How fast do birds empty feeders (2 Viewers)

[snowyowl]

I had shut down most of my feeders for the summer but I think that I'll re-activate a couple of them. There seem to be birds around right now that weren't here all winter or spring. I think however that I may move them closer to the woods and shrubbery. Now that I'm outside so much I don't care if I can see them from the house.
For those of you with squirrel problems, I suggest buying a Hav-a-Heart live trap (get the small size not the racoon/skunk size). I find that mine was a good investment. I find that sunflower seeds work best as bait. I have to trap a few every year and just transport them to woods a couple miles away. Of course I also have skunks that I have to trap most years as well. That can be more of a challenge.

 

[Euan Buchan]

Those Squerril's are a pest 3 times Ive been out there running wildily towards them chasing them off I Think the birds should be brave and attack Mr Squerril saves me running out chasing him but then again Im helping my featherd friends

 

[jwaldo]

My regular feeders typically go about 3 days when I put in good seed (stuff that doesn't attract piggy little house sparrows ), but less than a day when the house sparrows like what's on the menu. My finch feeders usually last about a week, but now more and more goldfinches are showing up every day . My hummingbird feeders lasted a loooonnng time but I need to replace them (they're old)...

 

[snowyowl]

Yesterday I talked about buying live traps and it seems that I may have to use mine, although I'll wait to be sure that there is a real need.
Yesterday, around 10:00, after I had finished my email etc I headed out to go down to the barn. My dog ran ahead as we started down off of the porch and went directly to a large lilac that grows a couple of yards from the house. I noticed that he was sniffing at a long, fluffy tail that was sticking out from below the branches. The sunshine was very bright and I was a bit dazzled so that my immediate thought was "Funny, how did one of the cats get out without me noticing?" That's when I realized that the tail wasn't black and orange as our cats are but rather black and white. I am fortunate that my dog is very obedient and I was able to call him away immediately without any damage. The bearer of the tail disappeared completely into the shrub and spent the day there. I saw the complete skunk around 5:30 when it left to go foraging.
I don't know what makes skunks more active during the day at this time of year. Babies would be the most likely answer but I didn't see any sign of them in this instance.
Now I'll wait and see if this was just a transient animal passing through or whether he shows up again. I believe in live and let live if possible even with skunks. We have had remarkably few problems with them even though they usually produce babies under the barn. I've seen mom and as many as six babies walking around on the lawn all at the same time in broad daylight while the dog and I watch.

 

[Euan Buchan]

Filled mine up this evening as they were quite low on storing(not surprised cus of that squerril) just have to keep chasing him off so now my garden birds have more food to feed on.

 

[Euan Buchan]

3 days ago I filled them up now they are half empty looks like a job for me this afternoon

 

[Gate]

One of my feeders wasn't going down very quickly....turned out that a pesky squirrel has gnawed the perches off!!

AndyC

Why do they do that? I have a constant battle of wits with the squirrels (sometimes I feel the Bill Murray character in Caddyshack), and my latest gambit (plastic glasses hung on chain from which seed feeder hangs) has baffled them good and proper. heh heh. So they concentrated on the METAL peanut feeder, and GNAWED THE PERCHES OFF. OK, the perches are aluminium, not steel, but it's still an impressive fit of pique. Hasn't stopped the tits going for the nuts, though. We have a wondrous crop of tits - mainly Great Tits, but a good number of blue tites and every now and then what I am sure is a pair of coal tits - always bouncing around, and it's two medium seed feeders needing filling three times a week (it was once a week in Spring, so it must be all this year's new chicks growing fat on our seed. Nice thought).

 

[Euan Buchan]

Won't be long until I'll have to go to Pets At Home to buy mre peanuts its amazing how fast a huge bag of peanuts can disppear so quickly.

 

[Tammie]

I'm afraid the birds won't be emptying my feeders for a bit. Had to put them under lock and key last night when I found out we have a bear hanging around the neighbourhood. Poor birds will have to make do with what's on the ground for a while until I find out the bear's been safely trapped. Hopefully that won't take long!!

 

[GrahamR]

My feeders are taking absaloutley ages to empty.

The only birds that have been in the garden this week are 3 greenfinches 1 dunnock and 1 blackie, is anyone else having the same problem or is it just me? :C

 

[Elizabeth Bigg]

My feeders are taking absaloutley ages to empty.

The only birds that have been in the garden this week are 3 greenfinches 1 dunnock and 1 blackie, is anyone else having the same problem or is it just me? :C

Birds are keeping me busy here - two hearts feeders need to be filled up every couple of days, and the peanuts are becoming popular again. Mealworms always go quickly.

 

[florall]

My feeders are taking absaloutley ages to empty.

The only birds that have been in the garden this week are 3 greenfinches 1 dunnock and 1 blackie, is anyone else having the same problem or is it just me? :C

I don't think it is a problem Graham. It means the birds are out in the fields and countryside, getting plenty of food there. They'll be back in your garden once food becomes scarce. I was reading in something I got from the BTO recently (their Garden Bird Handbook?) that they get lots of worried letters and calls from people in October asking what's happened to "their" garden birds, they've disappeared. By November, they'll be back. (Okay, it's not October yet, but I'm sure the same thing applies in August.)

 

[Elizabeth Bigg]

I was reading in something I got from the BTO recently (their Garden Bird Handbook?) that they get lots of worried letters and calls from people in October asking what's happened to "their" garden birds, they've disappeared. By November, they'll be back. (Okay, it's not October yet, but I'm sure the same thing applies in August.)

florall - I've just been referring to "The BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch Book" by Mike Toms. I think this is the one you mean.

 

[florall]

florall - I've just been referring to "The BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch Book" by Mike Toms. I think this is the one you mean.

You're right, it is Elizabeth. Thanks.