A blue tit with a yellow breast and blue cap perched on a mossy twig against soft green

Plate IThe seed room

Seed, fat and feeders

Eleven specimens, each one tested on the station table in our yard before it came onto this page.

Showing 11 of 11 specimens · sorted by plate number

Plate IIDelivery and returns

Packed in the granary, twice a week.

UK mainland
2–3 working days · £4.95
Orders over £60
Free, same days
Highlands and islands
3–5 working days · £8.50
Sacks over 10 kg
By carrier · £7.50
Returns
30 days, unopened seed and unused feeders
A great spotted woodpecker clinging to the bark of a tree trunk, black and white with a red patch under the tail
A goldfinch with its red face and gold wing bar perched on a drooping, seeding sunflower head in a garden
fig. 3 · a goldfinch working through a seed head left standing in the yard border

NotesChoosing seed

Which sack, which feeder

Hearts or striped sunflower — what is the difference?

Hearts are the kernel with the husk removed: no mess, no waste, about a third more birds per kilo. Striped seed is the whole seed in its shell; it costs less and keeps finches busy for longer.

How long does a 2 kg sack last?

In one tube in a busy garden, about three weeks in winter and five in summer. If it lasts longer than six weeks, use a smaller feeder so the seed stays fresh.

Are your peanuts safe for birds?

Every batch is tested for aflatoxin before it is sieved and bagged, and the certificate number is printed on the sack.

Can I put fat balls out in summer?

Our nets use beef suet, which holds its shape to about 20 °C. In hot spells, swap to suet pellets on a shaded table.

Do the feeders come with anything to hang them?

Every tube and lantern comes with a steel hook and 40 cm chain. The hedge bird table stands on its own oak post.

A European robin perched on a lichen-spotted twig, its orange breast lit by low morning sun against a soft olive background

Not sure which seed? Tell us your birds.

Tick the birds you would like at the window. The matcher picks the blend and the feeder, and Hester weighs it on Monday.

Open the matcher