On Fri, 18 Jan 2013 22:17:32 +0000, Pam Moore
wrote:

On Fri, 18 Jan 2013 19:22:31 +0000, rbel wrote:

On Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:01:15 +0000, Pam Moore
wrote:


Having been feeding the birds more this winter I have attracted a RAT.
Any advice please?


As a preventative measure I suggest that you do not put any seed on
the ground intentionally but use a tube feeder with saucer at the
bottom to catch the majority of the spillage. It wont stop it all and
blackbirds will undoubtedly get in the saucer and fling stuff over the
edge but it will reduce the amount that ends up on the ground which
the pigeons and any ground feeders should mop up.

Thanks
I've been looking online for hanging bird-tables on which I can put
food for my blackbirds and robin which don't use the hanging feeders.
I realise I need to stop putting their food on saucers on the ground.
I also want one with a roof as I'm sick of the saucers filling with
rain.
I found a traditional wooden one and a metal one with a shiny roof.
Will birds be deterred by the shiny roof?

I doubt that a metal roof would deter the birds unless it swings
around much in an unsheltered location.

I use a setup similar to this
http://www.ernest-charles.com/shop/info_RG1.html with a smaller saucer
like this http://www.ernest-charles.com/shop/info_ST1.html which has
small drainage holes.

I pull the rain guard down so that there is a gap between its bottom
edge and the seed tray of around 100/120mm which keeps most of the
rain off unless it is of the horizontal deluge kind and which
effectively deters the magpies but allows the more acrobatic
blackbirds as well as all the smaller species in.

To initially encourage the birds to use it I put some seed mix and the
very popular pink berry flavoured suet pellets in the tray to start
with and then left them to help themselves from the feeder ports.
--
rbel

"rbel" wrote in message ...
On Fri, 18 Jan 2013 22:17:32 +0000, Pam Moore
wrote:

On Fri, 18 Jan 2013 19:22:31 +0000, rbel wrote:

On Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:01:15 +0000, Pam Moore
wrote:


Having been feeding the birds more this winter I have attracted a RAT.
Any advice please?


As a preventative measure I suggest that you do not put any seed on
the ground intentionally but use a tube feeder with saucer at the
bottom to catch the majority of the spillage. It wont stop it all and
blackbirds will undoubtedly get in the saucer and fling stuff over the
edge but it will reduce the amount that ends up on the ground which
the pigeons and any ground feeders should mop up.

Thanks
I've been looking online for hanging bird-tables on which I can put
food for my blackbirds and robin which don't use the hanging feeders.
I realise I need to stop putting their food on saucers on the ground.
I also want one with a roof as I'm sick of the saucers filling with
rain.
I found a traditional wooden one and a metal one with a shiny roof.
Will birds be deterred by the shiny roof?

I doubt that a metal roof would deter the birds unless it swings
around much in an unsheltered location.

I use a setup similar to this
http://www.ernest-charles.com/shop/info_RG1.html with a smaller saucer
like this http://www.ernest-charles.com/shop/info_ST1.html which has
small drainage holes.

I pull the rain guard down so that there is a gap between its bottom
edge and the seed tray of around 100/120mm which keeps most of the
rain off unless it is of the horizontal deluge kind and which
effectively deters the magpies but allows the more acrobatic
blackbirds as well as all the smaller species in.

To initially encourage the birds to use it I put some seed mix and the
very popular pink berry flavoured suet pellets in the tray to start
with and then left them to help themselves from the feeder ports.

"pink berry flavoured suet pellets" eh? You don't spoil those birds then
....

--
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

"David.WE.Roberts" wrote in message
...
With the weather turning nasty, I am thinking about the birds which don't
feed from the tray with the wheat based seed mix.

We have tried fat balls and peanuts in the past but they seem to be
ignored.

Also, the seed mix in the vertical tubes with the aperture near the bottom
with a small perch also seem to be ignored.

So what is the best way to encourage a wider range of birds to feed?

At the moment we get mainly wood pigeons, collared doves, blackbirds and
robins.

Blue tits are around but don't seem to come to the feeders.


I have had success with canary seed mixed 50/50 with sunflower hearts.
try it and see.