Teesmouth Bird Club

I am looking for advice on attracting birds to my garden.

As an alternative to the shop bought fat balls I decided to make my own. I used lard mixed with peanuts, bird seed and currents and raisins. They were in the garden for over a month with zero interest from any birds. Yesterday we took them to an area at New Marske woods popular with birds and squirrels. Again the birds were not interested, although the squirrels loved them.

So, two questions.

1. Can anyone give me advice on making the fat ball mix and what to put it in.

2. Where and what should I buy to attract birds? I was in Wilkos today and they seemed to have a half decent selection of feeders.

Thanks.

Sounds ok to me Rich, though I used beef dripping when I was making bird cakes.Best seed is sunflower hearts in my garden it attracts more species than the niger or black sunflower seeds. Striped sunflower is ok if you have parrots. Good luck.

I find that the Wilco fat balls go down quite well , also I make seed cakes with Lard / Sunflower Hearts / Crushed Nuts , Raisins and Mealworms , they only last two or three days, I use some on feeders and some on the floor.
This time of the year I usually get Sparrows / Dunocks/ Coal Tits / Blue Tits / Great Tits / Robins / Starlings / Blackbirds / Magpies/ Wood Pigeons / and Pheasants.

I think that the feed may not be the problem. I bought some half coconut fat feeders from Wilco and still no birds have been. I think my garden lacks the correct shrubs and trees for the birds. The garden used to be quite overgrown and was always full of birds. We then slowly made over the garden and don't get many. I think we have ruined the garden for them. Even lots of feed will not bring them back

I think you have now answered your own question, until 2 years ago I had lots of different species visiting the feeders in my garden, then my neighbour chopped down the trees in his garden and now I only get a few house sparrows and pigeons. So if the environment is not suitable for the birds no amount of food will attract them.  Ian

Yes, I think so too, I have four Holly Shrubs round the edge of the garden and two large Acers in pots in the middle , the birds use these a lot to land on and shelter.

HI FELLAS. As B&M, Home Bargains and pound stretchers are doing fat balls for ?3.99 for 50 it aint really worth the effort to make yer own. ( Plus you get a useful plastic bi? bucket). Just a thought.

I use an assortment of feed in my garden including commercial  fat balls.
Black sunflower seeds are by far the favourite here.