Bird table...... birds avoiding it....

grannyqueenie - re the problem with bird food dropping to the grass and attracting rats.

Our bird feeders are hung on a metal pole with arms. They have a cage around them to prevent the bigger birds and squirrels from pinching the food.

I have fastened a plant pot saucer under the cage, attached with cable ties through drilled holes. This stops the seed falling to the ground and possibly attracting rats.

I have also fixed a clear plastic mixing bowl ( about 35cm diameter) upside down, around the pole, to act as a squirrel/rat baffle. You have to cut bowl from the rim to the middle of the bottom, then sort of clip it around the pole, fixing with tape, or a nail through the pole for it to balance on.

These tricks have worked for us, hope they help you. x

Finally after months the birds are using the bird table in my front wilderness!! It is mainly sparrows there with the occasional blue tit. In the back garden I have put out soaked mealworms for the robin and I put them out every morning and the next morning all gone so put some more out. Much more variety of birds in the back garden including blue tits and longtailed tits, a few sparrows and the robin... I sit with my binoculars looking out to the back garden, simple pleasures ? yet to see a blackbird even though I have put out apples....

Shinamae

Had to replace the mealworms and suet pellets with bird seed as they have got soaking wet...

Oh dear Shinamae
My plate of food doesn't have time to get wet. The birds eat it in no time.
I think you've got fussy birds where you live
When the weather warms up they'll be more birds come back and hopefully you'll be more successful.
I hope so.

My mother used to call squirrels vermin. The problem is that they look cute.

I've seen them contorting themselves trying to reach the mealworms, which they seem to love.
DH once put Vaseline on the bird feeder pole and we did have an amusing afternoon watching Cyril Squirrel attempting to climb up and sliding down again.
DGS would have got upset if he'd been here, he loves the squirrels.

I bought mealworms on the understanding that bird adored them and they all turned up their noses at them! They've barely touched the fat balls all winter, unless there's absolutely nothing else left and they haven't been too keen about peanuts either. OTH, they love the seed mixture we get from the local Wildlife Trust.

Black birds love our apples, whether still on the branch or as windfalls.

The fatballs thing is weird, because over the summer I couldn't refill the fatball feeder fast enough for them.

I've two seed feeders hanging from the same pole and I've noticed that the squirrel proof feeder is always emptied last. I wonder of the birds don't feel so safe within the cage- if a predator swooped they couldn't get away so fast? We've a small very leafy tree right next to the feeders which they can dive into at a hint of danger. I've actually seen a sparrowhawk sitting on the top of the feeder pole with a tree full of sparrows next to it going "nerh,nerh,ne, nerh, nerh" at it...

I feel the same way about squirrels as does Callistomen, 'rats with furry tails'...
When we first moved to the NE we had red squirrels in the woods behind our house for a few years, but once the greys moved in the reds disappeared. Another reason not to like the b*ggers...

The robin is enjoying the mealworms - that is if the pigeons and squirrel let him get to them. Any that fall on the ground the blackbird seems to like.

Had to replace the mealworms and suet pellets with bird seed as they have got soaking wet...

Have given in and reloaded the fat balls!! The sparrows in the front are totally ignoring the peckish birdseed on the bird table, very frustrating as it’s not cheap,they actually squabble fighting to get to the fat balls.?

The plate being on the bird table....

Update, fat balls have finally run out in the front garden so the birds are now left with a plate with mealworms and suet pellets on (thanks Sharon) and the sunflower hearts, as yet no activity and I am so tempted to fill up the fat balls but I’m going to leave it for a few days.....

That’s ridiculous isn’t it really...?? like I say we have them at work but that is right out in the sticks. .....

We lived in Devon and I don't remember seeing squirrels in the garden until we moved to London!

I live in North Devon and I’m quite surprised I don’t have any, got quite a lot of trees around me. (I hope I’m allowed to say North Devon because I’ve noticed that sometimes you’re not allowed to say where you are in case you can be identified!! ?) anyway reading your posts it might be a case of be careful what you wish for!! ??

There were a lot where we lived previously (not a country area) and they got into a neighbour's attic and terrified her.

We only seem to have one or two at the moment as there was a fisticuffs on our lawn recently; I think the parents were driving last year's offspring away to new territory.

I am going to post a picture I’ve just taken of the proximity of the bird table and the bird bath to my house it’s no more than a foot I shouldn’t think but as you can see from the picture the birds are very happy to come and drink and even bathe in the bird bath, just hoping that they will soon get used to the bird table although saying that there were three sparrows on it earlier....But they certainly don’t stay very long they much prefer the fat balls which I am letting run right down because I have put the sunflower heart feeder out and I’ve also put half a coconut thingy out as well... actually I am assuming they are sparrows I’m sure somebody will put me right if they’re not..??????.. still got the hedgehog coming most nights and hoping for frogspawn and frogs very soon....? and yes the windows definitely need cleaning...??‍♀️

..

Totally agree Callistemon - when we moved here there were two grey squirrels. They used to run back and fore along our fence and we named them Seb Coe and Steve Ovett (that shows how long we've been here!). Now we are inundated and had to get the pest people in recently to get them out of our attic.

They are cute and do make us laugh and I don't wish them any harm but would be very happy to see them pack their bags and leave.

Callistemon

They are grey squirrels
They bury nuts all over the garden which sprout into trees
They bury nuts in my flower pots
I found two fat balls buried in my flower pots (not fat balls from our garden)
They hang upside down and eat the bird seed.
They ate my little purple sprouting broccoli
They ate my tulips when they were green shoots
Sometimes they fight
They can get into roof spaces and chew wires

Apart from that, they are cute

If you send me your address I will catch them and post them to you
???

????.... but you must admit they very very entertaining, last year at work it was absolutely pouring with rain and there was this squirrel hanging upside down stealing the peanuts from the peanut feeder and he was absolutely dripping wet.....
..

They do have names
Sammy, Susie and Cyril Squirrel

I know, we do have them where I work, in a care home in the middle of nowhere but I do love them menace or not ??

They are grey squirrels
They bury nuts all over the garden which sprout into trees
They bury nuts in my flower pots
I found two fat balls buried in my flower pots (not fat balls from our garden)
They hang upside down and eat the bird seed.
They ate my little purple sprouting broccoli
They ate my tulips when they were green shoots
Sometimes they fight
They can get into roof spaces and chew wires

Apart from that, they are cute

If you send me your address I will catch them and post them to you
???

They are a cute grey menace, Shinamae

I would love to have squirrels in my garden....??????

I soak stale bread in leftover fat in the winter.

During the cold spell I put out bread, soaked dog kibble, and crunched egg shells. This went on an old coffee table that is due to be binned. It stands under a crab apple tree where hangs the fatball feeder. Everyone liked the table food AND the fatballs. However since the weather became milder the fatballs are unpopular even among the squirrels.

Not sure this sunflower hearts feeder is correct, I suppose it should be as that’s what it said on the label,It only has a few small round holes in it, I bought it from Wilkinsons £2.50, I have put it in the front garden to see if the sparrows will use it. I have ordered a more substantial one costing £8 from Amazon which is arriving today and will go on the cherry tree in the small wild garden at the back of the house....