blackcap

steve1226 · #1 (**permalink**) 18-01-2011, 09:13 AM

Hi,
New member to this forum.
I recently went away for a few days and on my return was surprised to find my bird feeders still full. Normally the various Tits and Finches empty them in a couple of days. Before I left I hung a suet ball for the first time. I think I have found the reason for this. A Blackcap has taken up residence by the suet ball and chases all the other birds away. Although he/she is a beautiful bird I miss all the others and the birdseed is beginning to sprout! I have moved the suet ball and the Blackcap has followed it but is still chasing birds out of my garden. Does anyone have any ideas how to overcome this problem.
Thanks.

htcdude · #2 (**permalink**) 18-01-2011, 09:18 AM

Take the suet ball down?

Move it to the other end of the garden maybe, it may just be this time of the year it's aggressive.

Welcome to WAB by the way

Nige

steve1226 · #3 (**permalink**) 18-01-2011, 10:12 AM

Hi
Thanks for the obvious answer! I have moved it once to no avail. I may have to take it down as a last resort.

Harold Smith · #4 (**permalink**) 18-01-2011, 10:28 AM

I had a similar problem with a female Blackcap. I have a seed feeder and a fat cake on a vertical support next to my garden fence which is fronted by a large, thickish Cotoneaster shrub. I also have fat balls in a container hanging in the Cotoneaster. When the Blackcap arrived she would chase most of the birds away, including the male Blackcap. This went on for several days. I resolved the problem by placing a fat cake in amongst the branches of my cordon apples which are on a fence at right angles to the other one. This placed the fat cake about 4m away from the other feeders. The female Blackcap has adopted the new one and keeps the other birds of it when she is about. She doesn't bother about the other fat balls or cake anymore.

Now I enjoy watching the Blackcap as well as the other birds without any problems.

Harold.

steve1226 · #5 (**permalink**) 18-01-2011, 11:29 AM

Thanks Harold I will think about a good location for the suet ball.
Steve

Richard Baber · #6 (**permalink**) 18-01-2011, 08:02 PM

Hi Steve
You might find that your Blackcap mellows after a while. When the Blackcaps returned to our garden in early December, they were very aggressive to the smaller birds feeding on the fat tubes I put out. Today, a female Blackcap appeared quite happy to share the fat with a Great Tit and a Blue Tit.
It will be interesting to see if they get more aggressive if we get more snow and other food sources disappear.
Richard

steve1226 · #7 (**permalink**) 23-01-2011, 03:26 PM

Thanks for all the good advice. I have moved the feeder to under the flat roof overhang which the blackcap seems to like. I have also noticed that he/she is becoming less aggressive and more tolerant of the other birds.

Harold Smith · #8 (**permalink**) 24-01-2011, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve1226

I have also noticed that he/she is becoming less aggressive and more tolerant of the other birds.

Hallo Steve,

Glad to hear your problem with the Blackcap is resolving itself. As far as the sex is concerned it is easy to tell the female from the male. The female has a brown cap and the male has a black one. I have noticed that it is the female that tends to be the more agressive one.

Harold.