Feeding Birds Too Selective

[WestLothian]

I keep getting a mess under the feeders.
Someone is throwing out all the seed,
There is more on the ground than eaten.
I have found the culprit this Coal Tit.
He only eats whole black sunflowers.
I will fill one with them instead of mix.

[snake]

Nice pic, I've never get Coal tits in my garden, lucky you.
Why not put a piece of plywood beneath your feeder to catch what he is throwing out, it would be a good way of keeping an area for the ground feeding birds stocked up.

[Hedge Witch]

The black sunflower seeds are eaten on my table first. The Woodpigeons and Doves have first pick, so they prefer them too.

I spread the seed out very thinly over two tables. I do this because I'm always mindful of diseases now. But I think this might help reduce "throwing out".

[ChrisJB]

On my feeders, I find Coal Tits the tidiest. They just come along, quickly grab a seed and rapidly fly off with it. Finches are the messiest. They sit for ages on the feeder, scoffing away and dropping loads of bits, which the ground feeders, like Robins and Hedge Sparrows eat.

Regards, Chris

[Ollie]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

On my feeders, I find Coal Tits the tidiest. They just come along, quickly grab a seed and rapidly fly off with it. Finches are the messiest. They sit for ages on the feeder, scoffing away and dropping loads of bits, which the ground feeders, like Robins and Hedge Sparrows eat.

Regards, Chris

Same with the Coal Tits with me. I call them the hit and run merchants as they rush in grap a seed and are off again.
Roger

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by Ollie

Same with the Coal Tits with me. I call them the hit and run merchants as they rush in grap a seed and are off again.
Roger

On AutumnWatch, Bill Oddie joked that Coal Tits are the bird you can identify by not being able to identify them because they are in and out so quick!

It's very true, they just dash in grab a seed or nut and fly off again. Consequently I think they are hard to photograph, so I'm very jealous of WestLothian's excellent shot.