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Bird Feeder Set-Up

  • 16-02-2019 5:06pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 4,993 ✭✭✭c.p.w.g.w


    So I have a new feeding station.

    All good so far, a lot of birds over the past week. A few doves, Bluetits and lots of starlens.

    But having an issue with the water bowel getting destroyed with droppings.

    Included is a picture of current set up
    473330.jpg


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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ Ali Wide Koala


    Water on a set up like this just doesn't work. Get a separate bird bath or water source. Use that for fruit or other dry food.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,506 ✭✭✭Wheety


    Should the nuts be in a feeder like that? I thought they should be in a mesh feeder so birds can't try and eat a whole nut.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ Ali Wide Koala


    Wheety wrote: »
    Should the nuts be in a feeder like that? I thought they should be in a mesh feeder so birds can't try and eat a whole nut.

    Correct, the one behind it is the peanut feeder.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,993 ✭✭✭c.p.w.g.w


    Wheety wrote: »
    Should the nuts be in a feeder like that? I thought they should be in a mesh feeder so birds can't try and eat a whole nut.

    They came in that feeder, and the birds are using them. Mainly much smaller birds using that particular feeder.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ Ali Wide Koala


    c.p.w.g.w wrote: »
    They came in that feeder, and the birds are using them. Mainly much smaller birds using that particular feeder.

    Feeding nuts whole is not a great idea when birds are feeding young. Nuts should be in a mesh feeder.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,993 ✭✭✭c.p.w.g.w


    Feeding nuts whole is not a great idea when birds are feeding young. Nuts should be in a mesh needed.

    What would you suggest in that feeder so?


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,506 ✭✭✭Wheety


    To me, as we look at it, I think the 2 closet to camera are for seed, the back left is for peanuts and the back right is for suet blocks.

    As for the 2 closet to camera, the one on the right is better. The one on the left has the hole around an inch above the bottom so the seed there never gets eaten and will need to be cleaned regularly. Well they all need to be cleaned regularly tbh.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,506 ✭✭✭Wheety




  • Registered Users Posts: 5,506 ✭✭✭Wheety


    Aldi have bird food and feeders on Thursday if you want to stock up or see what they're using the different feeders for.

    https://www.aldi.ie/bird-box-steel-peanut-feeder/p/010755268928802


  • Registered Users Posts: 135 ✭✭WildIreland


    c.p.w.g.w wrote: »
    What would you suggest in that feeder so?

    Feeders with "feeding ports" like that one are generally for seeds or seed mixes. Use the mesh feeder (the one behind it with the fat balls in your picture) for peanuts. The birds peck off small pieces through the mesh, but can't get whole nuts which can present a choking hazard for young birds.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,362 ✭✭✭rolion


    Hi,

    This is my setup.

    473550.JPG

    I have it on a separate tree as i have few cats around the house that are waiting for the small birds to settle on the ground and hunt them.
    I havent seen any dead bodies yet but i am afraid at some point the hunter will win.
    I'll kep feeding the cats,in meantime...

    Strange enough, have big seeds and small seeds bags.
    Looks like their favourite is the smaller size seeds,any ideea why ?

    Can i get some sort of water container,is it going to be safe and hygienic ?

    Had yesterday 6 little beauties on the tree at once time, relaxing after got fed.
    Thanks.

    473549.JPG


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,764 ✭✭✭Bsal


    Don't understand why people that have cats in the garden put out bird food, I hope atleast the cat has a bell on its collar.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,254 ✭✭✭Kevin Finnerty


    Bsal wrote: »
    Don't understand why people that have cats in the garden put out bird food, I hope atleast the cat has a bell on its collar.

    What if it's not your cat? Which is my case.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,764 ✭✭✭Bsal


    What if it's not your cat? Which is my case.

    Well you can either do nothing about it or go around to the neighbour that owns the cat and ask them to put a bell on it. Do you have any better ideas?


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,993 ✭✭✭c.p.w.g.w


    Bsal wrote: »
    Don't understand why people that have cats in the garden put out bird food, I hope atleast the cat has a bell on its collar.

    I have 2 cats, when they are out they have collars with bells on. Also they are inside cats 90% of the time. Feeders are high up.

    Why can't one like birds and cats?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,254 ✭✭✭Kevin Finnerty


    Bsal wrote: »
    Well you can either do nothing about it or go around to the neighbour that owns the cat and ask them to put a bell on it. Do you have any better ideas?

    I built an "indoor" feeder from a timber cable reel and wire meshing that's hanging high up. Only fella suffers is the Robin but that's his choice.


  • Posts: 3,656 ✭✭✭ Miracle Hissing Bone


    I have two cats. I also have dozens of visiting birds: Crows, magpies, doves, seagulls and then all the little ones like tits, sparrows, robins and some finches.
    My cats are both indoor and outdoor depending on weather. I have never seen dead birds or remains of birds, one cat is very elderly and isn't bothered to hunt, the other is just a mouser/ratter. There is no way I could ignore all the hungry birds just because I have cats. Birds aren't stupid either and as my cats cannot climb the thin branches of my trees and the birds are clever , all is good in my garden !


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ Ali Wide Koala


    Like it or not, and with the best will in the world, cats take enormous amounts of birds every year. Any cat will take a bird. Personally, I would not attract large numbers of birds to congregate in the garden if we had cats about the place. At a bare minimum cats should be kept indoors for at least an hour either side of sunrise and sunset, if you are feeding garden birds. And cats should not be allowed stray to other people's gardens.


  • Posts: 3,656 ✭✭✭ Miracle Hissing Bone


    Like it or not, and with the best will in the world, cats take enormous amounts of birds every year. Any cat will take a bird. Personally, I would not attract large numbers of birds to congregate in the garden if we had cats about the place. At a bare minimum cats should be kept indoors for at least an hour either side of sunrise and sunset, if you are feeding garden birds. And cats should not be allowed stray to other people's gardens.



    Well my cats are inside first thing in the morning and also from 5pm.
    But I have at least 3 other cats who visit from time to time, all probably from neighbours. I live in a development with lots of houses and don't personally know neighbours (except next door neighbours).
    How on earth are you meant to find out who owns the visiting cats that sit on my wall? They come and go but I don't know who owns them.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,362 ✭✭✭rolion


    Thanks...

    Sorry,the cats are not mine !
    We had found three "cute babies" couple of years ago "landed" in my back garden and caught them, kids took them and loved them.
    1 year later i've neutered them to DSCPA and brought them back @home

    One cat is friendly,we can actually touch the boy and he comes inside the house straight in my kids bedroom ... and he just looks at the birds
    but the other one in particular one,the tiger-ish bitch, stays on the wall waiting for the birds all over the gardens...

    Sorry,i cannot throw away God's creatures...they have to deal each other out of my intervention.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ Ali Wide Koala


    rolion wrote: »
    Thanks...

    Sorry,the cats are not mine !
    We had found three "cute babies" couple of years ago "landed" in my back garden and caught them, kids took them and loved them.
    1 year later i've neutered them to DSCPA and brought them back @home

    One cat is friendly,we can actually touch the boy and he comes inside the house straight in my kids bedroom ... and he just looks at the birds
    but the other one in particular one,the tiger-ish bitch, stays on the wall waiting for the birds all over the gardens...

    Sorry,i cannot throw away God's creatures...they have to deal each other out of my intervention.

    But if we are attracting birds by providing food, we are intervening.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,067 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    I'll just point out that just because you don't see your cat taking birds, and you don't find dead birds, does not mean your cat is not taking birds.

    Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. My Dad was of the impression that our local 'stray' never bothered taking any birds, but then when cleaning up the shed one day he found a pile of remains of various birds...


    You simply must work on the assumption that your cat takes more birds than you realise, unfortunately.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,067 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    Well my cats are inside first thing in the morning and also from 5pm.
    But I have at least 3 other cats who visit from time to time, all probably from neighbours. I live in a development with lots of houses and don't personally know neighbours (except next door neighbours).
    How on earth are you meant to find out who owns the visiting cats that sit on my wall? They come and go but I don't know who owns them.

    The point is not necessarily that you shouldn't have cats, but that you shouldn't attract birds to an area with cats i.e. you can have one or the other but not both (unless cats are always inside).


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,254 ✭✭✭Kevin Finnerty


    So conclusively anyone living in an estate where there are cats should not have bird feeders? I never see any bird bodies in my own backyard but that means diddly squat seemingly.
    I'd take it down in the morning if so, and I've been feeding regularly any number of winters.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,067 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    By feeding birds you are attracting them to somewhere they wouldn't otherwise be.

    If cats frequent your garden they will attack and kill some of those birds.

    If cats are going to kill the birds you're trying to feed, you have to either stop the cats coming into the garden, stop attracting the birds into the garden, or put effort into minimising the potential for the cats to catch the birds.

    Keeping in mind two things:
    1) Cats are not 'wildlife' and should not really be here at all, so it's not a natural interaction for them to be hunting our birds.
    2) In 99% of cases, the cat in your garden/neighbourhood is taking more birds than you realise. It's possible your cat is that 1% that isn't taking birds, but it's very unlikely...


    I get that this is a sensitive topic for a lot of people, because many people are very attached to their cats as well as their garden birds, so in many cases people convince themselves that their cat isn't that bad. That isn't a good approach though - a good approach is to take some positive actions to ensure your cat has no chance to catch your garden birds, and there are plenty of options in that regard.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,993 ✭✭✭c.p.w.g.w


    By feeding birds you are attracting them to somewhere they wouldn't otherwise be.

    If cats frequent your garden they will attack and kill some of those birds.

    If cats are going to kill the birds you're trying to feed, you have to either stop the cats coming into the garden, stop attracting the birds into the garden, or put effort into minimising the potential for the cats to catch the birds.

    Keeping in mind two things:
    1) Cats are not 'wildlife' and should not really be here at all, so it's not a natural interaction for them to be hunting our birds.
    2) In 99% of cases, the cat in your garden/neighbourhood is taking more birds than you realise. It's possible your cat is that 1% that isn't taking birds, but it's very unlikely...


    I get that this is a sensitive topic for a lot of people, because many people are very attached to their cats as well as their garden birds, so in many cases people convince themselves that their cat isn't that bad. That isn't a good approach though - a good approach is to take some positive actions to ensure your cat has no chance to catch your garden birds, and there are plenty of options in that regard.


    Just had a look at my CCTV and for the few hours my cats have been over the last few days (sped up of course) cats just sat watching the birds on feeder when they were in the garden.

    The feeder is away from raised areas and about 7 and half feet off the ground.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ Ali Wide Koala


    c.p.w.g.w wrote: »
    Just had a look at my CCTV and for the few hours my cats have been over the last few days (sped up of course) cats just sat watching the birds on feeder when they were in the garden.

    The feeder is away from raised areas and about 7 and half feet off the ground.

    The real danger is not at the feeders. People convince themselves that their cats are fine because they don't bother birds at the feeders, or the feeders are located safely, or designed to prevent access to cats, but the killing is mostly done where the birds roost or nest - in the trees, bushes and hedges. Hence the recommendation to, at the very least, prohibit a cat's access to gardens for an hour either side of sunrise and sunset. By feeding birds you are encouraging them in to a territory and that territory can be a killing field if cats have free reign.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,362 ✭✭✭rolion


    Strange how from a nice lovely topic on how to setup and use a bird feeder, now... have to start chasing the fcukign cats across my estate to avoid birds being hunted and/or killed.
    There are and will be cats wondering freely around streets,walls,gardens.Is in their instinct to hunt and to kill for food.
    On the other side,there are the birds that have in their genetics to look around and protect themselves,even when they feed at "my" feeder.
    Thats nature,same with humans and chickens and pigs and cows...

    Bigger birds seems to dont have the scare of the cats...while smaller ones spends some time looking around before going for the feeder.
    Cats cannot jump on the tree,as i have a wire mesh to prevent that and they cannot reach the tree off the wall either...

    The only thing that i can do is to make sure the ground is clean of any seeds to avoid smaller birds eating the dropings.


  • Registered Users Posts: 28 Juliet799


    I have bluebirds in my yard, they like mealworms and fruit. I am using Erva bluebird feeders for them, I and bluebirds like it


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  • Registered Users Posts: 5,853 ✭✭✭Storm 10


    Strange no one is talking about all the birds that are taken by birds of prey, anyway there is a Black Cat that comes into my garden and there is a Crow and on an almost daily basis they face off each other, the Cat slowly advances towards the Crow on top of the wall while the Crow spread his wings and heads towards the Cat, the Crow always wins, I must try to video it the next time I see them. Also there is a Magpie that comes in and feeds under the feeders never bothers the birds and they don't appear to be afraid of him.

    By the way we have a house indoors Cat we let him out when we are there with him shows absolutely no interest in the birds, Isn't nature wonderful.


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