Feeder Woes (1 Viewer)

[philipw2]

Few birds come to my feeder, but squirrels come all the time. However, I had foreseen this and bought a squirrelproof feeder. I set it up on a wire running from a dogwood tree to my house, just a few feet from the dogwood branches about 7 feet off the ground. I filled it with premium quality black oiled sunflower seed, and waited for two months for the birds to eat it all. The squirrels are continuously gnawing at, but have failed to break in. (At this point I have gotten more enjoyment from the frustration of the squirrels and their acrobatics to get at the cage than I have gotten from seeing any birds.)

However I am concerned that the squirrel proof feeder is also hard for the birds to feed from. I have seen house sparrows, song sparrows and a red breasted woodpecker and a few finches, but that is all. I put in 2 cups or so of black oiled sunflower seed and that lasts 2 weeks. I rarely see birds and I am home most weekends.

The model feeder is DUN-18834 Duncraft Squirrel-Proof Blocker Selective. It has a metal mesh tube inside the cage that permits birds to eat only one seed at a time, to avoid waste. So it was intended to be economical, but did they make it too hard.

Is the low level of attention given to my single feeder normal, given the very snowy winter we are having in the north east USA?
Or have I foiled myself as well as the squirrels?

You can see the The feeder in question

 

[paula]

Hi Phillip,
Had a look at your feeder, it does look a fortress but I have something like that and the birds do come and feed from it.
The birds do need time to find the feeder and feel comfortable with going on it.
Are other people in your area feeding the birds? It might be good to have a look and see what sort of feeders they are using ......perhaps someone has a feeder like yours.

 

[IanF]

Hi Phil,

Welcome to Bird Forum :t:

That sure is an impressive looking feeder. When the birds are hungry enough then they will likely find the feeder. If someone else nearby is providing an easier source of food to get at then they may be going there instead. Sometimes it does take a while for birds to find a new feeder and then add it to their regular routine. I'd be inclined to give it a while longer, certainly until late Spring. I find from now on the birds frequent the garden more and more as the cold weather continues and natural food becomes even harder to find. This is followed by the Spring breeding when the adult birds struggle to find sufficient food for the chicks, so there is chance yet.

 

[NCLady]

Hi Phil: I would suggest that you also try a regular feeder with seed other than sunflower. The finches love the white millet (not the rust colored one). I seem to have more finches than anything, and I use a mixture of all seeds, including raisins, peanuts. Also if you put out dried ears of corn and squirrel food in another part of your garden, the squirrels will go for that rather than the feeders. It may take a few days, but they will find it.

 

[columbidae]

I definitely would echo the last post and suggest you add some additional feeders. As NCLady said, avoid the small rust-colored seeds, which are added to many seed mixes as "filler". If you have a Wild Birds Unlimited store in your area, they have some good seed mixtures.

I have found that even throwing some sunflower seeds and cracked corn on the ground will help keep the squirrels off the feeders.

 

[mkdon]

I use a hopper feeder on top of a 4x4 post. I have a stovepipe type squirrel baffle as well as a dish shaped baffle on each post. It keeps the squirrels off. It is important to have the feeder far enough away from trees, etc. from which the squirrels can leap. Birds will go to the avenue of least resistance when choosing a food source. I have had good luck with a mix of black oil sunflower and safflower. Any cage type setup will exclude birds of a certain size. Good Luck !

 

[new 2 this]

I agree too to be patient in adddition to trying more variety of foods, last year was my first year feeding the birds and it was only when spring hit and the stressed parents needed lots of food for their babies and themselves that they started to take notice of my offerings more, it was very frustrating so I fully understand where you are coming from. This year I have doubled my seed usage as the birds remember me from last year. Spring will be busier still! I feed til mid June ish, or until I feel there is lots of natural food about, the birds like that too.

I'd recommend making up a bowl of fat (melted lard) adding quality seed and oatmeal and putting out in a washed out yogurt pot or milk carton...it goes down a treat round my way and on cold days my garden looks like a scene from the film 'the birds'. Do be patient, soon you'll be rushing about trying to keep up with their hunger lol.

 

[philipw2]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will have to consider a second feeder. (Since my first one has had so few customers, getting the wife to go along with a second...)

I did have a suet feeder as well. But it wasn't squirrel-proof. The squirrels would empty it in a week. (I never did see a bird on it.) So I stopped filling it. Does someone make a squrrel-proof suet feeder?

The spot I chose is not ideal in that it is very near trees, which give the squirrels purchase. But it is the best spot to view the feeder from the house. And I know birds feel comfortable there. (I originally put the feeder up there, because all fall birds were eating some buds in the zelkova tree, next to the aforementioned dogwood.)

 

[mkdon]

Squirrels do not like the plain white suet. They get after suet because of the extras in it (peanut butter, nuts, etc.). You can also get actual beef suet at the grocery story for free if you can get them to get it for you. Try the plain white suet. Oh, yes. There is also suet that has bugs mixed in with it. I have never used it but I have heard that squirrels don't like that either. Go with the plain suet and you can use any feeder that you want to. Good Luck !

 

[Nina P]

bird feeding

I agree too to be patient in adddition to trying more variety of foods, last year was my first year feeding the birds and it was only when spring hit and the stressed parents needed lots of food for their babies and themselves that they started to take notice of my offerings more, it was very frustrating so I fully understand where you are coming from. This year I have doubled my seed usage as the birds remember me from last year. Spring will be busier still! I feed til mid June ish, or until I feel there is lots of natural food about, the birds like that too.

I'd recommend making up a bowl of fat (melted lard) adding quality seed and oatmeal and putting out in a washed out yogurt pot or milk carton...it goes down a treat round my way and on cold days my garden looks like a scene from the film 'the birds'. Do be patient, soon you'll be rushing about trying to keep up with their hunger lol.

B :eat:
Nina says each year brings more birds and different varieties of food brings different birds:- wrens and green woodpeckers= ants eggs, finches = niger seeds, robins thrushes blackbirds and nuthatches= mealworm+ peanuts+mixed grain+fruit of all kinds, canary mix = goldfinch,siskin,goldcrest+firecrest. I feed al;l year round as parent birds bring their young to all feeding stations, try it!!

 

[philipw2]

Thansk for the words of encouragement & advice.

during the recent snow storm the activity at my feeder increased: juncos, a red bellied woodpecker, song & house sparrows. Today a mockingbird joined the fray. This has been encouraging.

 

[mkdon]

You're on your way. When you get to know what birds are coming to your yard, you can feed accordingly. Suet for the woodpeckers, etc. You can tailor your yard and feeders to the birds you are getting. Don't forget to provide water. Good Luck !

 

[SarahC]

I am guessing that the birds may not like to be within that wire. They may feel vulnerable to attack by the others. The finches especially like my hanging feeders. They are too small to get to for the Cardinals and Jays who try sometimes. Many ground feeding birds will not feed on a feeder. I throw out chops for the cardinals, jays, sparrows, towhees, doves, crows, etc etc. I only use sunflower seeds in my feeder because the finch here have turned up their beaks at thistle seed.

The round rust color seeds that are larger than millet are milo. Many ground feeding birds love it. If you have a hanging feeder you would need one that has a larger area to perch on for many of these who feed on the ground and dont go to the small diameter round hanging feeders

Oh PS, chops are ground corn and I get it at the feed store, $4.50 for 50# and the squirrels can share. I hang my hanging feeders out on smaller limbs that will hang further down with a squirrels weight and be close enough to the ground for the dog to scare off the squirrels.