Feeding the birds- help

[rswojo]

Youre doing bird lovers a favor.
Starling population shot from 200 to 2 million in under a decade.
They are killing songbirds and the eastern bluebird. Yes they squabble with robins even.
They are a strong beautiful bird but they are causing havoc with the songbird populations.
Grackles are cool black birds who mainly eat scraps. Careful not to shoot any catbirds either. They are a beautiful songbird that people often mistake for a starling.

Starlings may be strong but they are butt ugly and their "song" is disgusting. The robins always lose. The more I kill the better I feel. I am going to invest in a pellet gun so I can get more without them hearing the .22 and getting suspicious as to what is going on.

No matter what you will never put a significant dent in their overpopulation. But you can convince them to stay of your yard.

 

[RossW]

We had one of those plastic mushroom shaped hanging feeders when I was young, the squirrels managed to jump onto the top and then slide down to the feed below. That is until we greased the top. I never got tired of watching squirrels make the 4 foot jump from the house only to go flying right off.

 

[blhagstrom]

door

My mother has been feeding birds for years and fighting bully birds and squirrls all along. She now has a long spring pole like thing with a box type feeder with a trick trap door. Squirrls and big birds are too heavy so when they land or grab on, the door closes. The little birds can feed with no problem.

I wish I had better details for you.

My wife like to feed the wild critters too. I keep warning her about all the bad animals but arguing with her is like arguing with diarreha. You can do it, but you'll loose and things will get shitty.

 

[Sam Cogley]

Steve, you can have the robins and songbirds that camp out in the tree overhanging my driveway. I'm tired of them crapping on my cars.

 

[Jailtime]

Steve, you can have the robins and songbirds that camp out in the tree overhanging my driveway. I'm tired of them crapping on my cars.

 

[Sandy G]

Squirrely-wirleys-Meh. Around here, the problem was/is Waspers. Seemingly overnite, you'll have a softball sized nest in yr feeder, full of decidedly UNFRIENDLY critters...

 

[Jack Lord]

Yea the best of intentions become a pain in the ass. My feeders became a gorgeathon between the squirrels and every bird on the planet. They made a mess and when I found a rat that some cat hat ambushed, that was the end of it. I put up a lot of houses and maintain a birdbath.