Predation

Hello to everyone, this is the first time I have posted here although I have been a member for a few years. I do have a problem in my small garden with a sparrowhawk that is making a meal of blue tits especially, but sparrows, goldfinches greenfinches a robin have all been added to the menu when they come to the feeders. My Garden is almost surrounded by a neighbours leylandii trees and I have seen the sparrowhawk lurking in the trees waiting for the next victim. Of course now hardly any birds come to the feeders. I am wondering if I aught not to put out feeders for a while to discourage birds from coming into the garden and then hopefully make the sparrowhawk look elsewhere for his meals. If there are any suggestions on the best course to take they would be most welcomee
  • Hello Clifford and welcome to the community.   Most of us will get the sparrowhawks coming through the garden on occasion but sounds like yours is almost a permanent fixture at the moment !   As you say, they do like to lurk in the trees/shrubs and the only thing I can suggest is to not have the feeders too far away (maybe two metres) from some sort of shrubbery or trees the smaller birds can dive into for safety and secondly,  a guardian caged feeder might give the birds a little added protection so it can't be snatched instantly off the perch;   a sparrowhawk will tend to "mantle" around the feeder, ie. wings wrapped around as when they trap a bird to envelop it but at least with a guardian cage, it may give the bird a bit more of a chance and a ground feeder guardian might even be better as you can place these nearer to bushes as cats and predators can't enter the cage.  You will find guardian feeder and cages on the rspb shop and also online.      The links I have given you are only an example of what I mean, there may be cheaper guardian feeders you can purchase as some like this are quite expensive.    Good luck and maybe other folk may have more suggestions for you.     

  • Many thanks Hazy, all my feeders are within two metres or less to the leylandii that is around three quarters of my garden and as it is quite thick the sparrowhawk can get pretty close to the feeders.

    Anyway I shall have a look at the guardian caged feeders as you suggest.

    Kind regards

    Clifford

  • You're most welcome Clifford,  hope the caged feeders/guardian give your birds a bit more of a chance to evade the Sparrowhawk.  

  • Hi Clifford and welcome from me up in the very far north of Scotland, in Caithness. Oh dear you are having troubles with the sprawk, they are lovely birds and we all wish to see one but not in our gardens, well if they visit and leave the birds alone that is, but not always the case. Good luck with the cages.