Birdhut Fortifications

[pontiend]

More forification was required for the Fat Roll cage.
First incarnation stopped the Squirrels from carting the roll away.They still ate most of it though.I thought that the second effort had worked but no.I watched two Squrrels eat most of it in a twenty minute period.
Version four put some screws down the sides and bottom to make it a little more difficult for them.That seems to have worked.The present Roll has been there four days now.
Don't get me wrong I do not mind the Squirrels getting a feed.I just want them to leave some for the birds.In fact now that the frost is here I have started putting ground nuts out again.
Got four Long Tail Tits now they seem to like the fat roll.

 

[purplemarina]

With all that iron work ! your going to have to upgrade the foundations

 

[pontiend]

With all that iron work ! your going to have to upgrade the foundations

Done now.
If the Squirrels start attacking the fat roll again I will put big piles of ground up nuts out.They will either get Belly Ache or too fat to climb up and down their tree.
More worrying for the first time for a long time a pidgeon tried for the nuts.It didn't get any but It is something to watch out for.

 

[pontiend]

A tree rat was going hammer and tongs at the fat roll this morning.Then it had a go at the fat ball.I think that they need slowing down a bit more.
This morning I added an extra rail down each side to stop them getting their jaws in there, and a fews extra screws for luck.
Edit Just had another look at that picture ridiculous int it.

 

[pontiend]

Strategic placing of screws has sorted the Squirrel problem with the fat rolls.
They do not bother with it much now.
They still Breakfast on the ground up nuts though.

 

[pontiend]

Mrs Ponti is Afraid of birds.If one gets into the greenhouse or netting it is my job to get them out.I am often rescuing Bees from the shed.Two days ago a robin got stuck in there.Easy to get out daft as a bee trying to get out of the window.Simply covered with a big funnel slide magazine between it and the glass job done.Today I got another bird in the shed.A thrush I think.This was a different matter it was flitting about in the roof space.Could not catch it .I just left the double doors open it seems to have gone now.Will check tomorrow..

 

[pontiend]

I have been saying for a while now to Mrs Ponti that we are not getting any diferent birds at the table.
Up to today Robins.Starlings.Sparrows.Blackbirds.Blue tits.Great tits.Longtail Tits.SQUIRRELS.Sorry not a bird.
Today a diferent one Crows.I am not surprised I saw one getting debris out of a gutter yesterday.
Spot the sunflowers.

 

[battenfan]

That suet cake holder would make a nice helical antenna.

 

[pontiend]

Got a new one.Looks like a woodpecker.?

 

[Lazarus]

It certainly is. Greater Spotted. Male.

 

[pontiend]

Look at that.No screws.Trying something different.Chilli powder. Apparently squirrels cannot stand it ,birds do not notice.
The woodpecker keeps coming back.It likes the suet log.



Edit.Two squirrels just been they did not stay long,maybe it works.
Also sprinkled a bit on the ground up nuts.

 

[pontiend]

That idea dose not seem to be working.
Either they are slow learners or I have the only squirrels in the country that likes chilli powder.I will give it a bit longer before the screws go back.

 

[2cvbloke]

They're probably used to the vindaloos sprayed across pavements on a saturday morning...

 

[pontiend]

The chilli powder seems to be working.Though at least one hard of learning young one hasn't got the idea yet.
I have taken most of the screws off for a bit.The larger birds can now get onto the platform now if they get too troublesome I will put some back.Not a problem yet though.
Just a couple of young pigeons and this morning a couple of rascals.Magpies methinks.

 

[pontiend]

Not seeing many birds now.More sparrows than I have seen for a few years though.The young Blackbirds are too big and fat now.They cannot get unto the hut to get at the feed.
My Garden birds booklet says that part albino blackbirds Brown with a few white feathers are pretty common.Ours looks more like a white one with a few brown feathers.

 

[pontiend]

Ye Gods I had to go back a bit to find this thread..
We still have our near albino blackbird.We did think that because of it's colour it would have trouble finding a mate.It turns up often at the feed trays and is definitely eating for more than one it is going away with a beak full.Which begs the question does the colour not matter as much as the call.Because after all it dose not look like a normal blackbird but it does sound like one.
Correction.That statement may be wrong.I do not know for certain that it sounds like a normal blackbird we have loads of them.

 

[Lazarus]

Maybe a good question for someone like Packham? (Especially if you like supercilious woffle)

 

[purplemarina]

i taught a blackbird to wolf whistle, it didnt cramp his style he had a mate 2 years running before he disapeared/moved on. he used to sit on next doors roof singing i would whistle at him when i put the rubbish out it didnt take long before he mimiced me.

 

[blademedia]

I wouldn't have thought it would have a issue finding a mate, some birds are multi coloured Budgies for instance, reading here its lucky to reach adulthood, if it turns up often, a few birds now have young keep a eye out catching it with a take away.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wi...atching-birds/identify/abnormal/albinism.aspx

 

[jeallen01]

You worry about squirrels getting the fat rolls? Today I finally got around to replenishing the bird feeders in our garden, but dropped some bits of Peckish fat roll on the ground - and, a few minutes later, I saw one of our cats "getting well into" that (and my wife has a problem with him because he will eat her chocolate chip cookies if given half a chance!