Anyone know if sparrows and robins fit through the rspb narrow ground feeder guardian? This one
shopping.rspb.org.uk/.../ground-protector-narrow-mesh.html
Also anyone know which hanging guardians, but without feeders in it (as I use flat mesh feeders inside guardians then hang then up) will fit robins. At least one I've got poor robin tried and failed to get in. I think robins are bigger than sparrows? So if fits robin should fit sparrows? - something like this
shopping.rspb.org.uk/.../rspb-ultimate-bird-feeder-guardian-medium.html
I think the robin may fit in another one I've got as I'm sure I saw one in it ages ago, but not seen any in since.
And, can sparrows use any/all of the squirrel buster hanging feeders??
www.squirrel-buster.com/products
I'm guessing very unlikely robins can, but want to encourage sparrows into something that squirrels can't use as the squirrels are burying all the food I put out. I don't like feeding them, but if they at least eat it at the time I'm not so fussed, but they spend all day putting holes in my lawn and never unbury any of the food!!! And it's an expensive waste.
Hi ScotBirder, All I can tell you is that even with narrow mesh guardian (flat roof type) a young squirrel gained access when I used one so there should be no trouble with a robin getting in. The best ground guardian I found was the pitched roof style where I could adjust the sliders each side to the smallest mesh setting and robins had no trouble getting into that either. With any type of guardian or feeder it sometimes takes birds a few days to get the hang of entering the guardian or feeder through the mesh so give it a few days and your robin should be able to get inside easily.
THIS is the only guardian I found which was able to keep squirrels out even though I had the narrow mesh flat roof type like you show in the link.
Another good method for keeping squirrels away from feeders is to use a free standing feeder pole with feeder hangers and add a baffle dome beneath it; this baffle dome fitted high enough up the pole works 100% to keep squirrels (of heaven forbid vermin) from reaching the feeders.
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Regards, Hazel
Good luck, it certainly is a challenge trying to select the right sort of feeders to keep out some species whilst allowing others. You could still use the free-standing pole/baffle method and add the separate guardian around the feeder that you showed in your post, that would keep the squirrels or any animal climbing up the pole to reach the food and then the guardians around each feeder would help stop the larger birds like gulls, pigeons; the starlings you seem to have sorted with the chicken wire method. Now you only have to think of the robin who has eaten all the mince pies at Christmas and got too big to get through the mesh
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seymouraves said:I am in the middle of a battle with squirrels- they take about a week to work out a way around any new defence.
Hi S, in our last woodland type garden which was about an acre in size we counted 23 squirrels all at the same time ! We used the free standing feeder pole with baffle dome method, placed more than 3 metres away from any potential launch-pad ! This worked every time during the 9 years we were living there, defeating the squirrels although that did not stop them chewing the baffle screw thread although they never quite managed to chew it sufficiently to drop the baffle dome !! We tried many many different methods and as you say they eventually worked each one out except for the free standing feeder pole and hooks (CJ Wildlife brand) worked 100% . These squirrels are so clever Mike was considering leaving out the Sudoku and cryptic crossword puzzles for them to complete