On 25/12/2014 16:06, Ophelia wrote:


"Spider" wrote in message
...
On 25/12/2014 15:25, Ophelia wrote:


"Ophelia" wrote in message
...


"Spider" wrote in message
...
On 24/12/2014 18:12, Ophelia wrote:


"Spider" wrote in message
...
On 24/12/2014 13:43, Ophelia wrote:


"Spider" wrote in message
...

Yes! They do have green netting I will take them down and see
how
else I can use them. What do you use to hang yours in?


I now have a variety of proprietory feeders that each take two or
three seed balls. It was difficult before I bought them, but I
did
try suspending them inside small plant pots (using wire), but it
was a
bit of a fiddle. If need be, you could always crumble them onto a
bird table (or the ground) for now, but I acknowledge that it is
safer
for the birds feeding from a tree *and* much more fun for you to
watch
from the house. If you can't easily provide a makeshift hanger,
then I
suggest you buy a few ready-made ones. You'll never regret it.

Thank you for the warning!


You're more than welcome. Nobody who is caring enough to feed
birds
wants to harm them.

Right well hubby has been down and rigged a feeder, bless him :

Our small portable greenhouse has the cover removed for the winter
so he
put a piece of plastic guttering across the upper horizontal
supports,
drilled a small hole near the top next to the vertical bars at
each end
and used pieces of string to tie the guttering to them. Then he
inserted
some wire mesh to raise the fat balls so that any rain water would
drain
away underneath them and stuck a length of duct tape across the
end of
the gutter in case the balls rolled down the slight slope due to
wind.
He also drilled a hole through the centre of one fat ball and tied
it to
the tree with a plastic tie, though if the birds go at it
consistently
from one side it will inevitably fall off eventually. If you need
a pic
I can do that.

It looks a bit odd, but safety is the aim) Thank you again)




Well done, your hubby! It sounds intriguing. I'm not going to
send you
out into the cold for a pic, but it was very good of hubby to
risk the
chill factor to help the little birds. I hope you made him a nice,
warm drink. Happy Christmas to both of you.

Thank you, and to you too I have passed on your kind
comments If
you want a pic later I will be quite happy to post one



Thank you, Ophelia. Perhaps after Christmas, and only then if the
weather is kind enough. I confess I'm very curious about it:~).

In that case, you shall have one asap)

Here you go:

http://tinypic.com/r/16anpub/8

http://tinypic.com/r/15ext2w/8

http://tinypic.com/r/1pchv4/8

We just got in, looked through the window and a flock of starlings
descended This was taken through the window!

http://tinypic.com/r/2jb172x/8

Not posh or fancy but it does the job safely)




Thank you, Ophelia! It's very good for something hubby had to knock
together in a hurry *and* it does the job. Nice to see the evidence!
I would only ask (a little cautiously!) one more favour of your hubby:
would he consider putting an inner layer of gaffer tape over the
sticky surface on the inside the drain pipe? If he doesn't, spiders
(gulp) and other beneficial insects may get stuck in the glue. Too
dark to do it today (especially up't yon), but perhaps in the morning
...?
Pretty please:~). Thank you for the pics.

Hubby says that he folded the tape over so there is no sticky surface
exposed, so you can breathe easy)



That was quick! Thank you for replying and thank your hubby very much
for being so thoughtful. You're both great souls. I shall breathe
easier ... probably over a glass of wine soon:~)).
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay