Siting of peanut feeder

RobinP · #1 (**permalink**) 08-01-2011, 11:27 AM

I had the peanut feeder hanging off a pole next to the sunflower heart feeders and apart from a solitary visit by a GSW, nothing used it so I moved it to a wall bracket just outside the patio doors and hey presto, within a day blue tits, great tits and long-tailed (5 at once!) were all using it. Can't think of any rational reason for this, anyone got any ideas?

Cheers

Robin

Tringa · #2 (**permalink**) 08-01-2011, 11:37 AM

It may be that sunflower hearts are just more attractive to most birds, though it does seem unlikely that the birds coming to the moved peanut feeder would have forgotten where other food that is available.

Although the peanut feeder is closer to the house perhaps the birds feel more secure there. Have heard it said that having to sit exposed at a peanut feeder is riskier for a bird than a quick dash to a seed feeder, grab a seed and leave for the safety of a bush.

I can understand that for the tit family who feed that way, but I've seen chaffinches and siskins sit and eat (and also spend time going through the seed until they find one they like, having dropped loads on the ground) at a seed feeder, so the grab and dash theory would not apply.

In our garden the peanuts get ignored unless there is nothing elseto eat.

Dave

RobinP · #3 (**permalink**) 08-01-2011, 01:36 PM

Excellent points Dave, I agree the new location is much more secure with cover on two sides, also they don't have to compete with larger birds on the seed feeders. The only downside is the squirrel can now get to the peanuts...

Robin

Tringa · #4 (**permalink**) 08-01-2011, 01:49 PM

Bad luck in having squirrels on the feeder, Robin. They are delightful creatures but I have not found any feeder that can withstand them. In our garden they even managed to break into an all metal peanut feeder.

Only solution I have found is a cage around the feeders. While that stops the squirrels and allows the smaller birds to get in, it unfortunately stops great spotted woodpeckers.

Thought I'd solved it by feeding mealworms which the woodpecker is keen on, until I found the squirrels eat those too!

Dave

Elizabeth B · #5 (**permalink**) 08-01-2011, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tringa

Bad luck in having squirrels on the feeder, Robin. They are delightful creatures but I have not found any feeder that can withstand them. In our garden they even managed to break into an all metal peanut feeder. Dave

I have two feeder poles with baffles on them, and the only time a squirrel managed to get onto a hanging feeder was when a nearby shrub grew big enough for a squirrel to leap from it directly onto a feeder. (The shrub had to go, of course)!

actionfinch · #6 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 06:36 PM

I had /have the same problem with my peanuts , i thought that by crushing them and making them smaller , for the hit and fly birds,( tits in particular) this would help, but still no joy.I might try and move mine to a separate place in the garden.

RobinP · #7 (**permalink**) 12-01-2011, 02:04 PM

Think I had better re-locate these feeders...

(he's rather cute though

Robin

actionfinch · #8 (**permalink**) 13-01-2011, 09:23 PM

In a desperate measure i got them there own feeder.. a box i fill up every morning for them.
Still does stop them from attacking the feeders mind. It has done ( touch wood) me, i have put plastic bottles on my pole feeders ,which i got advice from on the site... your right there kinda cutish, even though i hate them now. its only fopr the wife she likes them.