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Very busy at the bird feeder today! (221 Viewers)

Anyone else see a huge increase in garden birds on the feeders this morning? I'm wondering if the heat of the last few days followed by the bit of early morning rain we've had has brought them out. Looking out this morning there were more GTs than I could count and, a garden first for me, a couple of Greenfinches made a flying visit to the seed feeder.
 
One of the Greenfinches just returned (see pic below) Look closely and you can also see the damage to the seed ports on the feeder caused by Squirrels :C

9327420220_5280c40a48_b.jpg
 
Well done with the Greenfinch, Mark. Quite a rare garden bird for me too.

Try a feeder with metal ports. Pricier but the squirrels can't trash them.
 
hi 2slo,nice pic.
I too have constant trouble with squirrels. l remember seeing a feeder in USA which was squirrel proof.It was a standard design except the opening was at the bottom, spilling seed on a tray the size of saucer.Here is the clever part ,the tray bar rotated.There was bar around the edge of the tray,where the birds perched to eat.but when the squirrel grabbed the bar to get at the seed.the bar started to rotate.instinctively the squirrel then grabbed the bar with his other hand.this only made the bar rotate faster.Consquently after spinning around for a while.he got dizzy and fell off.
The birds that perched on this bar was too light to make bar rotate,so they could eat seed with no problem.
 
Squirrel be gone

goonerz said:
hi 2slo,nice pic.
I too have constant trouble with squirrels. l remember seeing a feeder in USA which was squirrel proof.It was a standard design except the opening was at the bottom, spilling seed on a tray the size of saucer.Here is the clever part ,the tray bar rotated.There was bar around the edge of the tray,where the birds perched to eat.but when the squirrel grabbed the bar to get at the seed.the bar started to rotate.instinctively the squirrel then grabbed the bar with his other hand.this only made the bar rotate faster.Consquently after spinning around for a while.he got dizzy and fell off.
The birds that perched on this bar was too light to make bar rotate,so they could eat seed with no problem.
Click to expand...
We have avocado trees and the squirrels are constantly ruining fruit. They'll nip it off the tree and take one bite only to find it isn't ripe and go to the next and the next ad nausium. It is quite sad to come out and find a dozen avo's on the ground with singular vermin bites.

Found if we put moth balls (para-dichlorobenzene) into little cloth sacks and hang then from the trees, the squirrels will have nothing to do with it. Works on the seed feeder too. We tape mothballs to the bottom of the feeder. Vicks vaporub with cayenne works also and especially on HB feeders. The hummers can't smell the Vicks, but the bees sure can.
 
bongofury said:
Well done with the Greenfinch, Mark. Quite a rare garden bird for me too.

Try a feeder with metal ports. Pricier but the squirrels can't trash them.
Click to expand...

Thanks Bongo. You're right, I should have bought these from the start. False economy buying the plastic ones.

goonerz said:
hi 2slo,nice pic.
I too have constant trouble with squirrels. l remember seeing a feeder in USA which was squirrel proof.It was a standard design except the opening was at the bottom, spilling seed on a tray the size of saucer.Here is the clever part ,the tray bar rotated.There was bar around the edge of the tray,where the birds perched to eat.but when the squirrel grabbed the bar to get at the seed.the bar started to rotate.instinctively the squirrel then grabbed the bar with his other hand.this only made the bar rotate faster.Consquently after spinning around for a while.he got dizzy and fell off.
The birds that perched on this bar was too light to make bar rotate,so they could eat seed with no problem.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I've seen these, Squirrel spinners I think they're called. I might have to consider something like this.

autowood said:
We have avocado trees and the squirrels are constantly ruining fruit. They'll nip it off the tree and take one bite only to find it isn't ripe and go to the next and the next ad nausium. It is quite sad to come out and find a dozen avo's on the ground with singular vermin bites.

Found if we put moth balls (para-dichlorobenzene) into little cloth sacks and hang then from the trees, the squirrels will have nothing to do with it. Works on the seed feeder too. We tape mothballs to the bottom of the feeder. Vicks vaporub with cayenne works also and especially on HB feeders. The hummers can't smell the Vicks, but the bees sure can.
Click to expand...

Thanks. That sounds familiar about the fruit. The sods have eaten most of our cherries. Yesterday as I approached the cherry tree there was a Squirrel sat in the middle of it eating. He took one look at me and just carried on!
The moth balls is a new one on me. I will try that, thanks.

I got home late today as I was out buying some new photo equipt. Just had time for a quick test shot in the garden as the light failed. A Coaltit was happy to oblige as a test subject:

9335095071_9e1a17bd4b_b.jpg
 
have decided to do a dawn garden watch tomorrow, never done one so early, just in case i might be missing something, has anyone done this and had some good results into the bargain?.
 
Mark: Great shot of the Coal Tit.

For the last few days a drab looking Goldcrest has been taking peanut cake away, presumably to a nest. Very little colouration to it other than the crown stripe.

Lots of juvs about, Blue Tits, Robin, Blackbirds and Siskins.
 
Sudden influx of baby Goldfinches, Greenfinches and Sparrows. I reckon these must be second broods. The Sparrows obviously aren't finished yet as I've seen two collecting nesting materials today.
 
Thanks again to Autowood for the tip about deterring Squirrels by putting Vicks vapour rub on the feeders. I admit, I was a bit sceptical, it works though, for the moment it appears the Squirrels have departed :clap:

Following the comments re juveniles, ours are mostly at the same stage, feeding themselves now and doing well. The two garden species which I haven't seen any new birds from are Coal tits and Willow tits. The adults are still around, maybe they are just late in breeding, who knows? Here's a couple of shots from yesterday:

9371332139_12f0c65fdb_b.jpg 9373863962_2d587887a9_b.jpg
 
2slo said:
Thanks again to Autowood for the tip about deterring Squirrels by putting Vicks vapour rub on the feeders. I admit, I was a bit sceptical, it works though, for the moment it appears the Squirrels have departed :clap:
Click to expand...

Just wondering if Vicks has a Vaseline-like base, and if it would clog up on feathers if the birds brushed against it?
 
Mary said:
Just wondering if Vicks has a Vaseline-like base, and if it would clog up on feathers if the birds brushed against it?
Click to expand...

A fair point Mary, we thought the same. My wife put the Vicks on the base of the feeder, where the birds would be unlikely to touch but the Squirrels have to pass to get to the seeds. She applied it very sparingly.
 
Mary said:
Just wondering if Vicks has a Vaseline-like base, and if it would clog up on feathers if the birds brushed against it?
Click to expand...

Hmmm, Vicks is petroleum based, so may not be too pleasant on feathers. The active ingredients are Camphor, Menthol and Eucalyptol. All are quite cheaply available from Amazon. I may have to buy all three and try them on my feeders, which are enormously popular with the local squirrels.
 
I had a Kestrel fly over my garden this afternoon. It was high up (I had to look at the shot to figure out what it was).
This image is a 100% crop of what I took at 600mm:

9387272880_2416a6698c_b.jpg
 

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