Birds and your maggots

flightliner · Apr 1, 2016

Anyone notice how birds feeding from your baitbox will feed on any coloured maggot so long as they are all the same , red, yellow, whatever.
Mix them all together however and robins will only take the white ones How strange is that!.

sumtime · Apr 1, 2016

Racism in birds?

peter crabtree · Apr 1, 2016

john step · Apr 1, 2016

I noticed robins can be quite fussy. Chuck them a decent size worm and they ignore it. Last year I noticed the usual robin hanging around waiting for grub.
All I had with me was strawberry paste. It ignored a small rough shaped piece until I shaped some in the shape and size of a red maggots and then it gorged itself!

dorsetandchub · Apr 1, 2016

If a bird steals yer bait, don't take her out again....(someone had to say it)

PS: Did you try to weigh that Robin in, Mr Crabtree??

barbelboi · Apr 1, 2016

Being seed eaters as well that must have been a cr@p mix of hemp Simon..........

binka · Apr 1, 2016

flightliner said:
Anyone notice how birds feeding from your baitbox will feed on any coloured maggot so long as they are all the same

Never noticed that flight, but then I never used mixed colours.

I would be there all day separating 'em into neat little colour coded tubs so that everything would look tidy

rubio · Apr 1, 2016

Are you overfeeding?

terry m · Apr 1, 2016

In days of yore I would attempt any ploy to entice a bird to show interest in my maggot.

rubio · Apr 1, 2016

Including multiple colouring?

theartist · Apr 1, 2016

I remember last winter turning up on the local river with possible the oldest mankiest maggots ever, they must have been in the fridge for a month and were almost the size of pinkies. Worse still was the fact i'd run out of flavouring so my confidence wasn't high with it being so cold. With the water high I was feeding almost in the rushes which attracted the attention of the resident Moorhen which couldn't get enough of them.

This gave me plenty of confidence and I ended up having a really good day.

Not sure what the moral of the story is but I know it wouldn't be a good thing if the local wildlife didn't like your bait

Lord Paul of Sheffield · Apr 1, 2016

I've noticed that robins will take and eat one maggot whilst perched on the bait box then take another and fly off to eat it - then fly back and repeat the process

flightliner · Apr 1, 2016

binka said:
Never noticed that flight, but then I never used mixed colours.

I would be there all day separating 'em into neat little colour coded tubs so that everything would look tidy

You definately need help Steve.

robtherake · Apr 1, 2016

john step said:
I noticed robins can be quite fussy. Chuck them a decent size worm and they ignore it. Last year I noticed the usual robin hanging around waiting for grub.
All I had with me was strawberry paste. It ignored a small rough shaped piece until I shaped some in the shape and size of a red maggots and then it gorged itself!

Never noticed that at the garden, John. If my resident robin's about I stick a fork in the next bed so he's got somewhere to perch and chuck him the damaged worms and buggy nasties - he (or she) really has a thing for beetle larvae; the ones with a brown head and white body. Some are eaten on the spot, but most are carried off, presumably for the nestlings.

There again, there aren't any maggots or strawberry paste at the allotment so it's Hobson's choice.

laguna · Apr 1, 2016

flightliner said:
Anyone notice how birds feeding from your baitbox will feed on any coloured maggot so long as they are all the same , red, yellow, whatever.
Mix them all together however and robins will only take the white ones How strange is that!.

Interesting bit of observation flight.

Tee-Cee · Apr 2, 2016

I have a pair that turn up ( at two separate venues ! ) as I arrive and they sit patiently waiting for me to get organised. Once sorted they will come and sit on the rod ( Grrrrr ) not a foot from my hand waiting for breakfast to begin. At such close range they are an absolute pleasure to watch and these past weeks of constant cold with fish less than interested they have turned a tough session into a treat.

A slight ' flip ' of the wings keeps me on my toes when I forget to top up the mags.....

Just wonderful, is nature .....

ps Mine are quite happy with reds !!

no-one in particular · Apr 2, 2016

I have read birds have a far better colour eyesight than us so maybe colours are more significant to them but why certain colours in maggots are is a bit of a mystery. Robins are a favourite, when i was a kid and mum used to bake a cake on Sundays a robin used to fly into the kitchen and sit on it and have a good feed. I have always liked the story their red breast comes from trying to pick the thorns from the head of Jesus when he was on the cross; daft but a nice myth.
My nan was an avid bird feeder especially of robins in the garden and when she died my mum said several robins sat on her window sill at the funeral, over imagined probably; mum had her flights of fancy but still a nice story too tell a kid and adding it all up gives me a soft spot for them.

flightliner · Apr 2, 2016

Gorgeous little birds, winters would'nt be the same without them, such friendly little things until another one of its kind decides to encroach on its turf, then watch the feathers fly!.

tom_moran · Apr 2, 2016

My local Robin who always come and visits on a particular venue loves white ones!

Keith M · Apr 2, 2016

This robin kept me company all day long feeding on red maggots and pieces of bread-flake; I had a few white maggots mixed in with the Reds (but not very many whites) but I didn't actually notice whether he was only choosing to take one colour or not.
The next time I will look a little bit closer.

Keith

Birds and your maggots

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AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)

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binka

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