comment and welcome to my channel. I love your quote - it's so true; I think of that as I see the acorn I planted growing into an oak tree (it's now 25 feet tall) I'm sorry to say Brinvale don't ship overseas.
Just came across your channel while looking for diy hedgehog homes, wonderful videos, i'm in Scotland and your recordings remind me of the middle of summer sitting at my backdoor listening to blackbirds and watching small bats flitting across my garden, very peaceful - that my friend is Heaven. Please make more of these they are heavenly. Subscribed and thank you.
Welcome to my channel - thanks for finding me. Those blackbirds will be in full song again soon - at my last house there was a blackbird on every house aerial down the road, each evening singing till dusk, I loved it.
I’ve been feeding wild birds, hummingbirds, and even the ravens For about 2 yearsI love them. I’m in California. I’m not good at identifying them by name, but I have noticed some eat on the ground, others fight for position. They all have different personalities and habits. What is funny to me are the doves that are so big, 6 or 8 will take their turn and I think they will knock down the feeders. Lol Thank you for lovely, instructional video. ❤️
Glad you liked the video Christina - and are enjoying all the birds that come to your garden. Yes, they all have their own personalities! I'm super envious of your hummingbirds; we don't have them in Europe.
I am thrilled that the nuthatches brought their babies this spring! 4 or 5 babies and they are adorable! Fun to watch them learning more flight skills...I admit I laughed at them quite a bit with how clumsy they were!
@@paultsworld i have both the red breasted and the white breasted...the new babies are the redbreasted. Have a large variety but the "regulars" are the nuthatches, 3 varieties of woodpeckers, spotted towhees and of course the Stellar's jays. I have learned that the only bird who refuses to cede feeding ground to those Jay's is hairy woodpecker! I've really enjoyed watching and listening to all the birds and discovering their behaviors!
@@paultsworld oh no....far from expert!! Very, very much in learning stages!! I did get a birding scope to see their details up close.... then googled to find the correct species. Until I discovered the Merlin app...sooo much easier to ID
That’s a nice idea - Most people either don’t feed in Summer or simply feed less. The only thing to watch out for is not to feed whole or even half peanuts as the parents might feed them to the chicks and they risk choking. Normally however, the parents will find soft food like caterpillars for the chicks.
Thank you Paul T. So much great advice! I live in North Alabama home of the Apollo Space center but we are in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains in a deciduous forest. We mostly have, robins, blue jays, cardinals, A lot of song birds and the like. Also chipmunks and squirrels.
What a fantastic area you live in. Deciduous forests are full of life. I envy the very large variety of birds - and animals - you have in North America.
This is the first time seeing your Channel, Thankyou for sharin😊 I didn't know the birds could choke on the peanuts so now I will crush then smaller and mix them in with other seed . I just thought that only the Blue Jays and bigger birds ate peanuts, I most definitely will be watching more of your channels. Again thank you so much for sharing your information
Hi Glendalynne, thank you for watching and making a comment. Yes, peanuts are loved by all birds - they must instinctively know they are full of calories, crushing them is a nice idea so the smaller birds can join in and also chicks can be fed them safely.
Hi Paul, nice to meet you! You’ve got a new subscriber 😊 Never ever thought of feeding birds but your video and enthusiasm are so inspiring. And the metal feeder looks great 👍🏻 will definitely try it with kids on my farm!
Welcome to my channel and thank you for subscribing. Good luck with your renovation project - there's lots of scope for seeing and attracting such a variety of birds and wildlife on your farm - and what an opportunity to fully introduce your children to the joys of the outdoors.
@@paultsworld that’s so true ☺️ thanks! There is a lot to do, but it’s so much fun and quite some new hobbies to master 😁 feeding birds will be one of the most relaxing 😌
Thank you for responding. I was so excited about making leaf mold I forgot to say how beautiful your garden is. What an incredible amount of work! The visual rewards are stunning.. I can’t wait to see new videos. I subscribed just a week ago and am working through all of your fabulous videos. Take care.
Welcome to my channel Kris - I am so pleased you are watching and enjoying my videos - it makes everything worthwhile for me. Good luck making your leaf mold! All the best.
Started to put out finch food a couple of weeks ago because we get tiny finches looking for food in Florida at this time of the year- and the ever present grey squirrels! But I got a lovely surprise this morning-a Cardinal stopped by to feed. I do not use peanuts because it will attract more squirrels, also possums and raccoons, and I'm afraid they may choke the wild ducks in the neighborhood.
@@paultsworld Thank you! I think it's a young male,as it wasn't all completely red. From what I know about Cardinals, the female tends to be all brown with some red highlights on her body,however this young man definitely had red markings around his face and wings. I shall keep an eye out for him in the future!
It's fun identifying the birds - I had a young woodpecker for the first time this year. He looked a little different with his red markings being quite dull, I guessed a young one, then looked it up. He's all grown up now and featured in this video. In fact it's him on the thumbnail.
Some farmers out there go to extra lengths to protect their sunflower crops from getting eaten by birds so we can buy the seeds from the store and feed wild birds with. 😁 Before anyone attacks me for this little joke... I do that too. I love watching the winged creatures feed in my garden. Good tips, never thought to feed through entire year.
I live in Florida and cannot make fat balls because they just melt and mold instantly because of our heat and humidity but I can grow black soldier flies and so I have a constant source of live larvae instead of mealworms and my Cardinals absolutely love them!
@@paultsworld if your in the right climate BSF are terrific! You get free chicken and wild bird feed plus you get instant compost that you can use on your vegetable garden or plants, and then you also get compost tea that is readily usable. Another advantage people do not talk about is the fact that it reduces housefly population in your area because the house flies will go to the compost to lay their eggs and the soldier flies eat their larvae, so it reduces housefly population tremendously, which is a real plus where I live.
Hi Paul, thanks for your excellent tutorial. I have just started to put fat balls out. I live in a village in Cornwall, but I am in a noisy area with traffic going past. Unfortunately, I don't have any trees to hang things up, only a tall camellia bush which has a large branch sticking out and I hang the fat balls from there. Obviously, I waited about a week before anything came to feed. I didn't see what it was, but one morning I noticed that half the fatballs had been eaten and the top of the feeder had been removed. I topped it up and the following day, I discovered that it was empty and the lid had been taken off again. I filled it up again with glee knowing the birds were keen. The following morning I spotted some jackdaws on it and a couple of magpies close by and I knew then it was them that had taken the top off. I now fix the lid down with elastics which has done the job and the fat balls are now being eaten a lot slower. The big birds would be the only ones with the strength to do this. I don't seem to have much in the way of small birds even though I have lots of hedging and a wooded area behind me. I do have trees but they are too high and big to hang anything on. The birds I've seen in the garden is a robin, blackbirds, wren, jackdaws, magpies and woodpigeons. There is also a squirrel. I would like to put some things out in dishes as well but I don't want to encourage the bigger birds so much and not sure how I can stop them as the jackdaws are a bit of a nuisance and not sure if they are frightening the smaller birds away. I also have two cats which I suppose doesn't help in encouraging the birds to the garden. I have a bird bath which they use (the woodpigeons mostly). I guess the others come very early in the morning or later in the evening when it's quieter.
Hello Tracey, there is certainly a lot going on in your garden! What about trying the sunflower hearts in feeders and if you see any finches, then you could also try Niger Seeds. The larger birds aren't interested in these small seeds but they do attract goldfinches and greenfinches. Unfortunately the fat balls do attract the larger birds. The problem with open dishes is that the feed will get scattered onto the ground very quickly. You could try a small tray with sides, hung up somewhere, the robins would like that. Good luck and enjoy the daily show!
@@paultsworld I have since bought some seeds, hearts and mealworms along with a seed feeder and one you stick on to a window from the supplier you suggested and look forward to enjoying small bird life activity.
That should attract them - but they'll need time of course to get used to it all. If things are close to shelter/bushes/trees etc they'll be more confident. Once they're used to things they'll be far more adventurous.
Love your video. I bought a no mess bird food and the birds seem to gobble it all up but always leave a small yellow shaped seeds--Millet perhaps?. I also have a daily influx of crows and ravens gobbling up all the fat balls the smaller birds dont' stand a chance.
I think the left food probably is millet - it's present in my seed mix. What about the fat balls in a small feeder hanging high from some fishing line. It should be too wobbly for the crows and ravens to hang on. They might dive at it and grab some I suppose - my blackbirds do that - but a dome above should put them off. That's incredible to have ravens visit your place! Are you in the wilds of Scotland?
I have just started feeding the birds in my backyard this past fall. I have black-capped chickadees, American goldfinches, Downy woodpeckers, Hairy woodpeckers as well as Blue Jays. The robins have come to my yard for the worms but I’ve never had them come to my feeder.
You certainly know the birds Rozelyn - you have quite a number of different species of woodpecker in N.America - I just have one that comes to my garden; The Great Spotted Woodpecker.
It is indeed...he is very protective of her. They've been around for a few years now and last Summer had a huge brood of chicks but very sadly, since they are nervous creatures, they flew off when a car arrived and all the babies scattered and all without exception perished during the very cold night. I'm hoping this Spring they may try again and have been wondering if there is some way I could help protect them in the initial stages....probably best to not interfere though and just let nature take it's course. :)
Sorry to hear your partridges weren't successful with their brood last year - as you say, it is very difficult for us to help, except maybe to provide cover in the form of vegetation. The great thing is that nature is very resilient, usually finds a way and always tries again.
Loved the video. I live in an area where European Starlings come and eat everything within hours so I have to be careful in my food strategy. I did get a caged feeder which really seems to help deter them. I love putting peanuts in there and the woodpeckers and chickadees go crazy.
Thanks - glad you liked the video. Sorry about our starlings - they are quite voracious. They are not good at hanging upside down whereas chickadees and woodpeckers are - so anything that requires an upside-down manoeuvre can thwart them.
You are so lucky to have what appears to be a huge garden! Complete with fruit trees no less! My garden is much smaller in comparison, with no trees, although we do have an area just behind the garden with trees, although they have been massively cut back (they don't belong to us). The problem is, both of my neighbours either side of my throws out food that seems to mainly attract seagulls and pigeons. We do get some of the traditional garden birds, but not many, and I want to change that, but I'm afraid that the seagulls and pigeons will scare them off, or steal the food for themselves.
I think that if you hang a feeder similar to ones I show in this video, with sunflower hearts and a second one with suet (fat balls or a suet cake) you will have success. The seagulls won't be interested in this and the pigeons cannot hang from the feeders. Try this and see if the smaller birds will gain confidence. Try to hang them near some vegetation where the smaller birds will feel safe and can then dart out to peck at the suet or quickly pick up a sunflower which they will take back to the bush or tree and eat it in safety. Good luck.
Hi Paul. I have recently found your channel and have already watched every video (more than once!). I find your content so helpful and relaxing. The videography is beautiful. I have just moved into my first house - I am only using plants featured in your garden to fill mine 🪴
When is the next video coming? 😃☺️
Hello Sophie, I am so pleased you're enjoying my videos and the garden. How exciting moving into your first house! With Spring coming along you'll see lots happening in your garden - that's so nice you are getting some of the same plants I have featured and I appreciate your lovely compliments.
Just working on the next video!
A garden without birds is like a home without warmth. A very good video well done.
Very nicely put Harry.
I could not imagine my life without these beautiful creatures
Can’t imagine the world without listening and seeing birds. 🕊🦢🦜
Absolutely Caroline - I just love the garden full of bird song.
It's coming.
Not only are the bird songs beautiful and calming, but watching the birds can be, also.
Thank you Brenda - I spend a lot of time enjoying watching the birds.
I miss feeding the birds....My wife of 44 years has died of cancer, I left there, moved everything, and am living in TEXAS USA now to escape the dreaded winter..Looking to start a homestead eventually then I can feed the birds again over here somewhere.... I really Enjoy your channel sir ! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL !!!
So sorry to hear about your wife.
When you start your homestead you will be attracting a fabulous variety of birds - and all sorts of interesting wildlife.
Merry Christmas to you and thank you for watching and enjoying my garden. All the best for 2023.
Hello Paul, I am a complete beginner when it comes to feeding birds and your channel is amazing. Thank you for all your valuable advice. I am 67 now and have plenty of time to watch the birds now. Thank you once again. 🙂👍
Hi Martin, glad you like my videos. If you’re new to feeding the birds then a whole beautiful world awaits. Get some binoculars to watch from the house.
Birds can take a while to discover and get used to the feeders so you may need to be patient to begin with. Good luck.
The close-ups of those birds are beautiful.
Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed the video - I am always excited when I manage to take close ups of the birds.
When I see an Englishman talking about coconuts I think of the Holy Grail - sorry . Nice video
That's funny! Thanks for the comment.
That was an EXCELLENT Movie LOL!!!!!
It was! 🤣
Who’s Also talking about tits....
@@maggsbufton1969 Nope, horse walking sound effects.
Wonderful video. I enjoyed seeing the different birds of the UK in your yard!
Thank you Jeanne - so glad you enjoyed my feathered visitors.
@@paultsworld
Hello Paul..please talk about your pergolas and what kind of plants climbers are suitable.. many thanks
Hello, thank you for your question. I talk about the pergola and climbing plants in this video: ua-cam.com/video/OKcjP1SINNs/v-deo.html
@@paultsworld
Thank you very much Paul.. exactly what I was looking for
What a wonderful video on a cold January day. I’ve been feeding birds for many years. Love watching their antics. I especially love the hummers in the summer. Thanks Paul. Always love your videos 😁❤️
Thank you - so nice to hear from you Vicki. I would so like to have hummingbirds in my garden, but I know it’s a bit far for them to fly all the way over here 😀
Yes Vicki, I sure do love the hummingbirds and am glad they are prolific where I live.
You are also so lucky Bonny to have hummingbirds.
@@bonnyphotinos4262 I have hummingbirds as well but I haven’t put up a feeder in several years. They come to my mock orange bush for the flowers. I found when I had the feeder they would get aggressive and dive bomb me when it was empty. They are my dad’s favourite bird though so he may put up a feeder in late spring.
@Rozelyn that must be a delightful sight - hummingbirds feeding from mock orange flowers.
Thanks for the bird fee tips, I have my first 2 bird feeders ordered, not the same style you showed, I pre-ordered fun looking feeders, but looking forward to trying different styles, we live in the smoky mountains Tennessee USA
That's a great idea trying different feeders. I love the Smoky Mountains - what a beautiful part of the world - I really enjoyed my travels there and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. I've just watched some of your videos and see you really enjoy Trail Camera footage - I've just started a new channel featuring my Trail Cameras. www.youtube.com/@paultreviews
@@paultsworld yes I subscribed to your channel, but I keep subscriptions private, simply because I have people who tried to tell me what I should be watching, and I am able to peacefully enjoy what I like to watch without interference when I stay private, I am high functioning autistic Aspergers Syndrome, so my love for watching animals goes back to early childhood, and I watch a lot of nature, it calms me
Thank you for subscribing - I appreciate it.
Nature is a lovely force - I have three cameras out every night in my garden, I also love to sit out quietly and enjoy the birds getting on with their lives - and enjoying the food I put out.
@@paultsworld 👍🏼
You have such different birds in Britain from the ones we have in the US.
That's right - it's interesting to have distinctive birds.
I notice you have a lot of different types - for example: we have 3 types of woodpecker in Britain and you have 23 native to the States.
Paul, I just found your site... I'm almost lost for words. Thank you for the pleasure it has given me. I love the birds. I am in transition from living on the lake in the country, to an apartment with a 10-foot wide balcony with cars below me. A great challenge. UNTIL NOW. I have several feeders with all kinds of different foods, and always have a massive mess to clean up. After watching this video, I'm going out for the sunflower hearts. I am in Canada I have always fed the birds. Listening to you talk about the group behaviour is music to my ears. Thank you thank you thank you kind sir.
Thank you Karen - I am so humbled and delighted with your lovely, positive words. Enjoy your new apartment and that big balcony.
Let me know what the sunflower hearts bring. Best wishes and greetings to Canada, Paul
Hi Paul.Nice to see you again.I couldnt agree more about feeding the birds.We did a varied feeding regime last winter and spring and the birds came in their droves.it got to the stage that if we were late getting the foid out,some would tap on the lounge windows.No kidding.I feel we owe them the help through the difficult time of winter.Love the robin.We have a native robin that doesnt come out of the bush ,so we nerer see one.The english robin is my favoirite bird,but all of nature is incredible.A great video thankyou Paul.keep safe
Hello Yvonne, love your story of the birds tapping on the windows - I had a robin a couple of years ago that stood on the kitchen window sill watching me and when I went to the back door, it would fly to the door handle to encourage me to speed up with the supply of mealworms. Really pleased you have a variety of birds coming to your garden. Best wishes Yvonne.
We hadn't seen the bottom of the garden for many years & while on the 3 month lock down we did it , so now we have a focal point that we can see from our living room , a big home made gird table , bird bath , & lovely flowers in summer & birds ...brilliant
What a nice find - a new area to your garden!
Lovely vid Paul! When the birdies have finished eating the fat from inside the coconut halves, I spread a thin layer of peanut butter (natural peanut butter with no sugar/salt/artificial sweeteners) inside and coat that with seeds and the birdies Love it :) XX
Thank you and what a great way to reuse the coconut halves!
Thanx, i think my birds will luv that too
Great idea .....
IT,S ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL TO FEED NATURE AND WITNESS THE JOY ,IT,S HARMONY IS SUBLIME.
Thanks John for your nice words.
PAUL IF I MAY A DRESS YOU BY YOUR FIRST NAME . WE HUMANS WITH OUR EVER GROWING INTEREST IN THE BATHING OF TECHNOLOGY ARE MISSING THE REAL BLESSINGS OF NATURE WHICH WE AS HUMANS NEED TO EVOLVE . PS. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS.
Yes, nature is marvelous and therapeutic.
The birds are so colorful and different from the birds in the USA, I have the titmouse and black capped chickadees, just to name a few. Thanks so much.!
Glad you enjoyed seeing the British birds - I love the variety of birds you have in the USA - particularly the chickadees.
So rewarding to get birds into the garden. Thanks for all the advice.
You are welcome Helen. I'm pleased you enjoy birds in the garden.
Loved this video! I live in Cape Town South Africa and I also feed the birds in my garden. Such a joy !
That's so nice Valerie - enjoy your glorious Cape Town Summer.
After a while the parents bring their chicks and that is a joy to watch them being fed
It is lovely when the whole family arrive in the garden.
May God Bless you for realizing what Mankind has done to NATURE in the past. Thank you.
Thank you Shaik.
Which God?
Thanks Paul, love your enthusiasm & happy outlook on life!
Thanks Rob for your positive comment - it's appreciated.
A very good video. Over here in the States stores sell ready made suet cakes (about 4" square) but I never have been able to get birds to even nibble on them. So, I found a recipe to make my own suet cakes using a cup cake pan. Flour, corn meal, quick oats, some sugar, lard & peanut butter melt/mix together & freeze. Great for the winter but the summer/warm weather will melt the cake. Birds love them & so do the squirrels.
Thanks Paul - I'm pleased you liked my video. That's enterprising of you finding your own recipe.
Looks like a clever recipe! I’m going to try it bc I’ve thrown out many, many types of suet products that Rocky Mt. birds ignored. 🥺
@S Murdock let us know how it goes.
This is a very informative and practical video. After watching it, I feel like I know exactly what to do to get started on feeding the birds in my yard. Thank you for this video!
I am so pleased it is helpful to you Lorraine. Good luck attracting the birds.
Maybe I missed it, I didn't hear you say which food the birds like better, the mixed, or the sunflower 👍 excellent video thank you for your time
Glad you liked my video.
I have found that mixed doesn’t really work as they will pick through and discard a lot of the seed.
Virtually every bird that comes for food loves, and prefers, sunflower hearts - that’s the one to definitely offer first.
Hi Paul, I'm so happy to see you again! Happy New Year! Such a beautiful garden with those cute visitors can be a bless during these lockdown times. I'm jealous seeing how much you enjoy every minute you spend in your garden.
I "lost" the nice garden of my childhood when we moved away with my family and my eyes are teary every time when I watch your videos. Thank you. Because of you I realized how much it meant to me and your love for your garden inspires me a lot to buy a house in my favorite suburban area of the city where I live to build a beautiful, diverse, colorful garden like yours. Thank you again, I really enjoy the "fruit of your work".
Hi Janos, thank you and a Happy New Year to you too! Good luck in your quest to create a beautiful space to mirror your happy childhood memories.
New subscriber. You are so kind and have a sweet spirit. I have learned so much from this video. I’m hoping to start feeding the precious birds soon. I only have one feeder and the squirrels won’t leave it alone.
Welcome to my channel Joyce. So pleased you found my video useful and are about to feed your birds. Squirrels can be a problem - if you haven’t seen it here’s the video I did showcasing how I tackle the squirrels. ua-cam.com/video/BiQXq622XQc/v-deo.html
Thank you so much! I’ll check out that video.
Guess what I did after watching this video? I went and bought a new pole and feeders, a squirrel guard, some new food and those worms! I even bought an 🍏. I’ll let you know how it all turns out. You have greatly inspired me!!
Brilliant! Enjoy your birds. Don't forget it will take a little time for them to get used to the situation and gain confidence - so have patience and you will be rewarded.
You are absolutely correct.
The baffle is working and keeping the squirrels from the feeders… but the birds haven’t come yet. 🙁
I have seen them fly by but not land and eat. I will have patience.
Thank you for encouraging me! I really appreciate it.
So far so good! If the birds seem a little wary of coming to the feeder, put it closer to the tree or bush where they like to land. Once they have confidence and are coming to the feeder you can move it back. Good luck - once one brave bird shows the way then the others will follow.
I am impressed with your heartwarming garden. You are like good father to plants and birds. Thank u so much for your video!
Thank you for your nice comment.
Hello Paul! Lovely channel thank you. I live in Brittany France and live in a rural area. I feed my birds all that you suggest. I tuck an apple into my window boxes and I can watch the birds close up from every room!
Hi Mary Ann, what a fabulous area you live in. Lovely situation you have for birdwatching.
A delightful video. Kibbled peanuts are a hit in my garden. From what I understand as long as its kibbled it is safe for young birds in the spring and summer. I keep it simple whole sunflower hearts, kibbled peanuts and fat balls. Insect Pellets and meal worms here and there. I started last summer and intend on doing this all year around.
Kibbled peanuts sounds perfect! Bet they love the insect pellets & meal worms.
Hi my friend..
They eat me out of house and home.. But I enjoy it.
Great video as always..
Great break down of food.
Interesting jays you have.
Hi Chris - I’ll bet the birds really appreciate you putting out food in your Winters. My two jays come every day now for the meal worms. I like your blue jays - really cute birds.
I also feed the birds often. I buy good birdseed, add mealworms, golden raisins, sunflower seeds, and mix. Sunflower hearts I never tried. I also put out suet.
Our blackbirds love raisins. your birds are well fed with excellent food Brenda. Try the sunflower hearts and let me know what your birds think of them.
I very much like birds and nature!
Thanks for great sharing my dear friend 👍 wish to Happy valentines day 💓
Thank you! You too!
I enjoyed seeing a wider view of your garden so I could better understand where your woodland area is.
So glad I zoomed out! I planted this mixed hedge to give a woodland feel and be useful to wildlife and also to create an area behind it, out of sight for my compost bins
I FEED MIX SEEDS, AND ALSO CHOP WALNUTS AND SOME BREAD, CHOP IN VERY SMALL PIECES.
I've never tried walnuts - bet the birds really like them!
I ONLY FEED WALNUTS IN THE WINTER TIME, IN THE SUMMER TIME THEY FEED IN BERRIES AND FRUITS IN THE WINTER TIME THEY NEED HEARTY FOOD TO KEEP THEM WELL NUTRITIOUS.
Exactly Olga - it's nice to help the birds out in the Winter.
One my brother-in-laws loves birds and he has all kinds of bird feeders at the cottage. I forwarded this video to him & he is using some of your great ideas in his bird feeders. Thanks for the great ideas Paul! ❤️🙏
That's great Tracy, I hope some of my ideas work for him - and the birds!
This was a great video, I've just started feeding the birds in my garden and I was prepared to be patient, but my feeder received such great attention [ a lot from squirrels too😏 ] I'm thinking of putting up another, I really love watching them feed👍
Wow Rose, sounds as though you had visitors really quickly when you started feeding the birds. It’s addictive watching them isn’t it!
@Decimus Septimus Tutelus good to get the grandkids involved
Thanks for explaining how a few bird turned into dozens. I felt like they told their friends. Now I've had a variety of at least 10 birds and woodpeckers.
Fantastic - I'll bet that was exciting when the woodpecker swooped in for the first time.
Yes. It got more exciting when Mr Woodpecker started showing up with Mrs Woodpecker. They have a very particular call and chortle at each other.
That is fantastic. I have a male blackcap and he's started bringing his Mrs (who has a brown cap) and they eat suet together and also the apples.
the birds near me now knock at my windows when they want to eat - I'm not sure if that's such a nice thing , but say ' wow ' to myself at how smart they are !
Birds are indeed smart.
Same here! I live in Oz and I have Magpies calling out on my balcony demanding to be fed. I've got some of them eating from my hand now. My cat hates it. How dare those birds come onto my territory!
@@rubytuesday5412 , funny about the poor cat ! the oddest thing about the birds I feed , other than the window thing , is that if I leave my house to walk anywhere they follow me , like to the corner grocery and will wait for me and follow me home !
@Ruby Tuesday that is so funny - I would love to see you walking down the road followed by the birds. I'll bet they get excited when you go in the bird food shop!
@@paultsworld , the thing is that I like to keep it on the QT that I feed the birds , so it makes for some interesting conversations when the neighbors bring it up , that whenever I'm around , that they see a lot of birds !
What a gorgeous video we feed our birds in our garden but we live in New Zealand and our winters are not severe in Auckland where we live. We get our lovely native tuis and many thrushes but we don’t have the amazing variety you have. The thrushes love when we dig the garden and they sit on the spade waiting for a worm. You have given me many new ideas, thank you.
I've just checked out your tui birds Meryle - wow, what a beak they've got! Our blackbirds and robins love to follow gardeners - just like your thrushes. Makes digging more of a joy.
Thank you for your reply. Our tuis are nectar feeders so we put out sweet sugar mixture for them. The feeders are shaped like coloured flowers and they like yellows and reds. The birds make the most amazing sounds as they mimic the sounds they hear so sitting in the garden you will hear many strange sounds. Some people say they sound like a rusty gate closing. I have just subscribed so i can see all of your lovely videos.
Welcome Meryle and thank you for subscribing. I am trying to remember if I saw your tuis when I spent a month driving all round North Island. Bird sounds are fascinating - particularly if they also mimic what they hear!
Very lively video, I also have a little bird take away in my garden in the north west of Italy.Happy New Year and with many of your videos.😍
Thank you Brezza - how nice you also enjoy birds in your garden. Happy New Year to you and greetings to Italy.
All anyone needs to know , brilliant , thank you , and yes it's a joy .
Thank you - I appreciate your comment.
great info and a new sub i love feeding the birds learn something every day.
Welcome to my channel, I am pleased you enjoyed the video.
I just found you, I will be watching regularly now, I just Love birds, hello from the United States
Welcome and thank you for watching and greetings to the US. So glad you also enjoy watching the birds.
Like to know how you make fat balls.
Very informative and interesting. Attracting the birds into the garden and seeing them feed gives me much pleasure for such a small price.
Thanks Jeffery, I am pleased you are getting a lot of pleasure from your winged visitors.
Weve gotten quite a few red Finches this past Fall season. Never really seen them before.
Hi Paul, What a great and informative video! Although we are in such different growing zones, and have different birds, I guess they still like the same food! We use sunflower hulls the most and, as you say, it attracts a wide variety of birds. But, this year, we tried fat cakes mixed with seed in a feeder suitable for woodpeckers (a tail rest). From your video, your woodpeckers do not seem to need a tail rest 😉. We just love watching the birds from our breakfast nook table, especially the cardinals 🐦 .
Hi Rosanne, those sunflower hearts do seem to be universally liked. The woodpeckers manage on my fat ball feeder, they're well practiced! The male calls round once a day and the female only occasionally. I can't help but keep looking out from the kitchen to see what's happening in the garden - it's a wonder I get any work done. 😉 Your cardinals are simply spectacular!
Personally, I feel the folks urging woodpecker feeders with “tail rests” are just pushing a product that they sponsor or have for sale. Ive watched all types of woodpeckers here in MD peck away at suet cakes in standard wire cages/feeders.
Here in Northern California, I have the best luck with sunflower seeds (hulled). I buy it in 50 lb bags. My feeders are always full and the ground is covered with other birds scavenging the seed (& bugs) on the lawn. I mostly get finches and doves. House finches and yellow finches. Gardens full of birds are happy places.
There must be lots of bird song and a tremendous number of different species visiting your garden Elizabeth.
Nicely done Paul! Good of you to slip the “jumbo jet” in there for a cameo appearance. 😉
Fantastic edit! Excellent job with the zooming and freeze frame. The tripod looks like a nice bit of kit.
🙏🏼🥂
Thanks Nate. Yes, I love that video tripod!
What a beautiful green winter garden! It looks like my summer garden!
I worry about the peanuts now! Even the tiny chickadees steal them, one at a time, and fly away with it. I was going to stop feeding peanuts in the spring.
In one feeder, i have mixed them with sunflower seeds and kernels, which attracts everyone but the sparrows;
The feeder with mixed seeds only attracts the sparrows who throw most of the seeds on the ground. This keeps the squirrels right under.
My suet is only eaten by the woodpeckers.
The thistle seeds (Nyger) is yellow finches' favorite.
The blue Jays share a huge bowl of shelled peanut and sunflower with the squirrels.
The Cardinals and juncos mostly eat on the ground and haven't tried the sunflower kernels yet. They're timid.
I think everyone is happy at its own feeder, and the squirrels are just as fun to watch.
Major problem with water that instantly freezes. Must put rocks in shallow water to prevent bathing, otherwise birds' wings would freeze and prevent them from flying.
Today is really mild, -10°C to -5°C in afternoon, (instead of -30°C,) so they will have the time to drink a bit.
Wow, you have a lot going on in your garden - the birds must love it! Nice variety of birds as well.
That’s a harsh Winter you have, today it is 8c and there has only been 5 frosty nights this Winter and one frosty day at -1c. Lowest overnight frost -2c the others just managed to put a thin coat of ice on the bird bath - it melted 2 hours later.
The Winters are mild because I’m right on the West coast of Northern England and the Gulf Stream washes into British waters directly from the Caribbean. I am on the same line of latitude as Edmonton.
@@paultsworld Thanks so much for the reply! I'm in Québec! I realized you have many more colorful bird species than we do! I just started bird feeding this Christmas, since my older cat doesn't want to go out anymore! But it all started with feeding the squirrels first!
There's a new problem today: neighbors' cats come over! I will have no choice but feed the birds only in winter, with less cats around.
I'm a new subscriber! Thanks for the great video!
@@sgueymard that’s a lot of action considering you only started feeding at Christmas! Cat’s can be a problem - I make sure they know they’re not welcome in my garden.
That’s it, I’m going to check out brinvale and get me some sunflower hearts and work up to that Brucey bonus.😂
That's quite funny Dan - 'Brucey bonus'... I love it!
I don't often actually see birds around my house, but you can hear them singing early in the morning and my windshield on my car has poop all over it that has to be washed every week or so! This video has inspired me to put in some sort of 'feeding station' or a couple of poles with the right kind of stuff mounted on them... I love to see birds.
The early morning singing is quite a joy and gets louder as Spring approaches. Thank you for your interesting comment.
I thought this was going to be a tutorial on how to make bird foods.
I used to make my own suet logs by melting suet and adding seeds and other 'goodies' but melting fat is a smelly procedure so I now buy all the bird food.
I love these beautiful creations of God. Such a treat to me after a long day! Love this video too!
Thank you, I am so pleased you enjoyed my video.
Nice to watch. We've been feeding birds this sort of product for over a decade now. However you won't necessarily get the variety that Paul does, however hard you try. You will get certain species if your garden is within their range and occasionally a migrant, but if you don't live reasonably close to woods you won't get a woodpecker, for example. We never get greenfinches which are reasonably common, but by a stroke of luck once had a siskin which was passing through on migration.
Every now and then a Siskin visits - usually in March although haven’t seen one for a few years. Bullfinches becoming more regular visitors.
More people should be watching this. Thanks
Thank you - I am pleased you enjoyed watching my video.
@@paultsworld I have a fairly large garden and when I water the plants, these little birds come to drink the droplets... I feel bad, because they are hesitant to drink from the pots I keep. ..the larger birds only come to pick my fruits, and the worms. !!!
It sounds as though you have a good variety of birds coming to your garden.
Here in New Hampshire, USA, I don't have much luck with bird feeders on my deck. Huummm maybe it's because my two cats like to sit there in the sun? :-) But I always put my Christmas tree on the deck with just lights, and the birds move in. They stay there for months: Dec to April. By then the tree is starting to get brown, so we toss it out. They fly from the tree to the one feeder I have. The tree is really is beautiful with the white lights and new snow fall.
You paint a delightful picture Roxanne - greetings to New England from Old England.
Hello Paul. Unlike yourself, we also feed birds all year round. We installed two ways of feeding them. Suet and hanging bird feeder. In addition, we also scatter mix seeds for the ground feeders. It can get messy so I have to keep up cleaning up after them. I like the idea of the dried mealy worms but unsure where to get them. I live in the US San Francisco Bay Area. Thanks for the video.
Hello AM - the birds obviously love it in your garden.
Pet shops might sell meal worms or you could get them delivered from Amazon. I’ve just checked and they have them available. Good luck.
Great video! I live in Michigan. Our winters are very cold with below freezing temps all winter, so I don't use my birdbath. I'd have to have a heater for the water. Your birds are lovely. Its nice to see the birds in other countries. 🐦🇺🇸
Thank you - glad you enjoyed our birds - I really like the incredible variety of your birds. For example we have 3 types of woodpecker and you have 23.
Hi, a new subscriber here from across the pond. I have been feeding my birds for several years and the ones I really enjoy are the wild turkeys. Just today an old friend returned for spring. It's a Tom who has a broken toe. It healed well but is still bent. I call him Lefty because his bent toe is on his right foot. I feel the turkeys unshelled sunflower seeds and dried corn. They require a heavy mack so I don't feed them simple seed. Enjoyed your video and looking forward to more.
Welcome to my channel Carol! That's a nice story about your wild turkeys - I have a male pheasant that visits in the mornings during the Winter; he has a bent tail feather. He and I get on really well together and he likes to sunbathe on the lawn after he's had breakfast of a few seeds, some mealworms and a bit of suet. I'll miss him when he stops visiting - but hopefully he'll be back next Winter.
@@paultsworld Thanks Paul. I have been a bird watcher for decades. I live in the mountains on three acres so I have lots of wildlife to see. Love to think of you visiting with your pheasant. Is that a Ring Neck Pheasant or do you have another breed there?
Yes, it's a ring neck pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). Thank you for mentioning it because I wasn't aware they were called 'ring neck' - I've learned something today. That is the common one although although there is a 'black pheasant ' - I had one in my garden a few years ago. They look identical except for the colouring - I think they are melanistic mutants.
Wow, three acres - and in the mountains! You must have a massive variety of wildlife.
Many people prefer a garden without birds, for me a garden without birds is empty. I love watching them all the time. Next week I will start counting them for "Big garden Birdwatch" xxx
Good for you taking part in the Big Garden Watch!
I live on an Estate in the Birmingham Area , b45 Post Code . Always feed the Birds . Jays , not very often , usually when it has Snowed a lot . Woodpecker , Nuthatch . I went out to fill the Feeders on a Cold Morning last Week . I was outside filling the Feeders on a Cold Morning last Week . Something flew past me , and if it had been a Hot Summers Day , I would have thought Large Bumble Bee , but , it was , I think a Goldcrest , it alighted on a Bush for a moment , then disappeared .
You get a good variety of birds Clive. I have never had a nuthatch in the garden - don't know why. What a lovely sighting, a goldcrest! I have seen one on about 5 occasions in the last 10 years - usually flitting about in the bushes. Britain's smallest bird!
Every morning I put mix seeds in my back yard and all kind of birds folk in. It is indeed very joyous to watch them happily feeding.
Amrit, I'm so pleased you are enjoying all the birds that come to your garden.
Just discovered this. Great to get some guidance my feeding has been self thought. I do love the few birds I have attracted. Maybe I can get more variety thanks to you.
I am very pleased my video has been of help. I really enjoy watching the birds in the garden - many are feeding chicks now.
What a nice, considerate man!
Thank you!
How beautiful it is to see nature at its finest!What a shame we humans are destroying the earth sea and skies .Bless all u kind folk for helping these magnificent beauties
Hi Haleema, yes, nature is wonderful - all the gardens around the world are making a positive contribution.
@@paultsworld 😊luvvv u all! I try to feed the local birds as well the squirrels steal their share as well !
The squirrels always get the share! 😆
I also reuse my coconut halves. Mainly lard with mixed seed, crushed peanuts, oats, dried mealworms etc.
That's a good idea - excellent mix of food.
i live in end of terrace house in a street only birds i get is crows blackbirds and some neighbours pidgeons from up the road so i think it all depends where you live really not what you feed them
Yes, indeed - I'm not keen on domestic pigeons but luckily I don't get them here. Hopefully your blackbirds will be singing soon - such a delightful song.
Very inspiring! I only have one tree to decorate with feeders. Your contraptions are helping me with ideas in Michigan. TY
Glad my video was useful to you.
Thank you. Such thoughtfulness for the welfare of both adults & chicks.
I’m pleased you enjoyed the video Valerie.
I like to use the milk from the coconut to whip up a nice Thai curry with the worms and find the birds love it.
Don't know about the birds but I love Thai curry.
Hi Paul. We don't have a garden as such as we live in a concreted area. I have had to fix a feeder hanger to a wall and then hang the feeders.I'm feeding live meal worms, suet balls and mixed seeds. I once noticed a robin, but notice the regular visitors are pigeons, magpies and blackbirds. The magpies go for the suet balls and I use a ground feeder for the mixed seeds and sultanas which is successful. Unfortunately , apart from the suet balls, the mixed seeds in the hanging feeders tend to be avoided.
Hi David,
You are doing well with a feeder on a wall. I'm sure the blackbirds love those sultanas and I'm sure when a robin finds those live meal worms he'll be back.
@@paultsworld Thank you
Wonderful video from your beautiful garden!Thank you for sharing 😊
Thank you Marian for your nice comment.
I buy wild bird seed mix bag from supermarkets or if I run out I scatter porridge oats the blackbirds love them
Sounds as though you have a lot of happy birds Sarah.
I agree with you that sunflower hearts are the best choice to feed backyard birds. It's a low to no mess approach. Seed mixes all too often end up getting tossed to the ground by birds at feeders when they don't fancy a particular type of seed. Seed on the ground also attracts unwanted varmints like rodents, raccoons, etc. Also, seed on the ground can too easily become contaminated with salmonella-contaminated bird droppings leading to the spread of avian salmonellosis, as the disease can spread easily from bird to bird. Or, seed can become contaminated with mold or mildew on the ground, which can also lead to the spread of backyard bird diseases including avian aspergillosis in flocks and larger populations flocks belong to. Seed that falls to the ground from a feeder should be trapped and discarded on a daily basis to avoid having it become contaminated with bird feces, or mold and mildew. I crafted a ground based seed trap that's shown on my channel that I use to trap seed that falls from a feeder. The trap is covered in a chicken wire that enables the seed to fall through to the bottom of the trap, but keeps birds from being able to access this all too often fecal-contaminated seed. You only have to trap seed for a day to see how easily seed on the ground can get mixed up with bird droppings. I also designed and crafted 2 sheet metal, dropping-proof bird feeder systems several years ago, if you want to check them out on my channel sometime. They weren't something I developed to bring to the retail market. I just wanted to prove that more sanitary bird feeders could be designed and crafted for the benefit of garden birds, and the backyard birder. It's a bit of a read below the videos in the description and comments, but I'm thorough about how the different components of the feeder systems function together to protect birds from droppings. Even tube feeders like the one you showed on your video can be problematic for the spread of salmonellosis when the flat top seed refill caps and hanging loops easily enable birds to deposit their droppings onto the cap that the birds will then perch on while they wait their turn at the seed ports below, exposing them to the droppings and the salmonella bacteria they can all too often contain. There were huge waves of avian salmonellosis in Pine Siskin populations from the Carolinas all the way to California this past winter, and the culprit was determined by ornithologists to be exposure to salmonella-contaminated bird droppings on feeder surfaces, or salmonella-contaminated bird seed these Pine Siskin populations were exposed to. The waves of the avian disease resulted in the mortality rates of tens of thousands of birds. Keeping feeders clean and sanitary is of course important, but there are no inherent qualities in any feeder cleaning solution that magically ZAP the bacterial out of droppings birds will be exposed to on feeder surfaces in between feeder cleanings.
Thank you for highlighting the need to keep moving the bird feeders to different places and also disinfecting them on a regular basis. Having a baffle above the hanging feeder has the advantage of discouraging squirrels whilst keeping the top of the feeders clean.
I subscribed. Want to know why? Paul made me laugh while talking about registering with Brinvale because "points make prizes." I replayed that part 3 times, lol. I love birds too... actually I love ALL wildlife. even skunks. One of my favorite quotes: *"When you hold a seed in your hand, you're holding the most magical and powerful thing you can touch."* anon And now to google and find out whether Brinvale has stores in America, where I live. Thank you Paul.
Hi TheraP2014 - thank you for your comment and welcome to my channel. I love your quote - it's so true; I think of that as I see the acorn I planted growing into an oak tree (it's now 25 feet tall)
I'm sorry to say Brinvale don't ship overseas.
Just came across your channel while looking for diy hedgehog homes, wonderful videos, i'm in Scotland and your recordings remind me of the middle of summer sitting at my backdoor listening to blackbirds and watching small bats flitting across my garden, very peaceful - that my friend is Heaven. Please make more of these they are heavenly. Subscribed and thank you.
Welcome to my channel - thanks for finding me. Those blackbirds will be in full song again soon - at my last house there was a blackbird on every house aerial down the road, each evening singing till dusk, I loved it.
USA. This year in Tx. I have a Robin in my garden.. I been so excited.. Like your video..Thank You Barbie.
So pleased you have your own robin - I love that Barbie.
I’ve been feeding wild birds, hummingbirds, and even the ravens For about 2 yearsI love them. I’m in California. I’m not good at identifying them by name, but I have noticed some eat on the ground, others fight for position. They all have different personalities and habits. What is funny to me are the doves that are so big, 6 or 8 will take their turn and I think they will knock down the feeders. Lol Thank you for lovely, instructional video. ❤️
Glad you liked the video Christina - and are enjoying all the birds that come to your garden. Yes, they all have their own personalities! I'm super envious of your hummingbirds; we don't have them in Europe.
I am thrilled that the nuthatches brought their babies this spring!
4 or 5 babies and they are adorable! Fun to watch them learning more flight skills...I admit I laughed at them quite a bit with how clumsy they were!
How nice. I have had a lot of species of birds in my garden - but I've never had a nuthatch!
@@paultsworld i have both the red breasted and the white breasted...the new babies are the redbreasted. Have a large variety but the "regulars" are the nuthatches, 3 varieties of woodpeckers, spotted towhees and of course the Stellar's jays.
I have learned that the only bird who refuses to cede feeding ground to those Jay's is hairy woodpecker!
I've really enjoyed watching and listening to all the birds and discovering their behaviors!
You have a very wide variety of birds - congratulations on becoming a expert on your garden and the birds that visit.
@@paultsworld oh no....far from expert!! Very, very much in learning stages!! I did get a birding scope to see their details up close.... then googled to find the correct species.
Until I discovered the Merlin app...sooo much easier to ID
You are obviously really enjoying watching and learning!
Could I feed non melt suet in summer
Actually I hadn't heard of non melt suet, but I've just read up on it and it seems a good idea in the Summer as a supplement.
@@paultsworld could you make a summer time feeding guide
That’s a nice idea - Most people either don’t feed in Summer or simply feed less. The only thing to watch out for is not to feed whole or even half peanuts as the parents might feed them to the chicks and they risk choking. Normally however, the parents will find soft food like caterpillars for the chicks.
Thank you Paul T. So much great advice! I live in North Alabama home of the Apollo Space center but we are in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains in a deciduous forest. We mostly have, robins, blue jays, cardinals, A lot of song birds and the like. Also chipmunks and squirrels.
What a fantastic area you live in. Deciduous forests are full of life. I envy the very large variety of birds - and animals - you have in North America.
This is the first time seeing your Channel, Thankyou for sharin😊
I didn't know the birds could choke on the peanuts so now I will crush then smaller and mix them in with other seed . I just thought that only the Blue Jays and bigger birds ate peanuts, I most definitely will be watching more of your channels. Again thank you so much for sharing your information
Hi Glendalynne, thank you for watching and making a comment.
Yes, peanuts are loved by all birds - they must instinctively know they are full of calories, crushing them is a nice idea so the smaller birds can join in and also chicks can be fed them safely.
Hi Paul, nice to meet you! You’ve got a new subscriber 😊 Never ever thought of feeding birds but your video and enthusiasm are so inspiring. And the metal feeder looks great 👍🏻 will definitely try it with kids on my farm!
Welcome to my channel and thank you for subscribing. Good luck with your renovation project - there's lots of scope for seeing and attracting such a variety of birds and wildlife on your farm - and what an opportunity to fully introduce your children to the joys of the outdoors.
@@paultsworld that’s so true ☺️ thanks! There is a lot to do, but it’s so much fun and quite some new hobbies to master 😁 feeding birds will be one of the most relaxing 😌
Enjoy yourselves and good luck. 👍
Very nice video, thank you for making it. Very well done. Your voice and the way you speak is so relaxing, too:)
Thank you - glad you enjoyed the video.
Thank you for responding. I was so excited about making leaf mold I forgot to say how beautiful your garden is. What an incredible amount of work! The visual rewards are stunning.. I can’t wait to see new videos. I subscribed just a week ago and am working through all of your fabulous videos. Take care.
Welcome to my channel Kris - I am so pleased you are watching and enjoying my videos - it makes everything worthwhile for me.
Good luck making your leaf mold! All the best.
Started to put out finch food a couple of weeks ago because we get tiny finches looking for food in Florida at this time of the year- and the ever present grey squirrels! But I got a lovely surprise this morning-a Cardinal stopped by to feed.
I do not use peanuts because it will attract more squirrels, also possums and raccoons, and I'm afraid they may choke the wild ducks in the neighborhood.
That is a lovely surprise having a cardinal visit!
@@paultsworld Thank you! I think it's a young male,as it wasn't all completely red. From what I know about Cardinals, the female tends to be all brown with some red highlights on her body,however this young man definitely had red markings around his face and wings. I shall keep an eye out for him in the future!
It's fun identifying the birds - I had a young woodpecker for the first time this year. He looked a little different with his red markings being quite dull, I guessed a young one, then looked it up. He's all grown up now and featured in this video. In fact it's him on the thumbnail.
Thank you for your speedy response Paul. I will look for the fat balls and a wild bird store.
You're welcome Lesley. There are some UA-cam videos that do a tutorial on making the fat balls which might be helpful.
Some farmers out there go to extra lengths to protect their sunflower crops from getting eaten by birds so we can buy the seeds from the store and feed wild birds with. 😁
Before anyone attacks me for this little joke... I do that too. I love watching the winged creatures feed in my garden.
Good tips, never thought to feed through entire year.
Ha, yes - it's quite a merry-go-round! Thanks for your comment Ula.
I live in Florida and cannot make fat balls because they just melt and mold instantly because of our heat and humidity but I can grow black soldier flies and so I have a constant source of live larvae instead of mealworms and my Cardinals absolutely love them!
I like the idea of the soldier fly larvae - I’d like to get a colony of live mealworms.
@@paultsworld if your in the right climate BSF are terrific! You get free chicken and wild bird feed plus you get instant compost that you can use on your vegetable garden or plants, and then you also get compost tea that is readily usable. Another advantage people do not talk about is the fact that it reduces housefly population in your area because the house flies will go to the compost to lay their eggs and the soldier flies eat their larvae, so it reduces housefly population tremendously, which is a real plus where I live.
Sounds a great system! Unfortunately I don't think we have those here in Britain.
Hi Paul, thanks for your excellent tutorial. I have just started to put fat balls out. I live in a village in Cornwall, but I am in a noisy area with traffic going past. Unfortunately, I don't have any trees to hang things up, only a tall camellia bush which has a large branch sticking out and I hang the fat balls from there. Obviously, I waited about a week before anything came to feed. I didn't see what it was, but one morning I noticed that half the fatballs had been eaten and the top of the feeder had been removed. I topped it up and the following day, I discovered that it was empty and the lid had been taken off again. I filled it up again with glee knowing the birds were keen. The following morning I spotted some jackdaws on it and a couple of magpies close by and I knew then it was them that had taken the top off. I now fix the lid down with elastics which has done the job and the fat balls are now being eaten a lot slower. The big birds would be the only ones with the strength to do this. I don't seem to have much in the way of small birds even though I have lots of hedging and a wooded area behind me. I do have trees but they are too high and big to hang anything on. The birds I've seen in the garden is a robin, blackbirds, wren, jackdaws, magpies and woodpigeons. There is also a squirrel. I would like to put some things out in dishes as well but I don't want to encourage the bigger birds so much and not sure how I can stop them as the jackdaws are a bit of a nuisance and not sure if they are frightening the smaller birds away. I also have two cats which I suppose doesn't help in encouraging the birds to the garden. I have a bird bath which they use (the woodpigeons mostly). I guess the others come very early in the morning or later in the evening when it's quieter.
Hello Tracey, there is certainly a lot going on in your garden! What about trying the sunflower hearts in feeders and if you see any finches, then you could also try Niger Seeds. The larger birds aren't interested in these small seeds but they do attract goldfinches and greenfinches. Unfortunately the fat balls do attract the larger birds. The problem with open dishes is that the feed will get scattered onto the ground very quickly. You could try a small tray with sides, hung up somewhere, the robins would like that. Good luck and enjoy the daily show!
@@paultsworld I have since bought some seeds, hearts and mealworms along with a seed feeder and one you stick on to a window from the supplier you suggested and look forward to enjoying small bird life activity.
That should attract them - but they'll need time of course to get used to it all. If things are close to shelter/bushes/trees etc they'll be more confident. Once they're used to things they'll be far more adventurous.
@@paultsworld thank you
If you cut off the top half of a plastic water bottle it makes a good funnel to fill the feeders without spilling.
That’s a great tip - thanks! I did make a mess of filling them using a garden implement better suited to soil. 😁
Love your video. I bought a no mess bird food and the birds seem to gobble it all up but always leave a small yellow shaped seeds--Millet perhaps?. I also have a daily influx of crows and ravens gobbling up all the fat balls the smaller birds dont' stand a chance.
I think the left food probably is millet - it's present in my seed mix. What about the fat balls in a small feeder hanging high from some fishing line. It should be too wobbly for the crows and ravens to hang on. They might dive at it and grab some I suppose - my blackbirds do that - but a dome above should put them off.
That's incredible to have ravens visit your place! Are you in the wilds of Scotland?
I have just started feeding the birds in my backyard this past fall. I have black-capped chickadees, American goldfinches, Downy woodpeckers, Hairy woodpeckers as well as Blue Jays. The robins have come to my yard for the worms but I’ve never had them come to my feeder.
You certainly know the birds Rozelyn - you have quite a number of different species of woodpecker in N.America - I just have one that comes to my garden; The Great Spotted Woodpecker.
im new to this. i enjoy watching birds in my garden and feeding them. i enjoyed your videos. Yes it is relaxing. thankyou
So pleased you enjoyed my video - and feeding the birds.
Watching from Kentucky in (. The Blue Grass State ) The USA , Our Blue birds are / or a lot of Blue in their body feathers
Hi Kelly and greetings to Kentucky. I’ve just looked up your blue bird - they are beautiful - thank you for telling me about them.
Thank you from Montreal, Quebec. I will get the hulled sunflowers and mealworms.
Thank you Chantal and greetings to Montreal. Let me know what visits your garden - blue jays? Cardinals?
Lovely...I have a pair of Partridge who visit daily. The male stands right beside me and favours peanuts, his lady friend prefers seeds. :)
Wow, partridges - I have a pheasant visiting in Winter - would love a partridge to pass by! Isn't it nice to see both the male and female together.
It is indeed...he is very protective of her. They've been around for a few years now and last Summer had a huge brood of chicks but very sadly, since they are nervous creatures, they flew off when a car arrived and all the babies scattered and all without exception perished during the very cold night. I'm hoping this Spring they may try again and have been wondering if there is some way I could help protect them in the initial stages....probably best to not interfere though and just let nature take it's course. :)
Sorry to hear your partridges weren't successful with their brood last year - as you say, it is very difficult for us to help, except maybe to provide cover in the form of vegetation. The great thing is that nature is very resilient, usually finds a way and always tries again.
Loved the video. I live in an area where European Starlings come and eat everything within hours so I have to be careful in my food strategy. I did get a caged feeder which really seems to help deter them. I love putting peanuts in there and the woodpeckers and chickadees go crazy.
Thanks - glad you liked the video. Sorry about our starlings - they are quite voracious. They are not good at hanging upside down whereas chickadees and woodpeckers are - so anything that requires an upside-down manoeuvre can thwart them.
@@paultsworld I have an upside down suet feeder and no starlings bother it! 🙂
Success!
You are so lucky to have what appears to be a huge garden! Complete with fruit trees no less! My garden is much smaller in comparison, with no trees, although we do have an area just behind the garden with trees, although they have been massively cut back (they don't belong to us). The problem is, both of my neighbours either side of my throws out food that seems to mainly attract seagulls and pigeons. We do get some of the traditional garden birds, but not many, and I want to change that, but I'm afraid that the seagulls and pigeons will scare them off, or steal the food for themselves.
I think that if you hang a feeder similar to ones I show in this video, with sunflower hearts and a second one with suet (fat balls or a suet cake) you will have success.
The seagulls won't be interested in this and the pigeons cannot hang from the feeders. Try this and see if the smaller birds will gain confidence.
Try to hang them near some vegetation where the smaller birds will feel safe and can then dart out to peck at the suet or quickly pick up a sunflower which they will take back to the bush or tree and eat it in safety. Good luck.