Great pic Doc. I absolutely adore wildlife and I guess you do too.
I have hundreds of pics taken at our local nature reserve, some fab pictures but it's such a hassle for me to get them onto the computer and then onto AB. Takes ages too. I get a circle going round and round and round....feels like forever but I guess I'm being impatient. :o(
Yes they are, Doc. I buy them in a huge box (10 kilos) because it works out cheaper than those little tubs and my hedgehogs love mealworms.
That particular blackbird waits at the hedgehog pen every evening and I always see that he gets a pile as he and his lady are feeding young at the moment. It's quite funny to see them cramming loads into their beaks.
I know what you mean, Doc. They sort of vibrate, don't they! They look so cute. I'll try to get a pic of the sparrows sitting on my fence and I'll post it. Sometimes I have half a dozen on the fence.
"DO NOT GIVE MILK OR BREAD to birds. They are not mammals and therefore milk is not part of their natural diet. Milk may also cause diarrhea leading to dehydration and bread does not provide the protein and vitamins needed by small babies"
http://www.wildbirdca.../english/rescuer.html
I soak the mealworms for the birds, just as I do for the hedgehogs, but my MIL feeds them dry and they are still very popular with both hedgehogs and birds.
The worms don't half pong when you're soaking them.
I know what you mean, Cazzz. For a long time I couldn't bear to handle them, but now I'm not bothered at all.
I started buying them when I began taking in poorly hedgehogs, as they are high in protein and therefore good for the hedgehogs. They help to put on weight, too, so they're good for hibernation.
Doc/Puss, if you are gonna buy some mealworms, make sure you shop around. One of my local pet shops charges £2.99 per 100g, which works out at a whopping £29.90 per kilo!
I get mine off eBay, about £10 a kilo including delivery.
I get my mealworms off the net too the birds go nuts for them although they do whiff a bit if you soak them (I don't actually bother, the birds seem happy with them dried). You mustn't give birds bread though - it has no nutritional value whatsoever and just fills them up.