I put sunflower hearts in mainly, but a few peanuts too. They all go
I wouldn't begrudge the squirrels their fair share, @mrtjforman, but that's not how it goes in my garden. They are many, and seemingly insatiable. They would empty my previous feeders in a morning, and the birds wouldn't get a look in - the squirrels would literally hang at the feeder and hoover the food out until it was empty! You can be assured they don't go hungry - apart from eating my bulbs, my flowerheads and a significant proportion of my apples, they also get whatever I put on the bird table and all the wild berries they can eat. They are quite fat!
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
@LG_ is right. If you could have seen the newest one here forcing it's way into a sunflower heart feeder [it has a temporary barrier to keep the f***ing skank pigeons out] you'd know they don't just eat peanuts. I have no issue with trying to keep them away, and I dont have a huge problem with them now. I personally can't afford to feed something which shouldn't be here [as @Hostafan1 indicates] and since there's more than enough food for them round here, I feel absolutely zero guilt.
I'm lucky - I see red squirrels quite often because of where I go walking, but they are really struggling.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We need more pine martens. They predate them. Bring it on, I say They feed differently from reds, so it's not competition for food, but they breed too efficiently, and spread disease. Without suitable predators, they become over populated in many areas. Glen Lyon is a real hotspot for reds. I've seen them quite often there. Glen Banvie, next to beautiful Glen Tilt was where I got a good photo
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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I wouldn't begrudge the squirrels their fair share, @mrtjforman, but that's not how it goes in my garden. They are many, and seemingly insatiable. They would empty my previous feeders in a morning, and the birds wouldn't get a look in - the squirrels would literally hang at the feeder and hoover the food out until it was empty! You can be assured they don't go hungry - apart from eating my bulbs, my flowerheads and a significant proportion of my apples, they also get whatever I put on the bird table and all the wild berries they can eat. They are quite fat!
I have no issue with trying to keep them away, and I dont have a huge problem with them now.
I personally can't afford to feed something which shouldn't be here [as @Hostafan1 indicates] and since there's more than enough food for them round here, I feel absolutely zero guilt.
I'm lucky - I see red squirrels quite often because of where I go walking, but they are really struggling.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/feb/24/red-squirrels-5000-volunteers-sought-to-save-species-and-help-kill-invasive-greys
They feed differently from reds, so it's not competition for food, but they breed too efficiently, and spread disease. Without suitable predators, they become over populated in many areas.
Glen Lyon is a real hotspot for reds. I've seen them quite often there. Glen Banvie, next to beautiful Glen Tilt was where I got a good photo
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.