Sanctuary

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I don't know about the rest of you, but I get miffed when large birds like wood pigeons, collared doves, jackdaws and magpies eat the food I put out for the smaller birds - and it costs me a fortune too.

I have recently bought a Ground Sanctuary from Garden Birds Supplies - the mesh is adjustable, I've set my up to allow in thrushes and blackbirds, but it can be set up to keep them out too.
www.gardenbird.com/gsechannel/static/product_catalogue/index.cfm?fuseaction=detailed_view&s_productID=GBJC54

It didn't take a couple of robins long to work out how to get in, the blackbirds took about 3 days to work it out - but they succeeded in the end, as you can see in the following photo. (Sorry it's not a good photo, it was taken through a window).



I've also hung a fat ball feeder in the sanctuary - saw a couple of long tailed tits on it yesterday, which I'm really pleased about. ;D

[Tig]

What a good idea Rita. We have the bird feeder just outside the dining room window and the bigger birds don't seem to like to get that close to the house, they stay further down the garden and eat the bread and crumbs that get scattered.
I only get annoyed when the kestrel flies in and takes a small bird - then I feel guilty for enticing them to the feeding station x Tig

[andy]

Now i think about this too....i feed the birds at work hoping for the blackbirds, robins, thrushes and other little birds to have their fill.....and i have a pair of crows i like to feed too.

But i spend most of the time chasing away a pair of Herring Gulls and about a dozen ferrel pigeons.

But it has worried me that i am playing god with who feeds and who doesn't. They all deserve and need their food but should it be me who plays god and decides that some go hungry and some get fed ?

[JennyWrenn]

I've just been out to feed the birds and disturbed my wood pigeons but then I encourage them - their cooing is such a relaxing sound but for the smaller birds I put feed under the chairs that the pigeons cant get under as they are too big

My regular robin hops under quite easily and the tits rather like the fat balls

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andy said:

Now i think about this too....i feed the birds at work hoping for the blackbirds, robins, thrushes and other little birds to have their fill.....and i have a pair of crows i like to feed too.

But i spend most of the time chasing away a pair of Herring Gulls and about a dozen ferrel pigeons.

But it has worried me that i am playing god with who feeds and who doesn't. They all deserve and need their food but should it be me who plays god and decides that some go hungry and some get fed ?

I still have food out for the other birds Andy - the sanctuary means the smaller birds get a chance of eating too.

[flowersfriend]

Brill idea that seems to work for you Rita. We have two bird feeding areas, the big birds go to one and the little ones go to the other.... I don't know how they know... they just do. I put seeds/water/nuts on the little birds one, and cheese/bacon etc on the big birds one. Very occasionally a pigeon comes to the little birds feeding station...if I see it, I shoo it away. We have a very naughty robin at the moment, he sends all the little birds off...even though he does'nt feed from the actual feeders just the table.

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flowersfriend said:

Brill idea that seems to work for you Rita. We have two bird feeding areas, the big birds go to one and the little ones go to the other.... I don't know how they know... they just do. I put seeds/water/nuts on the little birds one, and cheese/bacon etc on the big birds one. Very occasionally a pigeon comes to the little birds feeding station...if I see it, I shoo it away. We have a very naughty robin at the moment, he sends all the little birds off...even though he does'nt feed from the actual feeders just the table.

We have a robin which does just the same - little tinker. ;D