We also live in the countryside and have a fair number of birds visit - just today I saw a nuthatch on the peanut feeder (and the green woodpecker has been 'laughing' heartily).

For birdfood I'd recommend the old stalwarts of peanuts and sunflower hearts (these will be eaten faster than you can buy them!). When I tried making fat 'treats' the birds disagreed and they went mouldy!!! But this winter I bought 100 fatballs from Kennedys (for £15) and they've ate the lot (it 'helps' having 'endangered' starlings about too). Our goldfinches will eat niger seeds although they too prefer sunflower hearts!

I bought one of those plastic 'mushroom-shaped lidded' feeders to feed the robins/tits from to try and keep the starlings on the fatballs/peanuts and that worked mainly - you do get smart starlings working it out though!!

I've shied away from ground feeding since we ended up attracting rats (at one of our previous houses - BIG yuk!), but I have put down sultanas (50p a pack from morrisons/tescos) for the Blackies. Its amazing to see how many come and take them - although our original clematis nester 'Spot' (he has a white chest spot) still attempts to chase all others away! The sultanas/raisins are also taken by the robins and the 'odd' (another addict?) blue tit...

I love a wildlife!

Siskins....never seen one, but we had a goldcrest(s) feeding last winter!