We have a very small flock of starlings that forrage about the superstore carpark and roost on the gasometer. It's so sad to see how their numbers have depleted but I can see why you wouldn't want them on your birdtable.
I think a wooden construction would be beyond my capabilities but I think I can manage a wire cage.
this is mine which is about 15 years old. Its looking a little worse for wear now, but being tight I spend the money on bird food not the feeders. The top screws off to fill, but one of them worked out how to do it, so the clip holds the lid down. The poles sticking out have been replaced by a ring in the new version. Expensive to buy initially,( except I won it in a competition), but when it finally dies , I will replace with the new version.
I originally had it on the feeder station as show, but adapted it to the scaffolding pole it is now on.
You can see its been chewed a bit around the edges. Mostly the squirrels just shin up the pole and bang their heads. Sometimes they will manage to get front paws on the baffle edge and try chewing. when they let go with their back feet, it tilts and they fall off.
Plastic feeders are a waste of time and money.
The nut and seed feeders I use are droll yankees, they are that distance from the table so that pigeons cant empty them. Its also there because its just far enough away from any launch points like shrubs or trees.
I originally had it on the feeder station as show, but adapted it to the scaffolding pole it is now on.
You can see its been chewed a bit around the edges. Mostly the squirrels just shin up the pole and bang their heads. Sometimes they will manage to get front paws on the baffle edge and try chewing. when they let go with their back feet, it tilts and they fall off.
b***y chancers aren't they?
I don't use the plastic ones either - waste of money - but they'd be fine for inside the cage.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The other thing about the big squirrel buster, is that it holds about 3 kg of sunflower seed hearts and it doesn't clog up. It last a couple of weeks without filling, so if you go away , the birds still get fed.
I think that if you work it out per year, the metal ones work out cheaper in the long run. I found that cheap ones only lasted days in some cases. They were then chewed up, dropped on the ground, and dragged into the woods. The first year I spent a lot on plastic feeders. Forget the net bags of nuts, they shin along the washing line and drop the lot on the lawn.
We have had a Gardman one for years and I've never yet seen a squirrel figure it out. The just shin up the pole and look up through the perspex totally baffled. Money well spent (£15 from Amazon)
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We have a very small flock of starlings that forrage about the superstore carpark and roost on the gasometer. It's so sad to see how their numbers have depleted but I can see why you wouldn't want them on your birdtable.
I think a wooden construction would be beyond my capabilities but I think I can manage a wire cage.
this is the squirrel buster plus as it is now.
http://www.gardenbird.co.uk/squirrel-buster-plus.html
this is mine which is about 15 years old. Its looking a little worse for wear now, but being tight I spend the money on bird food not the feeders. The top screws off to fill, but one of them worked out how to do it, so the clip holds the lid down. The poles sticking out have been replaced by a ring in the new version. Expensive to buy initially,( except I won it in a competition), but when it finally dies , I will replace with the new version.
Magpies land on mine but can't figure out how to get in - hours of amusement for me!
They'll be as heavy- if not heavier - than squirrels too.
It's also getting a roof when I alter it, to keep the little chicksters dry in the horrible wet winter months.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
This is a meripac squirrel baffle.
http://www.gardenbird.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?cat=0&q=squirrel+baffle
I originally had it on the feeder station as show, but adapted it to the scaffolding pole it is now on.
You can see its been chewed a bit around the edges. Mostly the squirrels just shin up the pole and bang their heads. Sometimes they will manage to get front paws on the baffle edge and try chewing. when they let go with their back feet, it tilts and they fall off.
Plastic feeders are a waste of time and money.
The nut and seed feeders I use are droll yankees, they are that distance from the table so that pigeons cant empty them. Its also there because its just far enough away from any launch points like shrubs or trees.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Droll-Yankees-port-Lifetime-Feeder/dp/B00Y11MGKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446895539&sr=8-1&keywords=droll+yankee+feeders
They do a thistle seed feeder for the goldfinches too.
It seems awful expensive fidget. Will try cage option first and see if it works with the metal jobs I already have.
b***y chancers aren't they?
I don't use the plastic ones either - waste of money - but they'd be fine for inside the cage.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The other thing about the big squirrel buster, is that it holds about 3 kg of sunflower seed hearts and it doesn't clog up. It last a couple of weeks without filling, so if you go away , the birds still get fed.
I think that if you work it out per year, the metal ones work out cheaper in the long run. I found that cheap ones only lasted days in some cases. They were then chewed up, dropped on the ground, and dragged into the woods. The first year I spent a lot on plastic feeders. Forget the net bags of nuts, they shin along the washing line and drop the lot on the lawn.
I like the look of that baffle thing. Your arrangement reminds me of a Chinese water carrier yoke .
Magpies are an issue here. One was sitting on the window sill looking in at me just now. Hope that isn't particularly bad luck
We have had a Gardman one for years and I've never yet seen a squirrel figure it out. The just shin up the pole and look up through the perspex totally baffled. Money well spent (£15 from Amazon)