Bird feeders & jackdaws

Muahahaha

Got a couple of bird feeders and I put mixed seeds in one, nuts in the other. For 3 weeks there was lots of small birds feeding, emptying them out in about 4-5 days.

Now a gang of about 5 jackdaws have discovered them and are cleaning them out within a day or day and a half. They're often fighting each other for access to the feeder, the back garden is chaos at times because of them. As a result all the small birds have more or less gone, its seldom I see them now. I had thought the idea of these feeders was that only small birds could get the food but the jackdaws are pretty good at it too. Any solution or is there a food that jackdaws dont like that smaller birds do?

Also is there anywhere cheaper than the garden centers for buying seeds/nuts?

homer911

Aldi/Lidl often have offers on bird feed, just keep an eye out.

I have a small fir tree that I chopped back to a short trunk and made a bird table on top of it. I bought a sheet of wire fencing, gaps about 2" sq and made a cube out of it which I nailed to the top of the trunk, before nailing the table inside it. There is enough gap to let the small birds in and the large birds cant reach far enough through it to get to the table. I have Wood pigeons and collared doves that peck up anything the smaller birds leave behind but the magies have given up

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Put a cage over the feeders to crow proof them. You can google various options.

I find pet food stores cheapest for bird food.

Tree

Use elastic to hang the feeder so it's harder for large birds to be steady on it. Also, the seedfeeders with the lilttle holes and short pegs work great (though the crows sometimes kick it to scatter the seeds).

We get a mixed group of small birds, some starlings and a mixed group of crows. The peanuts in the peanut feeder go the slowest, with the suet balls lasting less than half a day if the crows are hungry.

The crows are clever, so be prepared for them to figure out what ever puzzle you set them. I've hand them unhook feeders as well to get at the food faster.

Muahahaha

Yeah the feeders dont have any protruding stand but the jackdaws put their claws in the wire mesh to grip and then twist their body to peck at the food.
I will try using an elastic band first before going down the cage route. These jackdaws are smart but hopefully it will work.