I have been feeding the birds in my garden for years but only in the last three have I been taking greater interest in how they actually take their turn at the trough or feeding tables.  The smaller garden birds come down early on and peck at the dispensers – they’re crafty little blighters too, they know which bits of the multi seed feed they want and literally spit out the stuff they don’t.  It goes all over the paved bit underneath and all over the soil.  Then down come the noisy blackbirds, fighting and squabbling with the braver of the smaller birds.  Then after that the very busy starlings have their turn.  So between that little lot, I’m not surprised my dispensers are emptied by lunch time.  Clearing up is essential – I leave some seed down for the ground feeders and hedgehogs but no fatty deposits, just in case there are rat shaped visitors joining the party.