Feeding the birds in my garden

[Gina M]

I'm all in favour of what you are doing, for your own happiness and the well being of the birds.
Just be careful if you have neighbours, if it's attracting rats. I think you can set it up so it's good for the birds, but don't get loads spilt on the floor to bring the rats in.

Thank You for your advice. I live in the country I have no nearby neighbours, it's just me and the rats etc. and any spill the pheasants, magpies, crows, pigeons, wild doves, squirrels and dogs eat then at night the rats and mice move in. What can I say, I love them all

Gina.

 

[Shrimp]

Bobby Owl having a wash, me helping.

 

[Spriddler]

All year I've had a dozen or so pigeons that appear every morning and teatime and wait for me to throw out sunflower seeds. Strangely, three of them have broken legs and can only hop.
I was late home one day and found one of them in my conservatory helping itself.

They enjoy a bath in the rainwater that collects in the sagging dinghy cover.

 

[denisejoe]

The male sparrow hawk is quite small but the female is much larger and could take a pigeon

Sparrowhawk Bird Facts | Accipiter Nisus - The RSPB

Sparrowhawks are the bird of prey you're most likely to see in your garden - they are adapted for hunting in confined spaces. Find out more

www.rspb.org.uk

 

[Paulypaul]

We regularly have sparrowhawks take pigeons and leave a right mess behind!

We ground feed our garden birds. We have blackbirds that knock on the back door by jumping up and flapping their wings at the glass and up at the handle, and over the last few years they have become more tame as new generations are introduced to us by the mum and dad's when feeding their young.

All the other birds that visit our garden like the resident robin, blue tits, sparrows, wagtails have all adapted to ground feeding. We also have woodpeckers, redwing and thrushes regularly but actively discourage magpies and jays.

We are rural here so we inevitably get rats and squirrels at certain times of the year but I take care of the pest control with air rifles, so we don't really have an issue much these days.

A couple of years ago we had a lot of rats raiding the feeding boards so after a good couple of sessions at night with the night vision taking out 18+ rats we stopped feeding for a bit just to make sure the problem was sorted, which it seemed to have been.

If I knew there were rats then I certainly wouldn't keep feeding regardless cause the infestation will soon take over and your feeders will always be empty, plus the rats and squirrels will start to look for somewhere warm to hunker down in, which might make your house, or motorhome, quite inviting.

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[SpeedyDux]

I wonder if your buzzard was a goshawk? We had a gos here in the summer, preying on our hens. It got quite bold, lying in wait in the undergrowth then jumping out for the kill. It was a very messy business. Buzzards are very reluctant hunters. Their talons are very weak and they prefer feeding on slugs, weak small birds and carrion. Sparrow hawks are also very small. Doubtful that they would manage a pigeon. May well have been a gos. They’re magnificent raptors, but not when they’re taking my hens.

The female Sparrowhawk is much bigger than the male. I've seen them kill pigeons (even big woodpigeons) and they are strong enough to lift the pigeon carcass and move it from their plucking post away to a quiet corner to eat the breast meat. I won't disturb her, otherwise she will need to kill another wild bird on the same day. The males go for smaller birds like sparrows and especially blue tits. I've watched one chase a starling. The starling was too good a flyer and escaped unharmed, screeching in panic and fear.

If it's dry weather I get the big Dyson out with an extension lead and suck all the hundreds of pigeon feathers off my lawn.

 

[Gina M]

Paulypaul from what you are saying my bird feeders are being emptied really quickly now I have moved them back in my garden. You have me thinking is it the rats and squirrels who are emptying them and not the birds

Gina.

 

[Paulypaul]

Paulypaul from what you are saying my bird feeders are being emptied really quickly now I have moved them back in my garden. You have me thinking is it the rats and squirrels who are emptying them and not the birds

Gina.

I would say so. We always have an inclination if there is a rogue squirrel stealing the birds food as the boards are emptied really quickly. As for rats, they have the same effect although they are less likely to be doing it in broad daylight unless there is an infestation. We have about 16-18 regular blackbirds feeding and when the feeders are emptied quicker than they can empty them, we know there are thieves about.

Squirrels are real thieves but easier to scare off or despatch. However, rats, if you see one, there's definitely more than one and it becomes a problem.

I think you may have to do a stake out to see what's going on, or get one of the wildlife motion sensing cameras. They're great to see what's going on.

 

[poppycamper]

If I knew there were rats then I certainly wouldn't keep feeding regardless cause the infestation will soon take over and your feeders will always be empty, plus the rats and squirrels will start to look for somewhere warm to hunker down in, which might make your house, or motorhome, quite inviting.

Same subject, differant topic
We stopped feeding our resident hedgehogs for exact same reason..
Started seeing rats on camera..

 

[poppycamper]

I’m actually more concerned that putting out feeders, as we normally do at this time of year onwards, might provide a vector for Avian Flu to spread. As hard as it might be, I think we might not feed the birds from feeders this winter.

Thus the reason, despite substantial loss to their takings our local independant animal food supplier has stopped stocking wild bird feed.

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[Mikey RV]

Love feeding the birds. Here is my Robin from last year

I called him Reliant.

 

[SpeedyDux]

A pesky squirrel is taking seeds intended for the birds. He buries them in my lawn. Next year I expect to find sunflowers popping up in random places on the lawn.

Running low now so I must go out next week and buy another 25Kg bag of wild bird seed.

 

[Puddleduck]

I used to love feeding the wild birds but since the outbreak of avian flu need to keep my poultry and the wild birds as far apart as possible

The poultry is confined as per instructions but I am terrified that I take something in on my shoes even with the precautions in place.

 

[Spriddler]

Same subject, differant topic
We stopped feeding our resident hedgehogs for exact same reason..
Started seeing rats on camera..

I've also been wondering if it's rats eating the tinned dog food that I've put out at dusk most nights since Spring for the hedgehogs that live under my workshop.
I decided to get a (self-contained, non WiFi) camera but when researching on the Web I became so thoroughly confused by the technicalities and conflicting advice and wide range of prices that I gave up. All I want is to do is to be able to tell a rat from a hedgehog, not compete with Attenborough.
Any suggestions for a camera would be welcomed.

 

[Spriddler]

A pesky squirrel is taking seeds intended for the birds. He buries them in my lawn. Next year I expect to find sunflowers popping up in random places on the lawn.

I had a squirrel doing the same with peanuts from the bird table which I had modified to prevent the voracious pigeons getting to the seeds and nuts. However, several times when the squirrel's back was turned as it returned to the table to get another nut a crafty pigeon flew down from the cherry tree and made off with the buried ones.

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[movan]

I used to have a dovecote I bought 6 doves to go in it as I love them. They used to fly around my head when I walked to my car in the morning and when I came home from work at night. They bred like mad which I wasn't prepared for but anyways the local Sparrow Hawk killed them all

Gina.

Same here, Gina..... But it was the simple magpies that used to snap the heads off my baby doves and rabbits. . Didn't even eat them, just killed for killing sake.

 

[rod_vw]

What ever you have killing the doves and pigeons please send them our way. Us and many of our neighbours have lots of feral pigeons living under our solar panels and desperately need to get rid of them.

 

[poppycamper]

Any suggestions for a camera would be welcomed.

We got ours from the Nature Spy website..
Plenty to choose from.
Can't remember exact model but the one we got is totally self contained.. rechargeable batteries which last for ages, records to sim card so no WiFi requirements, Motion detection and night vision which really is very clear although black and white.. oh it also has sound.
We remove card every week or two and see what has been around

 

[Gina M]

We got ours from the Nature Spy website..
Plenty to choose from.
Can't remember exact model but the one we got is totally self contained.. rechargeable batteries which last for ages, records to sim card so no WiFi requirements, Motion detection and night vision which really is very clear although black and white.. oh it also has sound.
We remove card every week or two and see what has been around

Might go down that route first before I move the bird feeders again. I would love to see what goes on in my garden at night.

Gina.

 

[poppycamper]

Spriddler .. just checked.. our camera is a Browning Recon Force Elite, model BTC-7E-HP4.....If this is of any use to you?

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[poppycamper]

Might go down that route first before I move the bird feeders again. I would love to see what goes on in my garden at night.

Gina.

It certainly is an eye opener...
I have never seen or heard of anyone who has seen a fox around here. We got one on camera once!. also mice, rats, next doors cat and also a dog oh and of coarse the hedgehogs.
And edit to include the birds during day and at dawn/dusk.

 

[Spriddler]

We got ours from the Nature Spy website..

Yes, I've browsed them all on that and several other websites.

Plenty to choose from.

Exactly, and that is precisely my problem!


Later........
Ah, I've just seen your later message with details of yours.
Great, thanks.

(Hmm, it's a BROWNING! I want to shoot them photographically, not blow their 'eads off )

 

[DBK]

I have spoken on here before about my love for feeding the birds in my garden. I set up a bird feeding station amongst my high bushes as I thought it was a safe haven for them to feed and drink water. Well, it attracted squirrels and rats as well and my dogs used to go wild at night trying to catch them, so I moved everything to an open space in the field. Result, bird feeders still full after 4 weeks. Birds not feeding from them at all. I went out to my car the other day and I found a wild dove on the drive with its back ripped open, sure sign of a Sparrow Hawk, that's how they kill. It broke my heart. So, I have decided to move everything back to the usual place and put up with the rats etc. so long as they don't come into my house. Result, all the birds have come back the feeders are empty, and my garden is full again of birdsong. Might need to put in earplugs again come the spring as they all arrive at about 4 in the morning, but it is lovely to see the birds back in my garden and I am back to ringing a bell before I let my dogs out so the large birds Pheasant etc. have time to get out of the way before the dogs get out!!

Gina.

Birds won't come to feeders which are out in the open. They want cover so they can approach in safety. I suggest you move them back to near but not in the bushes, say about five yards from them.

If squirrels are a problem you may want to look at squirrel proof feeders, for example those with a cage around them.

 

[Paulypaul]

I've also been wondering if it's rats eating the tinned dog food that I've put out at dusk most nights since Spring for the hedgehogs that live under my workshop.
I decided to get a (self-contained, non WiFi) camera but when researching on the Web I became so thoroughly confused by the technicalities and conflicting advice and wide range of prices that I gave up. All I want is to do is to be able to tell a rat from a hedgehog, not compete with Attenborough.
Any suggestions for a camera would be welcomed.

Personally I'd start with something like this one. No point buying a cheaper one that's no good at night. We have a few different types but all basically the same. Just pop an sd card in it and some ultimate lithium batteries or rechargeable ones and away you go.

No need for power or wifi. We've been able to identify a family of hedgehogs who come into our garden at night (one of them only has one eye) we've also seen rats, mice, cats, deer, owls etc.

I have a couple monitoring squirrel feeders on local farmers land where I take care of the squirrel infestation for them, cause the greys are super destructive to woodland. They're so portable and easy to use.

 

[Go_buddy_go_]

Not sure they stop them!

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[Paulypaul]

Birds won't come to feeders which are out in the open. They want cover so they can approach in safety. I suggest you move them back to near but not in the bushes, say about five yards from them.

If squirrels are a problem you may want to look at squirrel proof feeders, for example those with a cage around them.

Squirrel proof feeders only last a limited time before the squirrels work it out or destroy it, so its an expensive waste of money IMO.

 

[DBK]

Squirrel proof feeders only last a limited time before the squirrels work it out or destroy it, so its an expensive waste of money IMO.

You can get ones with a metal cage around them which will blunt their teeth.

 

[Paulypaul]

This is the only thing that will stop squirrels

 

[Gina M]

Well, I have to say I have not had any mice around the garden or in the house since I moved the bird feeders to the field. I love seeing the birds flying around and watching them in the bird bath but, it's not about me. I think I am going to move the feeders back up to the field. I never once gave a thought about bird flu. There are a couple of chicken farmers in the area so I should take more responsibility I think my nearest neighbour at the top of the lane keeps chickens too. Plus, it was costing me around £16.00 per month in wild bird seed and to think it has probably mainly gone into the stomach of rats, mice and squirrels I know I say I love all creatures but not happy when I go into the Utility room to get my dogs towel to dry them with and it has been chewed into confetti and as it has been mentioned on here I too could be transferring the disease on my boots by walking over the lawn where the birds have been

Gina.