Garden bully - advice needed

Pipmae

happyday wrote: »

I find that the bird food gets stuck together and kind of grotty looking after a few days if it is raining. So I tend to put out small amounts of food and to clean the feeders fairly often. Does anyone else have this problem?

That's why I ditched my feeders that hang. I found the seed one in particular couldn't be fully emptied to clean it without breaking it so I just got rid of it when I saw the seed mix at the bottom of it get too gooey looking.

The ground below them gets covered in bird poo so much as they feed at the feeders. I moved them to a covered bird table and I find it much better. The feed goes into a central feeder and stays dry. They tend to land on the table, take something, and fly off so much less bird poo to clean. Some do stay to feed but I find they rarely soil it. I suppose you could argue you get to see them less as they stay on the hanging feeders longer but it works for me.

I hose down the decking below and the decking rails they sit on weekly. Sometimes more often if it looks like it needs to be cleaned sooner. I use a mind disinfectant and I ensure I wash away every trace of it.

I clean out the bird table fully every 10 days to 2 weeks using a mild disinfectant and plenty of hot water. I spot clean it in the meantime if it needs it. The base of the table has a removable trap door in it so the water drains off it quite quickly. I finish it off with a good hose to make sure if gotten rid of any disinfectant residue.

scarepanda

I was finding that as well, and I've started to unscrew the feeder and take it fully apart. Not sure how long they will last doing this but it's a better job as the feeder is fully clean.

I've started to move the nyger feeders down the lawn and will move 2 of 3 sunflower heart feeders from the side patio to the back one soon as I want to plant up the side area. It'll also make underneath the feeders easier to clean.

Seaswimmer

Seaswimmer wrote: »

I have the same issues but with a female blackcap. Probably since before Christmas Dosent seem to matter whether there are multiple feeders, she seems able to chase everything off. Have tried apples on the branches and moving the feeders but to no avail. Ground birds are fine. Hopefully she will soon find a mate and sit on her nest for a while..

I said this half in jest but something similiar has happened. We have a male and a female blackcap now and they seem to have stopped hassling the other birds. The blackcaps still feed from the feeders but in harmony with all the other birds. They disappear for hours at a time when not feeding.

fryup

Seaswimmer wrote: »

They disappear for hours at a time when not feeding.

hmmmmm wonder what they're up to;)