RICE BALLS, FAT BALLS, AND HUNGRY BIRDS

It snowed a few days ago and the temperature here, high on the Pennine Mountains in West Yorkshire, is freezing cold.  The snow is lingering despite the sunshine and blue sky.  My car is still covered in icy snow, the road is covered with ice, and my Ragdoll cat, Alfie, and I have not been venturing out.  We are both whining about it now.  I've been watching the birds, particularly the Collared Doves and Thrushes, coming and going from my bird feeding station and the seed feeders are emptying fast.  As nearly all my store of wild bird seed has now gone, I boiled some rice and formed it into balls.  A year ago I bought a huge bag of niger (or nyjer) seed, thinking I was being clever and getting a bargain, but the birds have shown little to no interest in the special feeder for that tiny, dark brown seed. Goldfinches are said to be attracted to niger!   So, I have rolled the rice balls in the niger seed and the visiting birds, less picky now that the ground is covered in snow and their bellies are empty, are eating both rice and niger seed.  Good.

Thrush and Collared Dove checking each other out

Collared Doves congregating for a free meal

In the warmer months I see Collared Doves hanging out in pairs but this winter numerous Doves have arrived at once.  While they are depleting my seed feeders, and my purse, I haven't the heart to shoo them away at a time of year when they need all the help they can get. 

Although I doubt that boiled rice is as nutritional as the sunflower seeds etc, I think by rolling the rice balls in niger seed, that it ups the nutritional value.  The homemade fat balls are always popular.  They are cheap enough to make and I've noticed that the thrushes are more interested in them than other birds right now. 

Thrushes eating fat balls, rice balls (in the tray), and peanuts.

I have a strange fondness for Woodpigeons.  They are large with a particular white marking around the back of their necks, unlike feral pigeons, which makes them easily identifiable.  I like their manners.  While they are bigger than the other birds, they are polite and I never see them bullying other birds.  Sparrows, Blackbirds, and Collared Doves, however, can be quite aggressive.





Woodpigeon

Woodpigeons and Thrushes happily sharing a meal. 

I don't know where the squirrels have got to.  I hope that they have plenty to eat and are holed up someone, keeping warm and comfortable in the cold weather.