This year, for the first time, here anyway, the magpies have learnt to
feed from the hanging feeders. As a result the fat balls get gobbled up
in a couple of hours, the peanuts don't take much longer. It really is
getting to the stage that unless I am willing to support the magpie
populations, I may as well stop feeding the birds, and I thought the
squirrels were a nuisance!
--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire

On Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:27:10 +0100, Moonraker wrote:

This year, for the first time, here anyway, the magpies have learnt to
feed from the hanging feeders. As a result the fat balls get gobbled up
in a couple of hours, the peanuts don't take much longer.

I'd have thought one of the "squirrel proof" barrier feeders would
have kept the magpies away from the food. Not sure what their reach
is though.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Apr 26, 8:27*am, Moonraker wrote:
This year, for the first time, here anyway, the magpies have learnt to
feed from the hanging feeders. As a result the fat balls get gobbled up
in a couple of hours, the peanuts don't take much longer. It really is
getting to the stage that unless I am willing to support the magpie
populations, I may as well stop feeding the birds, and I thought the
squirrels were a nuisance!
--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire


I have a plague of ducks (mallards). They come to nick the koi food.
Makea hell of a mess.

Moonraker wrote in :

This year, for the first time, here anyway, the magpies have learnt to
feed from the hanging feeders. As a result the fat balls get gobbled up
in a couple of hours, the peanuts don't take much longer. It really is
getting to the stage that unless I am willing to support the magpie
populations, I may as well stop feeding the birds, and I thought the
squirrels were a nuisance!

I know you say hanging feeders, but are there any branches or clotheslines
or similar for them to perch on? If there are then I would cut them off or
hang the feeder elsewhere. Magpies can't hover but can they put claws into
the netting? Just a thought.


You could also put a chicken wire cage over the haning feeder, a bit like a
bell. The small birds would get through but not a magpie.

Hope this helps.
Baz

On 26/04/2012 10:31, Martin wrote:
On Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:27:10 +0100,
wrote:

This year, for the first time, here anyway, the magpies have learnt to
feed from the hanging feeders. As a result the fat balls get gobbled up
in a couple of hours, the peanuts don't take much longer. It really is
getting to the stage that unless I am willing to support the magpie
populations, I may as well stop feeding the birds, and I thought the
squirrels were a nuisance!

Jackdaws are a far worse problem in our garden.

We have fat balls stacked in a cylindrical tube with one ball exposed
at a time through a wire mesh hemisphere. A parakeet has managed to
hang on upside down with one claw whilst trying to eat the fat ball,
but so far the feeder has defeated the jackdaws and the magpie.
Fat balls hung inside inverted small flower pots also seem to be large
bird proof.
There is another solution here.
http://www.haiths.com/Products/Caged...der-WBOF01007/
Thanks for the replies, especially Martin's. Looked at Haiths, fine
products, perhaps by next Winter I will have save enough to buy all the
relevant ones.

--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire

On Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:49:30 +0100, Moonraker
wrote:


This year, for the first time, here anyway, the magpies have learnt to
feed from the hanging feeders. As a result the fat balls get gobbled up

Jackdaws are a far worse problem in our garden.

We have fat balls stacked in a cylindrical tube with one ball exposed
at a time through a wire mesh hemisphere. A parakeet has managed to
hang on upside down with one claw whilst trying to eat the fat ball,
but so far the feeder has defeated the jackdaws and the magpie.
Fat balls hung inside inverted small flower pots also seem to be large
bird proof.
There is another solution here.
http://www.haiths.com/Products/Caged...der-WBOF01007/
Thanks for the replies, especially Martin's. Looked at Haiths, fine
products, perhaps by next Winter I will have save enough to buy all the
relevant ones.


I put the fat balls in the squrrel proof nut feeder. (Out of the bags)
- the sparrows and blue tits can get at them fine.

The last week we have had lots of magpies in and they've eaten all the
ones I've got on the trees. Don't know why its just the last week -
they've not bothered for ages. Perhaps there's nothing else to eat out
there.
--
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

"mogga" wrote in message
...
- the sparrows and blue tits can get at them fine.

The last week we have had lots of magpies in and they've eaten all the
ones I've got on the trees. Don't know why its just the last week -
they've not bothered for ages. Perhaps there's nothing else to eat out
there.

I find magpies a real nuisance. They rob most of the birds nests in my
garden that aren't in wooden boxes.


--
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 27 Apr 2012 01:47:02 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


"mogga" wrote in message
. ..
- the sparrows and blue tits can get at them fine.

The last week we have had lots of magpies in and they've eaten all the
ones I've got on the trees. Don't know why its just the last week -
they've not bothered for ages. Perhaps there's nothing else to eat out
there.

I find magpies a real nuisance. They rob most of the birds nests in my
garden that aren't in wooden boxes.

Magpies have their nests robbed by seagulls.
--

I live just about as far from the coast as you can get, so that doesn't
happen here.

Tina

"Martin" wrote in message
...
.invalid wrote in message

Today a magpie took nine ducklings from a nest near where my daughter
lives.
--
Martin

So what's your opinion about magpies?

Tina

On Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:14:06 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


"Martin" wrote in message
.. .
.invalid wrote in message

Today a magpie took nine ducklings from a nest near where my daughter
lives.
--
Martin

So what's your opinion about magpies?

Tina


If I may butt in here. MY opinion of magpies is that more should be
shot. The usual bird table sequence here is that the birds run an
elevator service from a nearby tree. They start at the top, and hop
down a level at a time until they reach the bottom and earn their
place in the "fly to the table, grab a sunflower heart and fly back to
top of tree" queue. It amazes me how the little creatures work this
system out but it does work for them, I think.

Then a couple of magpies turn up. If another little bird dares to land
on the table, they simply tear it apart and then carry on eating the
sunflower hearts.

If I see magpies they get stones chucked at them. I'm trying to teach
the cat the difference between "birds" and "magpies" but he just
watches the carnage if he's out and around.

Sparrow hawks occasionally fly down and less occasionally catch
something. But it's taken off and eaten, not just killed.

So yes, I hate magpies. I know it's nature but if they ate the little
bird they tore apart I'd understand. But they just kill and then go
back to seed eating.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the asylum formerly known as the
dry end of Swansea Bay.

"Jake" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:14:06 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


"Martin" wrote in message
. ..
.invalid wrote in message

Today a magpie took nine ducklings from a nest near where my daughter
lives.
--
Martin

So what's your opinion about magpies?

Tina


If I may butt in here. MY opinion of magpies is that more should be
shot. The usual bird table sequence here is that the birds run an
elevator service from a nearby tree. They start at the top, and hop
down a level at a time until they reach the bottom and earn their
place in the "fly to the table, grab a sunflower heart and fly back to
top of tree" queue. It amazes me how the little creatures work this
system out but it does work for them, I think.

Then a couple of magpies turn up. If another little bird dares to land
on the table, they simply tear it apart and then carry on eating the
sunflower hearts.

If I see magpies they get stones chucked at them. I'm trying to teach
the cat the difference between "birds" and "magpies" but he just
watches the carnage if he's out and around.

Sparrow hawks occasionally fly down and less occasionally catch
something. But it's taken off and eaten, not just killed.

So yes, I hate magpies. I know it's nature but if they ate the little
bird they tore apart I'd understand. But they just kill and then go
back to seed eating.


I purely loathe them. If I had a gun..they would be gone.
I would shoot them very happily, which is a rare thing for me to say about a
bird.





..

"Jake" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:14:06 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


"Martin" wrote in message
. ..
.invalid wrote in message

Today a magpie took nine ducklings from a nest near where my daughter
lives.
--
Martin

So what's your opinion about magpies?

Tina


If I may butt in here. MY opinion of magpies is that more should be
shot. The usual bird table sequence here is that the birds run an
elevator service from a nearby tree. They start at the top, and hop
down a level at a time until they reach the bottom and earn their
place in the "fly to the table, grab a sunflower heart and fly back to
top of tree" queue. It amazes me how the little creatures work this
system out but it does work for them, I think.

Then a couple of magpies turn up. If another little bird dares to land
on the table, they simply tear it apart and then carry on eating the
sunflower hearts.

If I see magpies they get stones chucked at them. I'm trying to teach
the cat the difference between "birds" and "magpies" but he just
watches the carnage if he's out and around.

Sparrow hawks occasionally fly down and less occasionally catch
something. But it's taken off and eaten, not just killed.

So yes, I hate magpies. I know it's nature but if they ate the little
bird they tore apart I'd understand. But they just kill and then go
back to seed eating.

Cheers, Jake

I find them hard to tolerate, TBH. they used to get into my hen houses and
eat the eggs before I could get to them.
Not possible now.

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:14:06 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


"Martin" wrote in message
. ..
.invalid wrote in message

Today a magpie took nine ducklings from a nest near where my daughter
lives.

So what's your opinion about magpies?

Better than my opinion of seagulls.
--


because of my location, gulls will not be problem. Magpies are.
I know the opinion of scientists is that they make no difference and maybe
they don't, taken in a survey all over Britain, but I can assure you that
they do in my patch.

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 1 May 2012 02:44:10 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


"Martin" wrote in message
. ..
On Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:14:06 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


"Martin" wrote in message
m...
.invalid wrote in message

Today a magpie took nine ducklings from a nest near where my daughter
lives.

So what's your opinion about magpies?

Better than my opinion of seagulls.
--


because of my location, gulls will not be problem. Magpies are.
I know the opinion of scientists is that they make no difference and maybe
they don't, taken in a survey all over Britain, but I can assure you that
they do in my patch.

You asked me my opinion. In my location gulls and jackdaws are
plentiful, ATM we only have a couple of magpies. The magpies are not a
problem.


They are a problem here, in my garden. Too many of them robbing every nest
they see.
BTW, if anyone has a songbird nest in your garden, do not ever look at it.
The magpies notice you doing that and then..it's eat the eggs or chicks.