Ravens in my garden now. Are they scaring robins, dunnocks and wrens from eating bird food in my garden now? How can they return?

Question

Hi all, 
 I placed winter bird food in my garden with fresh water and I had regular visitors or Robins, wrens and dunnocks usually. 
 However, Ravens have now discovered the bird food and come everyday bur the other birds are nowhere to be seen which is a real shame. 
 .I've placed wildburd seed mix, suet cakes with mealworm, suet logs and peanut mix. As its winter and I want to help them eat and drink. I've also placed holly Bush too and sprinkled bird feed under my tree and in planters too for the wrens 
 I'm not sure if I should dispose of the suet cake and logs as irs been almost 2 weeks plus its raining quite heavily where I live in East London. I'm going to change the seed mix and peanuts. 
 Can anyone advise me how I can encourage these sweet little birds to return please because I think the Ravens have really intimidated them.. 
 This is my first time attracting birds into my garden. 
 
 Thank you 
 
 Daniera x

JoshsBirds · Answer

Daniera , 
 Something specifically like the RSPB's Guardian feeders/Ground sanctuaries could be tried (the ground ones being for e.g. the Dunnocks). I haven't tried the RSPB's brand myself but they have a potential of deterrence - at least for a period of time. If you're still using the mixed seed mix then the cheap versions of these can encourage larger birds - you could try ones that are made with smaller birds in mind (or not use mixes at all and use straight seeds). If the peanuts are loose (as opposed to being in a dedicated mesh feeder) then they could be a factor in bringing in the bigger birds too. As a last resort, you could even try to provide food on the ground for the crows/pigeons in a different part of the garden, away from a feeding station for the smaller birds.

Seaman · Answer

Seems others like me are wanting a positive i.d. on Ravens in the garden such a strange occurrence

SunnyKate2 · Answer

Maybe Daniera could tell us which corvid is most similar to what is seen.as they are similar.. 
Not that,that answers the Q Doh!! 
 
 www.rspb.org.uk/.../

Clare · Answer

I'll be very surprised if they are ravens. Crows can look enormous next to most garden birds so it's an easy mistake to make. Of course if there's been a mass escape from the Tower of London I'll happily admit I'm wrong.

Seaman · Answer

Daniera,now the i.d. problem is sorted the solution may still be the same, we have problems sometimes with Jackdaws taking over the ground feeding trays and I bought a cage like guard that sat over the top with mesh too small for large birds to get in. We did have to fasten it down with tent pegs though as big birds like Crows and Pigeons would push it over. A neighbour found a cheap solution by using an old discarded supermarket basker pegged down over his food tray, looked a bit funny but the birds sood got used to it.