Should I stop feeding temporarily? (1 Viewer)

[Pecky]

The seed feeders in my garden are constantly fought over by pigeons and over the years there's been the occasional death by sparrowhawk. However, this week alone a sparrowhawk has taken two. I know it's all part of nature, and the hawk is going to kill something, somewhere, but I feel as if I'm simply providing an all-you-can-eat buffet. I'm wondering if I should stop feeding the birds temporarily, and if so, for how long.

 

[shrek48]

I had aweful pidgeon problems last year, so greedy and they come in flocks. Tried all sorts and really stressed me out, so I have converted an old Hamster cage into a small bird feeder and hang home made fat balls (coconut shells) inside and the little birds love it , I also hang a larger fat ball on the outside so the other birds can have a feed too. I have stopped feeding seed etc in seed feeders completely as the starlings & pidgeons ate it all in minutes and it is expensive now!
Since just feeding homemade fat balls it has been a real pleasure again, also my resident Sparrow hawk has taken two pidgeons recently so they have pretty much disapeared!
Great to see how secure the little birds feel inside the cage, while the Sparrowhawk was "dinning" the little birds kept feeding ! I cannot stop as Bluetits have started nesting in my 1 nest box and I love watching the birds!
Nature is harsh but I would keep feeding, if the pidgeons are too stupid to learn , then they will be lunch!

 

[dantheman]

The seed feeders in my garden are constantly fought over by pigeons and over the years there's been the occasional death by sparrowhawk. However, this week alone a sparrowhawk has taken two. I know it's all part of nature, and the hawk is going to kill something, somewhere, but I feel as if I'm simply providing an all-you-can-eat buffet. I'm wondering if I should stop feeding the birds temporarily, and if so, for how long.

It's moving into Spring and feeding not so necessary (but depends on whether it is the local urban/suburban birds you are feeding or birds that will then disperse to the wider countryside).

Is there hedge/bush/suitable cover nearby that birds can reach when needed to give them a chance?

The Sparrowhawk will only have to feed elsewhere and part of the cycle of nature as you say ...

 

[Pecky]

I had aweful pidgeon problems last year, so greedy and they come in flocks. Tried all sorts and really stressed me out, so I have converted an old Hamster cage into a small bird feeder and hang home made fat balls (coconut shells) inside and the little birds love it , I also hang a larger fat ball on the outside so the other birds can have a feed too. I have stopped feeding seed etc in seed feeders completely as the starlings & pidgeons ate it all in minutes and it is expensive now!
Since just feeding homemade fat balls it has been a real pleasure again, also my resident Sparrow hawk has taken two pidgeons recently so they have pretty much disapeared!
Great to see how secure the little birds feel inside the cage, while the Sparrowhawk was "dinning" the little birds kept feeding ! I cannot stop as Bluetits have started nesting in my 1 nest box and I love watching the birds!
Nature is harsh but I would keep feeding, if the pidgeons are too stupid to learn , then they will be lunch!

Maybe the difference between us is that I actually enjoy having the pigeons and have no wish to stop them eating the seed. I don't want to see them disappear. There's a smaller feeder that the sparrows use.

 

[Pecky]

It's moving into Spring and feeding not so necessary (but depends on whether it is the local urban/suburban birds you are feeding or birds that will then disperse to the wider countryside).

Is there hedge/bush/suitable cover nearby that birds can reach when needed to give them a chance?

The Sparrowhawk will only have to feed elsewhere and part of the cycle of nature as you say ...

There is hedge cover, and the sparrows can escape into it, but not the pigeons. In the decades that I've been feeding the birds I've never allowed the feeders to be empty, even arranging for my neighbour to fill them when I'm on holiday. I'd feel really guilty at depriving them of food but seeing a sparrowhawk sitting there plucking a pigeon is really upsetting as is getting up in the morning to a garden full of feathers. It's a dilemma.

 

[dantheman]

There is a member on here who also really liked their pigeons, but also their sparrowhawks and had a thread on it ... can't recall who sorry.