too many birds!!

[greenscrump]

Hi all

I've been feeding the birds since we moved here 2 years ago.  I put sunflower hearts out twice a day in 3 feeders and also some on the ground. I would really like to cut down on the amount I put out as it is now costing me too much.  Plus we are now getting feral pigeons turning up twice a day and scoffing what the collared doves don't manage to get first.

The problem is that there are still nesting blackbirds and sparrows bringing thier fledglings to the garden and I don't want to make things difficult for them....

My OH says I should just stop ... 

thanks for reading my ramble.  What would you do?

[Tulipa]

Hi

That's funny, I have just been thinking the same sort of thing. 

I think I am just going to have one feeder now and stop the ground feeding all together, that way the pigeons hopefully will go and feed elsewhere. I suppose if you just could wait until your fledglings are a little bigger, or put cheaper wild bird seed so that if they need it it is there but you are encouraging them to look elsewhere. 

I am feeling so guilty but there should be plenty of insects etc around for the birds now and the little ones need to learn to find them rather than relying on feeders for all their food.

It's difficult isn't it, my OH is the same as yours!

Good luck

T.

[froglets]

My mate had big problems with pigeons scoffing all the bird seed she put out, so she bought a kind of cage that sits over the ground feeder.  The heavy duty mesh is big enough to allow smaller birds to hop in and get to the seed, but the pigeons are too fat and can't reach.  I'm sure you could make something similar by bending old wire coat hangers over the feeder.

I also make use of the kebab sticks you can buy - 100 for £1 or similar & stake them at angles round the feeders/plants/salads to stop pigeons getting to them.

Give it a try?

[manicscousers]

we put out fat balls, only the smaller birds can get to them 
the pigeons around here are so fat, they'd fall off 

[froglets]

Tried fat balls ( add in your own jokes here) but the squirrels just bit off the hanger, tucked the ball under it's arm & scampered off into the tree!

[greenscrump]

thanks guys!

I think I'll stop putting food on the ground all together rather than construct a cover for it.  It would be better to encourage them to go elsewhere as my neighbour is making Hitchcock/Birds comments a bit too frequently now!

I keep promising myself that I'll really cut down once the fledglings stop coming but they just keep coming    I might try the cheaper food option though Tulipa

Isn't it daft how we feel totally responsible for them? If I see them hopping about looking for food I have to check there's some there........

Froglets - Squirrels are smart beasties 

[Carol]

I am in the same boat.  I too put out sunflower hearts into feeders and on the ground.  My problem is Rooks and Jackdaws, Woodpigeons.  I think I will cut it down as well to a feeder.   I shall still feed my blackies at the kitchen end, because he comes running every time I am out the door.  He has a mouthful of worms but wants his raisons.  I was also feeding a lame pheasant and his Mrs.  I see a corpse of a male pheasant on the road today, hope its not him but .....   The numbers of birds will go down soon once the moult starts after the breeding season.  The wee birds disappear at that time until the cold weather sets in and then off we go again.  The price of bird seed is atrocious.  It must have doubled in price this past year. 

 

[lorna]

Carol I remember a member on A4A saying that Goldfinches love Sunflower hearts, I had just been putting niger seed in their feeders. I am now buying twice as much seed for the G.F's. They sure do like those hearts

[Carol]

Yes Lorna.  Goldfinches like both the sunflower hearts and the Nijer seed, I buy both.  I feed at 2 sides of my garden with the Nijer at my back door and there is always Goldfinches there with the rest eating the sunflower hearts.  Greenfinches and Siskins also share the same food. 

p.s.  like your new grandson,  he is a cracker.   

[lorna]

Carol the only thing I have found with the niger seed is that a lot of seed lands up on the ground. Wondered if this happens when the wind blows the feeders about or if it is the Goldfinches dropping it. I have now put the feeding station on slabs so it is easy to sweep up. I think I saw some feeders with a "tray" underneath maybe that will help.
Glad you like pics of Great Grandson Rhys.   Now.....if he was my GRANDSON I would be 20 years younger, wishful thinking

[greenscrump]

Hi Carol

the blackbirds are the reason I don't want to stop ground feeding!  Our local pair are just fledging their third brood this year   

Lorna- we found screw on trays for feeders but it just gave the collared doves and pigeons some where to perch and scoff    Also, when they took off it shook loads of seed out of the feeders.......

[lorna]

Oh dear.. I can shoot that idea down then Any other suggestions? I suppose I will just have to spoil them and feed only Sunflower Hearts. I have to keep cleaning the slabs as the Niger seeds keep germinating.

[Carol]

Lorna, you are already doing what I do.  My Nyjer seed feeders are on concrete slabs so I sweep up once a week or so.  I did have one of them trays also under a feeder but they get a bit messy if it rains.  There is just no easy answer.   

Yes,  I will continue feeding the blackbirds.  The young uns and adults are all over my garden and when I go out the backdoor the adults seem to run to me.  It is quite touching really and I just talk away to them.  'Come on before them big birds come and get it'      I throw raisons or scraps towards the young ones.   5 mins later the big birds turn up.   

[grannyjanny]

I feed the GF with nyger seeds & enen with a tray underneath the seeds are germinating. I have another feeder with black sun flowers & one with hemp seeds. For ground feeding & the other containers I buy a 25kg bag of no grow from Kennedys bird seed supplies for £25. It has chopped sunflowers & peanuts, maize & oats. They all love it & the last bag lasted me 10 weeks.
Janet.

[honeybee]

I have just the same problem, I have so many birds that love the sunflower seed but am beginning to develop a problem with pigeons too for the past few months 

I have tried so many things to prevent the problem.
I have taken off the specially bought screw in trays at the bottom of the feeders, which i thought would deter them, but in fact were used as a ledge.

I have laid large cornish pebbles set into concrete below so that i can sweep us mess and I had hubby make a cover out of chicken wire which we put below the feeder but they still managed to overcome that 

The only temporary deterrent was when we cut black bin liners into strips and stuck them all about, that seemed to scare them off for a couple of good months but now even that doesnt work.

Its a problem and I too am considering stopping feeding my lovely little birds, which is a shame as they give me so much pleasure.

[Carol]

You lucky lucky person having the Bullfinches on your feeders.  I only see them a couple times in the year, beautiful birds.

I wouldnt stop feeding them birds Honeybee.   Soon, the brids will disappear for a while and we will get some rspite until the winter weather comes on. 

[lorna]

Great pics Honeybee. A couple of weeks ago I am sure I saw a Bullfinch on my feeders but before I started screaming with excitement to you all I thought I had better wait to see if he returned. Sadly NO.
I am afraid the digi camera the children bought us for our 50th isn't good enough to
take distance shots. I spend far too much time looking out of the kitchen window to watch the birds!!

[honeybee]

The bullfinch is lovely isn't he? He spends all day long in the garden with his wife, as do all of the other finches.

I have over 20 different varieties of species in my garden, all beautiful and all appreciated, especailly those that have raised their families here, but the ever increasing group of pigeons are the bain of my life!

[lorna]

honeybee 20 different?? Now I really am jealous.On the other hand after first deciding to feed the birds it took 2 years before I had Goldfinches visiting. Don't know if I have enough years left to see 20 different ones

[tricia]

I don't know about 20 varieties honeybee, but here are the birds I see in my garden:

loads of
sparrows
goldfinches
greenfinches
chaffinches
bluetits
great tits
blackbirds
robins
dunnocks
one female blackcap frequents the garden every winter too
collared doves
wood pigeons  grrr!

What other varieties do you have, you lucky thing you?

This past couple of weeks it  has been a delight watching fledgling green- and goldfinches, sparrows and robins being fed as they perch along the top of the bird feeding station.

I spend a fortune on various kinds of bird food, but since I get so much pleasure out of watching all the greedy little darlings, I count it as a hobby - and hobbies always cost money, don't they?

Tricia