Bird Feeder

[Sean Regan]

I made this bird feedera while back, out of bits I found in the garage. It's on a post of the pergola on the back of the house. It's where my wife can see it from her chair in the lounge.

The purpose was to have something that the birds and the squirrels could access but not the wood pigeons. It was frequently used by an assortment of smaller birds.
It worked well but was a pain to clean as I had to unscrew it from the post. It was due a clean here.

Yesterday, my wife was chucking out some old pans, as I'd bought her several new ones, two of these were the same (don't ask), they came with a stainless steel basket that clipped on to the side of the pan, so that you could fry chips in it. So one basket was superfluous and she was chucking it out.

I decided with a bit of "fettling" it would make a better bird feeder.
The clip at the back of the basket slides into the rebate I put in the bit of wood behind it. But the front was "floppy" as in the pan there are wire feet it sits on. Not to be defeated I changed the bit of bamboo cane at the front that keeps the pigeons out for a bit of an old hardwood picture frame I'd hung on to. I needed to find something to support the front lip of the basket and found a bracket amongst all the stuff I hang on to in the garage "just in case."
Now to remove the basket I just need to undo the wingnut on the front a bit and the basket will lift out.

"Rocky" and "Rosie" our pair of robins have taken to it straight away. But "Sid" and "Sybil" our pair of squirrels were rather suspicious at first, perhaps they thought that if they went in it they'd become part of a, "fry up."

 

[barbara allen]

That's really clever. What a good idea using old things you don't need any more. Youmust be very good at diy.

Pet squirrels though. How strange. They're considered a pest in most areas of Britain if they're grey ones.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

That's really clever. What a good idea using old things you don't need any more. Youmust be very good at diy.

Pet squirrels though. How strange. They're considered a pest in most areas of Britain if they're grey ones.

You are right, they are a pest. They didn't evolve in the sort of woodland we have and do enormous damage to deciduous trees. When I was a boy you could collect a bounty for squirrel tails at the local police station, but now I see really tame ones on the London commons, they look cute and people feed them peanuts. We used to think they had displaced the native red squirrels by competition, but more recently it became clear that it was because they carried diseases the reds had no immunity to. At last it seems there are a few remaining pockets of reds that have developed immunity and are starting to spread, hopefully we will see them back.

 

[Sean Regan]

A lot depends on your perspective and where you live.
They don't need to be a problem in densely populated areas like ours.

We've had squirrels in our garden for decades, but never more than a pair. They're not really "ours" as within our immediate vicinity there's probably twenty gardens they can access.

True they can dig up bulbs, but they are only looking for food.

I put about nearly half a cupful of, kibbled nuts, suet pellets, dried mealworms and bird food in the feeder, daily when I remember.
This is accessed by a variety of birds and two young squirrels.

They don't dig up any bulbs as there's no need.
I'm pretty sure none live that long. In the past we've had a squirrel which would come to the French windows, stand up on its back legs with its front paws up against the glass to get you to notice it. To let you know the feeder was empty.
The two we get now, if they are near the feeder and I walk into the garden, they are off, running along the full length of the top of the side fence and out of the garden.
As I only provide kibbled nuts not whole peanuts, they rarely try to bury them in our lawn. What small holes they make I close up with a golf pitch mark repairer.

 

[barbara allen]

They kill red squirrels though by giving them a pox. Horrible. They've become very invasive all over the UK and shouldn't be encoraged .

 

[Sean Regan]

They kill red squirrels though by giving them a pox. Horrible. They've become very invasive all over the UK and shouldn't be encoraged .

The've been "invasive" for about 140 years.
You're entitled to your opinion but it isn't one I share, I've just been out to feed them and the birds.

 

[barbara allen]

Oh dear. Some research on how they breed, and how quickly, is clearly required.

 

[Sean Regan]

Oh dear. Some research on how they breed, and how quickly, is clearly required.

Oh dear too.

Nothing's required.

On this board we respect each other's opinions and none of us try to tell each other what we should do.

Although we occasionally solicit advice, none of us come on here for a "lecture."

You're new here, so you probably didn't appreciate this.

 

[barbara allen]

My mistake. I thought this was a friendly place. I'll go elsewhere for my gardening advice and chat.
I might have bene new here, but I don't need a lecture from someone who clearly isn't interested in anyone else's opinion or advice.

 

[Sean Regan]

My mistake. I thought this was a friendly place. I'll go elsewhere for my gardening advice and chat.
I might have bene new here, but I don't need a lecture from someone who clearly isn't interested in anyone else's opinion or advice.

Hmm

Perhaps I should remind you what you said in your first post, you've only made six, half of 'em about your dislike of grey squirrels..

"Just joined this forum and no idea how to do anything, but I hope to find out as I go along."

Seems to me, you actually wanted to teach us something.
So please don't try the "innocent party" tack.

For your information, poster's on here are probably well aware of the situation regarding the existence of grey squirrels. They'll have their own opinions and wouldn't want to try to influence others to change theirs one way or another.

It's fine to have firm views on a topic, no one will mind, but best not to "bang on" about them when you're new to a board.

We're stuck with grey squirrels, it's a 100 years too late to do anything significant about them. It'll be much the same with the green parakeets, they're everywhere now,

It'd be a shame if you left, I'm sure you'd be able to add something interesting.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

We're stuck with grey squirrels, it's a 100 years too late to do anything significant about them. It'll be much the same with the green parakeets, they're everywhere now,

That's a bit defeatist. It is probably true because we don't really have the will to do anything about them, they are a pest, but not that much of a pest. In New Zealand where cats have come close to wiping out some of the native species though they have just about eradicated wild cats in a country where there is a lot more untamed countryside for them to hide in than there is in our densely populated island. When we really wanted to we got rid of things like diptheria, polio and smallpox here, which are a lot harder to keep track of than a squirrel I would guess, or on a more similar basis the Galapagos have got rid of rats which are real mammalian survivors.

Where there is a will there is a way, there just isn't that much will.

 

[Sean Regan]

That's a bit defeatist. It is probably true because we don't really have the will to do anything about them, they are a pest, but not that much of a pest. In New Zealand where cats have come close to wiping out some of the native species though they have just about eradicated wild cats in a country where there is a lot more untamed countryside for them to hide in than there is in our densely populated island. When we really wanted to we got rid of things like diptheria, polio and smallpox here, which are a lot harder to keep track of than a squirrel I would guess, or on a more similar basis the Galapagos have got rid of rats which are real mammalian survivors.

Where there is a will there is a way, there just isn't that much will.

It's not defeatest, it's "living in the world of the possible."

The fact that our island is "densely populated" is a factor which would make erradicating squirrels more difficult, there are so may places for them to hide.

I don't disagree with what you say, but how much success would anyone have trying to start a campaign, when this country faces far more serious problems?
You'd need an MP to front it and that will never happen.

You couldn't even stop people feeding feral pigeons.

I'd suggest measures could be taken to try keep them out of the remaining habitats of red squirrels, but the rest of the country? No chance of success.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Nice job building that for the birds. Over here we do what we can to discourage squirrels . After two costly events to our car and truck because of them their cuteness is gone. My neighbor helps with target practice and the vultures in the trees reap the rewards. In my bird seed I put hot pepper so the squirrels leave it alone. We also encourage nesting of big horn owls, that help with the squirrel population.

 

[Sean Regan]

"Cyril and Sybil" have taken well to their new feeder.
If they're in it they can see any possible dangers through the mesh sides.
Or poke their head out if they see me at the window with the camera.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Nice job building that for the birds. Over here we do what we can to discourage squirrels . After two costly events to our car and truck because of them their cuteness is gone. My neighbor helps with target practice and the vultures in the trees reap the rewards. In my bird seed I put hot pepper so the squirrels leave it alone. We also encourage nesting of big horn owls, that help with the squirrel population.

I have heard it said that over time squirrels, like humans, develop a taste for hot things