Feeding ducks & small birds but wood pigeons are a pest! (1 Viewer)

Hi. I'm a new member! I have recently started feeding the birds in my garden. I have fat balls in hangers and coconut shells, peanuts in feeders and a pot of mealworms under my hedge. I was getting a lot of blackbirds and a pair of wrens were feeding on the mealworms. I also put out a seed feeder on a small wall for other ground feeding birds. I have a small pond and recently we have been getting a pair of mallards in the garden so I have also started feeding these. I have a small tray with duck food and a bowl of water which I replenish often during the day as they visit the garden about 3 to 4 times a day. I am now getting 4 wood pigeons coming into the garden and eating the food! Noticed today that magpies are also congregating on garage roof! What bothers me more is if they are scaring off the smaller birds. Does any one have any suggestions as to what I can do to keep the smaller birds coming to the garden and stop the larger birds eating all of the food? Many thanks!

stick to seed. The Pigeons and Magpies will love the peanuts so stop putting out nuts and just put seed out. Sunflower hearts and Thistle seed do the trick in my garden.
Mind you I have added help in the fact that my neighbour puts out fatballs so he gets all the Starlings while I get Goldfinch/greenfinch/robin/wren/siskin and tits.

Many thanks! Will do that tomorrow. The smaller birds don't really bother with the peanuts anyway actually - they seem to prefer the fat balls and suet cakes!

Good luck.....although the birds will appreciate the food right now you'll see more interest in the winter months once they know your gardens a good larder.

4 woodies which appearing at the same time is allmost a family, be happy that they are visiting you! They will be pleased with good pigeon food, that keeps them away from the other seeds (or feeders).
That small birds aren´t happy about the magpies is no wonder, they are in their food chain.