Discouraging Magpies,Crows etc from garden

[GeorgeandAde]

We enjoy feeding the blue tits,robins,sparrows,doves etc in the garden and watching them from conservatory.
Problem is,we get the pesky Magpies and Crows feasting and ruining the feeders.
I've read that they are frightened of eagles and maybe owls.
Has anyone tried putting one of these figures in their garden?

 

[RogerL]

We enjoy feeding the blue tits,robins,sparrows,doves etc in the garden and watching them from conservatory.
Problem is,we get the pesky Magpies and Crows feasting and ruining the feeders.
I've read that they are frightened of eagles and maybe owls.
Has anyone tried putting one of these figures in their garden?

We've thought about a plastic Eagle Owl, said to be very effective at keeping cats out - but our concern would be if it keeps the little birds away as well.

A couple of our feeders are inside cages, which the little birds can access but bigger birds can't.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

Thank you Roger.
Yes,I was wondering if it may scare the smaller birds away.
We have the peanut feeders in cages but the fat balls,seeds etc are accessible by the bigger birds.
Think I will try one of those owls/eagles and see what happens.
Will also scour the internet to find "caged"feeders.

Oh....then there's the pesky squirrel.🤭

 

[RogerL]

It took years but we finally stopped the squirrels climbing the bird feeder - it's an RSPB feeder so I bought the cone which fits on the pole but the adult squirrels could jump high enough - so I got their extension pole to raise the feeders and moved the cone up, since then plenty of attempts but none successful - so the squirrels join the feral pigeons round the base of the feeder picking up the seeds and bits dropped by the smaller birds.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

We actually bought a bird feeding station from a boot sale last week.
Its home made and the base is made of horse shoes.
Squirrel was able to climb the metal tube to reach the feeders but today I split a length of plastic pipe (after splitting it) and forcing it over the metal tube,so that may stop them climbing it.
He can reach the fat balls in the tree by jumping off the fence into the tree but as the wife makes her own fat balls,we don't mind him tucking into them.
I'm trying to locate some more of the green peanut feeders that fit flat against the green fence but no luck so far(50p. from another boot sale)👌

 

[Bluetonic]

One of our neighbors bought these. Magpies were attacking his cat all the time.
Hung these in a conifer and it didn't happen again.
Look pretty too

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B096K28M1L/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_8DFXDHMB031GY1663P1M

May end up scaring all the birds away though

 

[otherclive]

Friend of mine had something like this to get rid of pigeons, Corvids and squirrels.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

Yes I've got one of those in the shed otherclive(albeit a much older version).

 

[Buckman]

Our issue was squirrels and jackdaws chasing away the smaller birds. We changed all our feeders for squirrel proof feeders with a dome over the peanut one and it seems to have worked to keep both away. Having two big cats also helps as the one cat has removed a few squirrels from the local population. He also eats them so no waste or needless killing.

 

[Raywood]

WE have bird feeders in a tree. To keep bigger birds raiding the seeds this is hung on a fairly thin branch that will take the weight of small birds but bounces if bigger ones try it and is also squirrel proof. Very few cats here, so we get bigger birds on the ground clearing up what drops. If my idea does not work then the type with a cage round should be the answer.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

Will have to take on board all suggestions here...thank you.

Wife noticed the squirrel running along the garden fence this morning with one of the green plastic fat ball containers in his mouth.😅

 

[PTA]

Don't forget to regularly sanitise your bird feeders. Bird flu is the avian equivalent of covid.

 

[Parksy]

Bird flu has recently been diagnosed among the wildfowl on our local park.

 

[otherclive]

Bird flu has recently been diagnosed among the wildfowl on our local park.

I gather that it is quite a bad year for it in many areas. There are outbreaks in our county with culling and exclusion zones. Very difficult for any farmers who have been rearing poultry for Christmas.

 

[Woodentop]

Friend of mine had something like this to get rid of pigeons, Corvids and squirrels.

View attachment 2682

I couldn't agree more. Squirrels are just fury tree rats with good PR, but given the opportunity they will do immense damage. They once got into my (old) shed and stripped about 15in of PVC insulation of a 2+E mains cable without any damage to themselves. They also east birds eggs, young birds in the nest and even small fully grown birds. If you ever catch one in a cage trap and then pick the cage up (by its handle) the squirrel will go mad trying to get at you or out - that's why there's a metal plate around the handle mount to protect you!

The only other bird we find annoying are Starlings. They are intelligent birds but they will come and raid your feeders in gangs!

We are lucky. We get every finch you can think of - including the most beautiful pair of Bullfinches and a group (maybe 6-8 at a time) of Goldfinches - a wide variety of Tits including a family of 6 long-tailed, Nuthatches, Robins, a Wren, a pair of Collar Dives, two pairs of Wood Pigeons, and an occasional visit from a GS Woodpecker and his family. Magpies are around but mainly away from the house, plus the usual Blackbirds and Jackdaws. If it helps steer them away remember that Magpies (which rarely venture more than about 1Km from where they were born) pair for life, as do pigeons, and doevs, so scare one and you will loose a pair.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

"so scare one and you will loose a pair."

Will have to sit the wife in the garden with one of her "angry faces"🤭

 

[Woodentop]

"so scare one and you will loose a pair."

Will have to sit the wife in the garden with one of her "angry faces"🤭

I hope for your sake she never gets to read this forum.

Come to think of it, what will you pay for her not to see it (its called bribery!)

 

[GeorgeandAde]

No Woodentop.....she never comes on here.

Don't you go telling her mind🤭