I have been away to London for a few days, but have returned to a bird bonanza in the garden. The feeders are so busy at the moment…. I don’t remember having quite so much activity before at this time of the year. At one point, there must have been at least 20 birds on the feeders I have out at the moment. I have one nut feeder, one with black sunflower seeds and then I have been experimenting with a new seed feeder with a large tray. I bought this as there was so much wastage from the feeder. I am lucky enough to have a farm shop near me that sells a wide range of feed mixes, many of which they grow on site, so the prices are pretty reasonable. I had bought a sack of seed a few months ago that was not very popular and I watched the finches chucking it about until they found something they liked. I spoke to the guy at the shop and he recommended buying a small bag of a mix that he had found very popular with the finches… and to see how it went. It is Johnston & Jeff Spring/Summer mix. If it was popular, then they sell it in 15kg sacks, which work out much more economical to buy.
This mix includes: Sunflower hearts, pinhead oatmeal, millet, groats, niger seed, jap type millet, oyster shell grit, milo, split maize, suet pellets with insects, suet pellets with berries, dried mealworm, vegetable oil, aniseed oil and has been REALLY popular, attracting the chaffinches, goldfinches, greenfinches, robin, all the tits as well as the bullfinches, who seem to like feeding from the tray, rather than the ports, opposed to the green and goldfinches, who feed directly from the ports.
I would definitely recommend giving this mix a go if you can get it! I actually mixed it with some sunflower hearts I have, so there is a higher percentage of those in there. I was watching a young bullfinch who has become a regular visitor and it was eating all the different seeds in there, spent ages on the tray and is becoming quite possessive… not allowing anyone else on there when he is there!
