Guardian mesh sizes sparrows robins

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.     

 

Hi Hazel, thanks so much for your reply

That's really good to know re the adjustable guardian, as I've actually got one and using it just now but without the sliders on it.

It's quite a complex situation here, as I've got squirrels, seagulls, pigeons, magpies that I'd like to keep off the food, blackbirds, sparrows robins that I'd like to have access and starlings.who I'd like to give a bit of food to but not have them eating the whole lot..... And a neighbour who feeds them very well so if I don't provide exactly what they want they just pop over to him

So I've got various solutions that I have to employ to sort the whole messy lot out

The hanging guardian I've got is a cheap one from Amazon and I think the mesh us inconsistent and robin tried to get in one of the gaps and physically couldn't, so Def need a new one (need a hanging mesh feeder to stop the starlings I have to cover the mesh with chicken wire then the wee birds come up and over that otherwise starlings just shove heads in and gobble everything, i then have another feeder that I allow starlings to get at so they can have food but not eat me out of my home


I thought I was doing well as seemed to have a set that was working well, until the seagulls hit yesterday and so I'm having to get guardians found everything, and employ new tactics

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    

Hi

I use an anti squirrel dome which works well as long as it is secured well and they can't jump at it from below via a bush ( been there!)

General info on nest box holes might be useful:
Blue Tits- 1"
Great Tits 1- 1/4 "
Sparrows 1- 1/2"

S

Yeh not really options for "no ambush" points unfortunately with specifics of garden

But that's brilliant re nest box sizes thank you!! I'm starting to think that they all CAN get through the mesh, but they just don't want to.

It's hard isn't it!!

I am in the middle of a battle with squirrels- they take about a week to work out a way around any new defence.

I may have to contact those renowned experts Richard Sharpe , James T Kirk and Tony Soper

S

They're absolute nightmares aren't they !! I only had 2 two weeks ago, but now have 4!!!!! And a lawn thats going to ferment once the weather and warms up with the amount of food under it!

I actually decided to give the squirrels a few nuts still in their shells, cos the least they can do is entertain me by going all out to get into them........ All were immediately buried!!!!

I'm going mg to try the poles and cut back shrubs etc but so far sparrows have shown themselves to be very reluctant to come out into the open.....probably because we've got a pair of resident sparrow hawks - I've only seen the female twice a long while ago, but neighbour was telling me he'd seen the pair a couple if times recently.

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