Help with bird feeding

[The Laird]

I have been feeding large flocks of Waxeyes over the winter with large fat balls that are made up by New world butchers. They say they are hard pressed to keep up with the demand from buyers here in North Canterbury. The waxeyes attack these balls and can clean up a ball (6") in a day with the flocks exceding 30. My question is: Will this fat intake harm them in any way. Once spring is here I will cease feeding them as natural food become available and the flocks split up for mating.

[Steps]

This 'fat' is essentual to birds health...espec in winter.
We have had a resent discussion on this at kakariki.net
Vit D is essentual in animals, and is gained thru exposure to sunlight, bit birds have very little suitable skin to expose to the sun.
It is essentual for calcuim absorbtion amonst other things .. ans calcuim is needed late winter for laying.
Apparently these fats are absobed by the bird , processed and stored in the oil sack at the top of the tail...
The bird punes its self, the sun reacts with the oil, and the bird absobes the Vit D in the oil from the previous pruning...
End of winter breeding season , lots of good fats, lots of calcuim / mineral asorbtion , no egg binding , lots of healthy eggs...

[The Laird]

Thanks for that encouragement Steps. I found the info helpfull.

[Jan]

Not only Silvereyes like fatballs. Our butcher calls them 'birdballs' and knows what I'm after the minute I open the door!
That's because we don't eat his meat much, not a lot of it is organic. Got a lovely free range rabbit from him recently though.

Anyway, silvereyes, sparrows, starlings, greenfinches and even a chaffinch have been enjoying the balls recently.
Dunnocks and Blackbirds lurk around waiting for bits to be dropped. Keeping Magpies off was a problem for a while but relocating the ball under the eaves fixed them.

[The Laird]

Thats interesting Jan. Besides the Fatballs, I feed them with "Homebrand" woolworths Mixed wild bird seed which covers the small lawn with Sparrows, Green finches, Chafffinches and Dunnocks (around the fringes) but they dont go near the bird table with the fatball on it. This must be because the flocks of waxeyes are so bossy but all that changed yesterday with the weather turning mild from the Norwesterly the waxeyes have all but disapeared which, at a guess must have had their little hormones tickled and have pairing and breeding on thier minds with the flocks suddenly breaking up. I would be interested in other bird feeder's ideas.

[Anne Rimmer]

Stand your sugar water bowl in a shallow tray of water to deter ants.