Hi everyone,
I know some of you have your blackbirds, dunnocks etc using your bird tables - I know this is the case in Squirrel's garden at least.
I am very keen to persuade mine to get up off the floor and use a table, if only to avoid having to put food on the ground, which then gets hoovered up by my dog. I do have a ground feeder on my front lawn, and the birds use this, but I do all my garden bird watching in the back garden. It is getting very tiring running from one end of the house to the other!!
After reading about Squirrel's success with her table, 4 feet off the ground, I started to put a plate of suitable food in a window box attached to the shed, which is about 4 feet high. The starlings have found it, which isn't surprising, and also the robins. So far no blackbirds or dunnocks, but I live in hope. They are unlikely to use it at the moment as I am still scattering food all over the place on the ground, and don't want to stop doing this until the weather improves.
Has anyone else got blackbirds and dunnocks using tables, and if so, what sort, where and how high?
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
I have a gardman bird table with roof, about 4 ' high (the feeding platform) and do have blackbirds feed from it. Can't say for dunnock though as not seen one on there....
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
My photos on Flickr
Hi MarJus,
I bought a new tray feeder recently and fixed it about a foot down from the top of a "cat-safe" fence. I got it for the sparrows mainly, but they are ignoring it at the moment. However, yesterday for the first time I saw a blackbird using it. I am progressing!
That's good news Sparrow! I'm sure more will follow!!
Hi Sparrow
I have posted a thread on the RSPB about my 6 foot high feeder to keep the Squirrels at bay
The Blackbirds where very happy to use it, (all birds where), but no sign of any Dunnocks
I sprinkled food under the same bush everyday and the Dunnocks ate their food that way (or they used the ground feeders)
Why not place cages over the dishes similar to the ground feeders in my own in my back garden to stop your dog from getting to the food.
There are holes cut in the wire cage for birds up to Blackbird size.
Collared doves can reach for the dishes too.
I am sure I have seen cages for sale via the RSPB feeder link
Here is one:
http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/p/BirdAccessories/Adjustable_ground_sanctuary.htm
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Hi Blackbird,
Bless you for the thought! I have seen your photos of your ground feeders and am very envious. If only I could do that ... my young dog would simply run off with the cage! I did try an uncaged ground feeder the other day, keeping an eye on things. Whilst my back was turned she picked up the feeder and ran off with it to her nest under the bushes. She would do the same with a cage, unless it was fixed in concrete and then I wouldn't be able to clean it out! She will hopefully grow up a bit and I can try again. She is simply playing and is still very much a puppy, although 2 years old now. Our other dog, same breed but much older, doesn't bother at all.
I used to have a bird table, with a roof, about 4 foot high, and my blackbirds and dunnocks were always feeding from that. It was in the front garden, in the middle of a paved section, not far from some low bushes and the little wall separating us from next door. However, after an accident involving Saxon and Scrappy, the roof broke off so now it's just a platform on a stalk. I wasn't going to bother using it anymore and it had been sitting in the shed for months, but during the snow I decided to place it in the back garden very close to a short wall and some bushes (which actually belong to next door's garden but have slowly encroached on ours!) and the blackbirds still feed from it, although I don't see any dunnocks in the back garden. I have recently invested in two feeding stations which have feeding trays attached - they can be placed at any height on the pole. I have one quite close to the ground (less than a foot) and another about 2-3 feet high up and my boldest of blackbirds uses them, but none others yet.
If you have no luck with the table, have you tried getting one of those protective cages to place over your ground feeders/loose feed on the ground? You can get them with holes large enough for blackbirds and other similar sized birds to fit through - this would allow them to feed from the ground but stop the dogs from getting to the food.
Oh....I see Blackbird beat me to the suggestion!!
hi Sparrow
I forgot to mention that my feeders and clipped down with the metal Dragonflies (gimmicks from the garden centre)as you see in the photos. These are the same ground feeders in my last garden
Hi Anna
Good idea too, and we have similiar thoughts about issues with feeders {smile}
Blackbird - I love your dragonfly things, but sadly so would Lola.
Anna - glad to see you have resurrected the bird table, and lets hope Saxon and Scrappy don't have another accident with it! I think I may try lowering the mesh tray on my pole feeding station. I hadn't thought of doing that. The simplest of ideas totally escaped me! I did use it for a mixed food selection but the starlings and pigeons were taking it all, so two days ago I withdrew all food from it apart from nut granules for the tits. They have other feeders, as do the starlings and pigeons, so the tray could be moved down with blackbird food it it partially hidden by some shrub tubs that would deter Lola (possibly!).