Help please

[IanPlant]

Hi Everyone,

I need some help. I'm trying to encourage birds into our garden, upto now we have had House sparrows (abt 15-20), a Dunnock, Blackbirds (2 pairs), a Thrush, a Robin, a pair of Wrens and a Goldcrest, we have also had either a Kestral or Perrigine pay a visit but isn't regular (unforgentley as that would sort out my problem, which how do I discourage the pigeons as they arrive and eat everything I put down for the other birds?

Thanks
Ian

[Soupdragon]

There are bird feeder cages designed to protect smaller birds from preditors, or there are the mesh cages for ground feeders (they look like upside down shopping baskets). Would they be of any use?

[owlmomma]

The thing is, the pigeons need to eat too. They prefer to feed on the ground, could you not scatter seed for them on the ground and they may well leave the bird table alone?

[Pippa]

Hi Ian,Welcome to WAB.

Like OM says they do have to eat too.I scatter seeds on the ground for the larger birds like Woodpigeons, Doves and Jackdaws but i also have ordinary and caged feeders for my small birds.Through trial and error you end up pleasing them all.

[Tobyh]

Hi there,

Hanging feeders are the way to stop pigeons grabbing everything. They will still get their share that other birds drop from the feeder. Just make sure there are no convenient perches close enough for them to use. Pigeons are very persistent and will try to get at everything - even had them landing on top of a window feeder.

Soupdragon's idea is a good one too - on some of those you can alter the size of the mesh to allow / disallow whatever you choose.

I found that even if you put food on the ground for pigeons they will still try to eat everything else they can get easily


TobyH

[IanPlant]

The problem is I have feeders but I get more birds by feeding them on the ground. Looks like a catch 22