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Keeping big birds off bird feeders

pugslovesunpugslovesun Posts: 300
in Wildlife gardening
Hi, has anyone done a DIY job on their bird feeders to only allow small birds to feed, using wire to surround them. If so what gauge/width of wire worked?
thanks
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Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    @Fairygirl has been successful doing this. Hopefully she’ll see this and help out. 😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Dirty HarryDirty Harry Posts: 1,048
    Could you buy a cage?

    This seems to be discontinued but it works a treat for me- https://flubit.com/shop/p/chapelwood-squirrel-blocking-cage-for-bird-feeders-8-inch/FLQ48O8DO

    I've since got bigger feeders now but because squirrels aren't a problem the top half of these still do the job.

  • Singing GardenerSinging Gardener Posts: 1,237
    My OH constructed a cage from weld mesh which works well
  • pugslovesunpugslovesun Posts: 300
    Thanks for replies. The ready made feeders with protection seem to be very expensive, plus I've already got plenty of feeders and kinda want to use them rather than buying more!
    That is saying it's out of stock??
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Here’s a couple of pics of @fairygirl’s ‘cage’ ... she’s made a roof for it but I can’t find the most recent photos. 

    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/comment/2113762#Comment_2113762

    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/980278/squirrel-proof-bird-feeders

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • pugslovesunpugslovesun Posts: 300
    Thanks for those, dfa, looks a bit like some stuff I was going to use. Read on RSPB site someone had used 2 old wire hanging baskets. If only it would stop raining I could get out there & fettle. 🙄
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi @pugslovesun- sorry, my pooter's been updating for the last 2 hours, but I see Dove has helped you out  ;)
    I tried 2 hanging baskets but it didn't keep the starlings out, which is why I made the cage. I've now made a second one but don't have any pix of it yet. It's much the same as this though


    I used the wire shelves from one of those plastic greenhouses. It's worth buying one just for those shelves, and some places will have them very cheaply just now.
    They're virtually perfect gauge. I used roofing battens for the frame, and I had a piece of very thick plastic from work which made the roof, but you could use anything for that. The door at the right hand side is just a piece of polycarbonate I had, and it hinges at the top so that I can access it to fill the feeders etc. The perches are just bits of buddleia etc.
    All the small birds use it- blue, great and coal tits, sparrows, goldfinches, dunnocks and the wee fella above  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • pugslovesunpugslovesun Posts: 300
    Ah brilliant, thanks for that. Didn’t want to make anything without knowing gauge width & find the birds were locked out!!

    ah so hanging baskets would stop the murder of crows maybe but not the dastardly starlings, of which there are many. Add the pheasants to that & it becomes an expensive business trying to help wildlife. no squirrels here though, they r down in my friends garden 😆
    I have got some of those shelves, woohoo, so will give it a go.
    thank you so much, really helpful. Just need 🌧 to stop, am in Pennines @ altitude!

  • pugslovesunpugslovesun Posts: 300
    And you’ve put tray underneath rather than wire &  let it drop on ground?
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Large mesh Chicken wire works pretty well. Moulds easily.
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