Re: Feeding Birds

Hi

I have a birdbath further down the garden.

I will not do ground feeders as they attract vermin.

I had an understanding with the wood pigeons at my house in the village, they ate my veg, I ate them.

Shooting them is not an option living in the town now.

I don't do mealworms, but they get all my left over fishing bait. maggots and casters.

I am loathe to move my feeder, it is close to the house and low enough for Jacob, who is autistic, to load up when he comes.

He is a creature of habit , loves feeding them and watching them.

Re: Feeding Birds

Would he be patient enough to train them to come to his hand?
It does involve being very, very still for a while, over and over again, day after day.

What I did was to sit near a table and put the meal worm on the table.
Then, as the bird got confident, I sat nearer and nearer the table.
Then I put my hand on the table, palm uppermost and flat, not too close to the mealworm.
Then I put my hand closer and closer to the mealworm.

Then I would put a mealworm on my flat palm. That was the tricky bit...getting them to take it off my hand.

When they were happy doing that, I offered the mealworm on my open palm above the table, getting a bit higher each day.

Then I would stand, with my open palm with mealworm over the table.

Eventually, I didn't need to be near the table, but had to keep very still.