Great to read all the comments, but I live in the country and have plenty of trees as you can imaging and have landscaped a quater of an acre about 5 years ago and also have an orchard with 11 different types of apple trees and two plum trees so plent of places for the bird feeders to hang, my question is why the feel they need to go digging in the bark? they have the bark all over the place!!! As for holes they have dug around my shrubs.... I think they are after my bulbs... cheekie chaps indeed here in sothern Ireland!!!Maybe its that im a blow in and originally from Dublin!!!!!
Emily - there must be lots of tasty grubs in the bark, which the birds are finding irresistible. It's a good thing too, as these aphids, grubs and moth caterpillars could potentially become pests of your fruit crops. Nature has a great way of keeping pests in check so I would let the birds get on with it.
I'm not sure the birds would be after your bulbs - squirrels certainly, but I've never come across bulb-munching birds. Perhaps the birds are also after soil-dwelling creatures under your shrubs, such as vine weevils, leatherjackets, chafer grubs and worms etc. The (now resident) blackbird in my garden sifts through all my pots, hopefully keeping vine weevil populations in check. I don't mind having to repot the odd misplaced plant if it means the birds get to eat and the pests get eaten!
I scraped away a big patch of snow to provide clear ground for feeding purposes, but the only creatures taking advantage are the squirrels. Maybe there are still enough seeds and berries available and they are eating those first. My hanging feeders are not being used either.
You should look at the neighbouring properties - if birds aren't feeding then it could be that the local feline population is making your feathered friends nervous! I know we have cats at our property and they are voracious hunters of anything with wings, they have even been known to catch the local bat population!
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Great to read all the comments, but I live in the country and have plenty of trees as you can imaging and have landscaped a quater of an acre about 5 years ago and also have an orchard with 11 different types of apple trees and two plum trees so plent of places for the bird feeders to hang, my question is why the feel they need to go digging in the bark? they have the bark all over the place!!! As for holes they have dug around my shrubs.... I think they are after my bulbs... cheekie chaps indeed here in sothern Ireland!!!Maybe its that im a blow in and originally from Dublin!!!!!
I'm not sure the birds would be after your bulbs - squirrels certainly, but I've never come across bulb-munching birds. Perhaps the birds are also after soil-dwelling creatures under your shrubs, such as vine weevils, leatherjackets, chafer grubs and worms etc. The (now resident) blackbird in my garden sifts through all my pots, hopefully keeping vine weevil populations in check. I don't mind having to repot the odd misplaced plant if it means the birds get to eat and the pests get eaten!
Kate
BirdFeeder the question was asked in Jan 2011.
Hosta another £1 ?