I bought some "robin insect mix" bird food at Waitrose and the birds are crazy for it. It's a mixture of seed and mealworms, and it seems to have an advantage over the suet balls in that the bigger birds -- pigeons and parakeets -- don't monopolize the feeders like they do with suet. The little birds come in swarms and though they throw a lot of the seeds on the ground, the pigeons stay below to mop them up, so they get fed too.
I filled that entire feeder and it was empty by the end of the day. And the lid stayed on, so squirrels weren't to blame! I saw lots of coal tits, blue tits, great tits and robins. I even made a video so you could see how busy it was:
It's a bit shaky, for which I apologize -- I took it from a distance using my big camera and zoom lens, and that thing is heavy, and it makes even the slightest inadvertent quiver look like an earthquake. (Here's a stabilized version if the shaking bothers you. I don't care for it because the stabilizing software gives the video a shimmery effect, but at least it's not moving around as much.)
It was also rainy and downright cold yesterday. I went out at 2 p.m., taking my neighbors' cast-offs to the charity shop, and it was 56º F (or 13º C) on the high street. The low at night was supposed to be 49º F (or 9º C). Is it winter?! I'd put away all our jackets and blankets and we've had to take some of them out again. It's supposedly going to warm up over the next few days and I'm hoping that's true.
I confess I did survey our trash bags to see what else the neighbors discarded in their move. I retrieved some new-looking clothing, a couple of plastic and glass refrigerator containers that I can use for my slide project, and a few other odds and ends. Any bags containing food or kitchen debris I just closed right back up again. Now I can sleep soundly knowing what's going out in the trash really is trash.
Of course, just as I pulled the bags from the bins and opened them up, someone drove up in a blue minivan and went into the apartment above us -- not the neighbor moving out, but perhaps the one moving in? I said hello as he passed. Way to make a great impression, right?!
Had to laugh at your (possibly) new neighbour finding you sorting through the rubbish. Hopefully he was just a builder or similar.
ReplyDeleteYes it would have been rather embarrassing to be found scrumping for food in someone else's rubbish.
ReplyDeleteThe video makes me so happy. I checked out the stabilized version and didn’t like it either. You’re surrounded by tits. Maybe you become friendly with the new neighbor and find out what he made of that first impression.
ReplyDeleteHow delightful that you were able to spend quite a lot of time staring at tits. Dumpster Diving or, as we call it here in England, Skip Diving should be an Olympic sport. I am sure you would win your country a gold medal but which country would you be competing for?
ReplyDeleteNice to see the bird feeder feeding birds!!!
ReplyDeleteI will be interested to find out if that blue minivan person is actually your new neighbor. And wow....it is indeed cold for summer. Last night when I went to bed, it was 84 degrees at 10:00!
ReplyDeleteThat's hilarious about the new potential neighbor catching you at the garbage! He's probably thinking you're a poor old pensioner, nothing left for food after you've paid the rent, no furniture..
ReplyDeleteIf that was you new neighbor, he would like as not assume you were looking for something in your own trash. But what a motherlode you found. Imagine being so wealthy that you don't even consider the value of what you toss? Maybe you should open your own op shop.
ReplyDeleteSo many pretty birds.
ReplyDeleteGlad you got the neighbor's usable "garbage" to the charity shop. You made me smile when you mentioned being caught "dumpster diving" !!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! We have to get some of that bird food. I know chickens love meal worms.
ReplyDeleteLook- you are not dumpster diving. You are saving the planet. Carry on.
That's great you found more things to add to your pile, as well as some useful boxes for your project. I love that the new neighbor may have had a glimpse or two! That bird feeder is great. I think I need one like that!
ReplyDeleteIf that was the new tenant they are probably rethinking the lease! But good that you retrieved the not trash.
ReplyDeleteThe tits are such cute little birds. We don't have them down here.
Setting The Tone Right Out Of The Gate - Well Done !!
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday ,
Cheers
I'll have to check and see if that bird food is available here.
ReplyDeleteHa! Timing is everything! That is one very busy feeder. You've made those birds quite happy.
ReplyDeleteThere are people round here who make a business of dump diving!
ReplyDeleteThe smaller birds in your video are loving the new feed, and the pigeons cleaning up the ground below the feeder makes a pretty perfect setup.
ReplyDeleteRecycling is always a good thing. I sometimes see things at the roadside with a sign saying, "free." We also have a swap shop whereby any homeowner can put useable things into the shed for other people to take.
You got many very useable items and that is great. Recycling is a mindset for many people. The minivan driver might just be a like-thinker.
I'm glad you found some goodies. I'm always nervous about being caught doing something sketchy looking, then I feel like I have to overexplain. LOL
ReplyDeleteThose little birds are so cute! I'm kind of glad you checked out the other bags - it was niggling at me. Ha!
ReplyDeleteSo many tits! 😆 I'll have to share your video with my grandson (who is 7 today). One of the gifts we got him is a fancy wooden suet feeder. He loves birdwatching (and listening with Merlin)!
ReplyDeleteMy aunt told me the other week "you only have one shot at a first impression, and it is the impression that will last" - of course, she said that because she has now been at a residential care facility for about 6 weeks and not emerged from her room yet. I think its cool that you rescued stuff that deserves rescue - we are so very quick to discard.
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see the birds on the feeder instead of a squirrel, the "Robin Mix" sounds very healthy for them.
ReplyDeleteHaha, now the new neighbour thinks that you are a dumpster diver. :-)
ReplyDelete