Any ideas for starling proofing the birdtable

cubix

There will be some of you out there who will say what will be will be. But the way these lads seem to feed around our way it does not last long and no one else gets a look in. They even pester the cat and eat her go-cat food:D. I tried last season wrapping it in green plastic garden mesh(50mm was the smallest they had) and the boyo's still squeezed in. This time I am thinking of putting clear perspex all round and just cut holes of 40-45mm for the smaller lads to get in. Any better ideas before I go head...

cuddlycavies

Shotgun?

jmkennedyie

Different birds feed in different ways. Starlings typically on ground, flat surfaces, perches. I have nut feeders / sometimes fat balls hanging from trees with no perch in reach. Tits and finches can handle them (I even had Long Tailed Tit on peanuts last year). Whilst starlings have a go, they don't hog them, preferring to root around on the ground for scraps.

megadodge

That's what I thought as well, until last year when the starlings hogged the feeders constantly. No problem to them at all.

megadodge

Actually, now that I think of it, how does one go about vermin-proofing (rats & mice) bird feeding stations?

I presume nothing should be left on the ground, but that excludes the ground-feeding birds, so how do I cater for all?

rediguana

I get loads of starlings around my house on the outskirts of Cork but they have no interest in the peanut feeder or any seeds I might scatter. They're either happy enough twittering on wires or else they may eat some berries from bushes, but that's it!

Dizzyblonde

The starlings that visit my garden are like gymnasts. They've mastered all the feeders and can even hang upside down off the fat balls.

pops

We've just tried hanging old cd's off the branches nearby and hope that might do the trick. I'll let you know if it keeps the starlings (& pigeons) away....