Bird feeders

I've upgraded my bird feeders to better quality ones in the hope for less spillage, i was attracting a fair few rats with my old ones,

The mesh sunflower hearts feeder appears to be ok a few bits drop but the gold finch tend to eat half drop half, very impressed with the niger feeder looked all over for one like this found it at Homebase in the end,

Anyone else chose there feeders to help prevent spillages/rats any others to try if i am not happy with any of these.

 

Thank you S, ive moved them to a better position and allowing the pigeons to mop up, in the last few days blackbirds and dunnocks are joining in with the clean up also hoping most of the seed will fail in the planter below,

Once summer is over this area will be clear of plants and I will be able to see any problems developing lets hope this nips it in the bud.

 

Lovely feeders @martin-f I have the Niger one and used to get quiet a few Goldfinches feeding from it as it is on its own in the garden,not near other feeders as the Goldfinches at times like to feed away from other birds but over the last few months they have given it a miss despite me cleaning it out and replacing with fresh seed so I have given up with it for the time being

It is lovely to have birds visiting the garden although at the moment we have Magpies and Jackdaws visiting plus a Wood Pigeon twice a day and if there is too much seed on the ground I don't put any out on my bird table until they have cleared up the stuff on the grass.Even the hedgehog that visits enjoys filling up on dropped seed as I see the remains in the poo parcels he leaves for me

@shiney it's about time you filled up your feeders as a couple of them look a bit empty

 

Ahh might have to get onto these, I put my bird feeder back up the other day and I bought a cheap cage for peanuts...the bottom keeps falling off so I have a pile of peanuts on the floor ..had another 3 voles and one mouse this week (presents off the cats) so think I may be attracting more vermin to my garden Also had a magpie stuck in the back fence that had to be taken to rspca.. 3 cats and a bird feeder is not a good combination

 

Noooooooo I put pots or things round and about under mine, the stuff grows, fast and strong, still trying to kill something grass like growing out my hostas.

 

Thank you A, that idea had crossed my mind great work , I think that's the way to go, the goldfinch are dropping lots of little bits from the hearts feeder something like that will help no end .

 

what a fantastic idea, you clever cloggs you! i'll definitely be copying this without a doubt we had about 9 million sunflowers popping up under the feeders last year (i counted, honest ) sounds nice in theory but only a few made it to maturity as the birds kept breaking them, those that survived were very pretty mind you but still such a shocking waste of feed

 

Like this thread. We gave up on a bird table years ago, strange plants kept growing everywhere some I am sure were illegal , and took to hanging feeders under the pergola and the gazebo type thing. Oh the mess.

 

Well they have started to use it first visitor ive seen on this feeder.

 

I did this too; works a treat like you say.

 

Hi @martin-f

Hate to be the doomsayer in the thread but it won't simply be spillage which will attract rats/mice and in your case, unfortunately, the position of your feeders will make it quite easy for them to crawl up the structure and reach across to the feeder and enjoy a free banquet. They are clever little blighters

Yes, of course, spillage trays go a long way to helping reduce spillage, but would become a waste of time if the rat can simply reach across (or jump) to the feeder and then use the spillage tray as its own personal dinner plate.

One of the reasons the feeding station poles became popular is because they can be put out in the open away from any other structures. However, bear in mind that a determined rascal will even crawl up a pole feeding station (unless you either grease the pole or it has a squirrel guard/baffle, or similar, such as the one in shiney's picture).

You have to think like a rat