Last month, E. and I bought a bird feeder. We knew our back garden was a haven for finches, sparrows, mourning doves. A feeder seemed to be a dandy idea.
The birds seemed to think it a dandy idea, too. Through out the day, the little finches would show up and feed, chat, watch. They'd fly in and out, just like little planes at a little airport.
And the doves would feast on the spilled seeds. I even got to where I'd 'accidentally' spill seed - and then sit and listen to the coo as the mourning doves waddled in the garden.
But then the grackles started showing up. Grackles are big, mean, nasty. They'd fly in and take over the feeder. Their "caw" alone would keep the little birds away. I hated the grackles - they are scavengers, and our feeder is not scavenger fodder.
A baby grackle might be cute... but he doesn't remain cute for long.
A cage. A cage around the bird feeder is the answer. A cage big enough for the finches, but too small for the grackles. Believe it or not, such a cage is made. And it works!
We now have a condominium feeder. The finch are happy. The mourning doves are happy. The grackles are gone. And the back garden is alive!
8 comments:
Oh! You're so lucky! I put a feeder out and ended up with a colony of packrats. Fortunately, a bull snake moved in soon after and decimated the packrats.
Next, a road runner started hanging out. Now, I love road runners, but not when they eat unsuspecting finches. The roadrunners would lay in wait for the finches. It wasn't pretty!
Now, I just have shallow bowls of water out. The quail, finches, bunnies and jack rabbits visit all day long.
Ha! They and Stumpy make up my social circle!
Happy, Waggin' Tails, FUREVER!
Stumpy and me
Think this would work for squirrels who raid bird feeders?
this is news to me and what a great idea, but i bet the squirrels can get through it. when we had feeders that is what ate all the seed. i have never seen a grackle but we have very large loud crows
My thoughts are the same as Kathy!
Here the squirrels just decimate the bird feeders and the little birds have to fend for themselves. I have a long, square feeder that was advertised as being squirrel proof, and the little beggars just would hang from the top of it, and scoop the seeds into their cheeks. So much for squirrel proof.
Cheers and hugs,
Jo
That is so cool! I think we need to get one of those :)
Oh thank you for showing this... what a great idea. The perfect present for friends who are having a terrible time with doves, grackles (not my favorites either) and black birds...
Are the grackles really gone? They dig in our granite that they spill across the border in the lawn...
My condo feeder is very similar, and I'm afraid it hasn't stopped the squirrels at all.
One day I sprayed WD40 oil on the pole that holds the feeders. The squirrels shinnied right up it as if they had glue on their feet.
So I decided to like squirrels. When you can hang from your back legs and eat upside down, or just hang there doing squirrel pilates, how can I hate you?
One tactic helps a little--toss plenty of seed on the ground, away from the feeders. Fairly often the squirrels are happier sitting on the ground to eat, and they leave the feeders alone, sort of.
I think we need to hang one of these in our yard. Lot's of finches around and I love the noise they make.
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