I received a question the other week asking if any bird seed / bird food is genetically modified. I do not know so I could not answer.
I was also asked - if we buy bird seed which is generically modified and then put it in our feeders – would wild birds know it was different and not eat the bird food?
These are two good questions.
Does anyone know the answer?
I know bird food is produced to the highest standards, but can it be separated from GM crops and does it matter if bird food is genetically modified?
I think I need help here to figure this one out.
Trisha from Bird Table News
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.Liz said, on February 3rd, 2010
During the snowy/cold time we had recently BBC breakfast encouraged people to feed the birds in you garden (good for them).
I e mailed to suggest that people put out fat mixed with seeds and other suitable bits. Within half an hour they announced that you should not give birds meat fat as it might give them salmonella which would kill them. Is this correct?
If not please ask them to make an announcement to clarify as many people may have taken this as correct and are not giving fat to birds in the garden.
Trish said, on February 4th, 2010
The world is turning upside down.
It was a good idea of yours to suggest people put out fat mixed with seed.
I have always put out seed mixed with fat in winter. I think people have been doing it for years.
I have looked on the RSPB website to see what they say. They now seem to differentiate between lard and meat fat !
I wonder if the BBC have read this and misunderstood because they do not understand bird feeding.
I’m not sure how to get in touch with BBC breakfast but will take a look.
The RSPB site says
‘Lard and beef suet on their own are fine as they re-solidify after warming and, as they are pure fat, it is not as suitable for bacteria to breed on. ‘
It goes on to say ‘Fat from cooking is bad for birds.’ Then it goes on to explain why.
The RSPB site also says ‘Unlike humans, birds need high levels of saturated fat, such as raw suet and lard. They need the high energy content to keep warm in the worst of the winter weather, since their body reserves are quickly used up, particularly on cold winter nights. ‘
So feeding fat to birds is helping them survive the winter.
thanks for telling me about this. What was the email address you used to contact them? Trisha at Bird Table News
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I hope we don’t confuse people too much and make bird feeding too complicated for people to do.
Does anyone have any ideas and opinions on the type of fat to feed birds.
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It was freezing cold this morning when I discovered the handle on the newish birdfeeder had snapped in two. How annoying is that.
The two bird feeders below lasted me really well – for years in fact. I still use the top feeder every day – have done for years.
a sturdy bird feeder
A good bird feeder
A thaw in the middle of January gave a break from the cold of winter and gave birds a chance to recover a little. Bird feeding still went on but there was less urgency. Today the freezing weather has returned.
People have been helping feed birds in a lot of ways
At the Potteric Car nature reserve surplus fish from Doncaster Market was left on the ice for bitterns. The fish attracted one bittern within an hour.
At Far Ings Nature Reserve on the Humber whitebait and sardines were left for bitterns.
Some birds will fare better than others. All types of birds have been affected by this raw, cold winter.
Bearded Tits eat seeds in the autumn. At Blacktoft Sands bearded tits have been eating reed seeds. This winter the reed heads have been frozen or covered in snow.
Wildfowl have been looking for any open stretches of water. Six white fronted geese have been seen on a pond near Scarborough in North Yorkshire.
Two long tailed ducks, a Slavonian grebe, six brent geese have been seen at Filey Bay.
I know for a fact that Fieldfare have been starved off the fields because of the snow and ice and have arrived in gardens for food and sanctuary and survival.
I wonder how birds survived in the winter of 1947 – when it was freezing cold. I’m sure people did not put as much bird food out then as we do now.
Does anyone know?
Marjorie asked
I have bought my 10 year old grandson a bird table for Christmas. He is home educated and is fascinated with the birds who have now started coming into our garden to the bird table.
We have put out grated cheese, a coconut fat thingy, a fat ball and some bird nuts.
Yesterday he read in his book that sunflower hearts are popular.
The birds don’t seem to want the bird nuts and they have been left untouched.
Can someone tell us why that is? Is it because the nuts are too large?
I replied
Thanks for getting in touch. It’s great that your grandson likes feeding birds and is fascinated with them. There are so many sizes and colours aren’t there? Only certain birds like peanuts and if you aren’t getting that type of bird at your feeder then they won’t be eaten.
Is the cheese being eaten? I bet it is.
Sunflower hearts are really good enery food for birds.
If you click on this link you will see a list of some birds that do like sunflower hearts
http://birdtablenews.com/2009/04/some-birds-that-eat-sunflower-hearts/
If you click on thE link below it gives a list of the favourite bird food of some garden birds
http://birdtablenews.com/2009/02/favourite-bird-food-of-some-garden-birds/
Below is a link to soft bill bird food. Some birds have beaks that can only eat certain food. Soft bill food helps these birds
http://birdtablenews.com/2009/07/softbill-bird-food/
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Hope that info helps you. I’m really pleased your grandson is enjoying watching birds
If you click on the link below you will be able to hear some birdsong. At the end of the article there is a DVD of birdsong for sale, in case your grandson would like to listen to some birdsong
http://birdtablenews.com/2010/01/birdsong-from-my-east-yorkshire-garden/
It’s really great that your grandson is fascinated by birds. It is a link to nature which must be good.
Trisha
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I had another question that asked about GM bird food. What is your opinion
I am having the same problem. The birds aren’t eating the bird seed. Do you think that the seed is genetically modified? I read somewhere that chickens won’t eat GM chicken feed. The animals must know that GM foods are not safe.
I have had lots of problems with squirrels eating bird fat cakes that I put out. I remember reading somewhere about adding a large spoonful of chilli powder to stop this, as birds are not affected by chilli. But I don’t want to do this if the birds will be injured in some way.
The above is a question I’ve received from Mike
Ages ago I myself had trouble with squirrels and tried chilli pepper. I had read that the RSPB said it was a way to keep squirrels away. So I tried it. It did not work. I know coating birdfood with chilli pepper did not work, but I could not remember the reason why. I looked up some notes and saw that I had written this on 17 November 2008
Notes below have been taken from 17 November 2008 Chilli pepper and keeping squirrels away
I have taken the RSPB’s advice about how to keep squirrels away from bird food. It hasn’t worked.
The RSPB report that chilli pepper powder on bird food keeps squirrels away but does not bother birds.
RSPB advise that the bird food is put in a bag with the pepper powder and shaken together.
Tell that to the birds.
None of the bird food that I covered with the pepper powder has been touched by birds.
The bird food was on the ground feeder and bird table. I even took the meshed cover off the ground feeder and still the bird food was not eaten. Not one seed was touched
On the other hand I haven’t seen a squirrel today.
Have brought the bird food inside and will put it outside again tomorrow.
Has anyone ever used this method to keep squirrels away?
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Has anyone else used chilli powder to keep squirrels away?
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I do have some squirrel proof bird feeders and a meshed garden feeder. They are brilliant, but, of course, blackbirds and thrushes can’t get to the food and I wanted to keep some open bird feeders for the blackbirds and thrushes.
It does seem though that squirrel proof caged feeders are a good way to keep squirrels off any type of bird food.
What do you think?
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I thought I’d keep a note of how much bird food I’m using and where better than here on birdtablenews.
Today I bought
12.75kg OF NATURE’S FEAST FEEDER SUPREME. Price £10.99
It is a seed mixture that includes sunflower, dari and millet. It is for seed feeders. This bird food attracts a lot of birds including Great Tits and Coal Tits, blackbirds, chaffinches, greenfinch, goldfinch, doves, starlings, tree sparrows and house sparrows
12.75kg GUARDMAN NO MESS SEED MIX – Price £15.49
It can be fed in bird feeders, bird feeders and on the ground.
Among the birds this bird food attracts are greenfinchyes, chaffinches, nuthatches, blue tits, siskins, dunnocks, blackbirds, song thrushes and sparrows.
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Oh dear. I seem to have bought two bags of bird food that attract similar birds.
I already have some blacksunflower seeds and Natures Feast High Energy Supreme.
I also put out cut up cheese and apple.
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It will be interesting to see the dates that I (I mean the birds) finish both these bags.
If it doesn’t snow then I don’t put as much out.
My assorted flock of garden birds gets through a lot of bird food. All the different varieties of birds do seem to act as ‘one flock’. Chaffinches, blackbirds, wrens, thrushes, sparrows, pigeons seem to act as one flock.
I have sent in my Big Garden Birdwatch Results. that is a good job done.
Trisha
This morning I took the easy way to birdwatch – through my kitchen window.
It is a really good way to birdwatch as birds just ignore any movement inside the house.
I saw
Rook at my bird feeder
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My problem is that I found it hard to make sure theywere all tree sparrows. Does everyone know the difference. I haven’t submitted my sightings yet so don’t know if RSPB do distinguish between house and tree sparrows.
I saw a fleeting glimpse of a bird and was not sure if it was a wren or a dunnock. Later on I saw one wren and then a little later a dunnock. But it is difficult to distinguish between some birds isn’t it?