To have a bird feeder that attracts pigeons?

[NoHolidaysforyou]

We have put up a bird feeder in the garden, as well as added a few apple trees recently. The bird feeder has only had pigeons and ravens visiting it. The pigeons are wood pigeons and my DH calls them rats with wings. Now I'm kind of worried that the neighbours might get upset about us attracting pigeons? I don't mind which birds visit and I did it to try to be helpful to the environment. I don't want to upset anyone either though so just wanted to check here if this would bother others.

AIBU to have a bird feeder in the garden that only has pigeons and ravens visiting?

Try getting shit on by pigeons. Or not being able to hold the handrail down the stairs due the the pigeon shit

It’s grim but I still wouldn’t be holding negative feelings towards them.

Everyone shits.

If people weren’t so filthy there wouldn’t be such huge numbers of rats, mice, urban foxes and town pigeons to begin with.

Also, I think people also forget that the animals were actually there first and a lot of them will have lost their home in order for you to have yours...

Live and let live.

Of all the major problems in the world some bird shit really isn’t that big of a deal.

Either don gloves and a brush and a soapy bucket and get busy once or twice a day or don gloves to touch the handrail.

Live and let live.

ReindeerDream that flutter butter stuff looks interesting. Do birds go right down inside the tube to get the last bit?

I have mainly goldfinches and coal tits. A couple of wood pigeons hoover up what’s on the ground, and a pair of collared doves visit from time to time. The starlings only go for the fat balls.

No squirrels here, which I’m glad about given the battles some of you seem to be having!

I don’t get why you’re feeding them now when it’s spring? Surely you would only feed them during the winter months?

i don't get why you’re feeding them now when it’s spring? Surely you would only feed them during the winter months

I’m pretty sure most have babies in the nest now so very important to provide food

My husband insists on feeding the birds and we had an argument about it yesterday where I insisted he move the feeder further away from the house.

Not only do We get bird shit everywhere, we have pheasants use it. All the time. And they are big birds. Every time I open the door, I'm met with a large team of pheasants who run away. They disrupt the gravel and shit on everything.

So he's moved it further down the garden now.

I'm really no fan of bird feeders unless they are far enough away you don't mind the bird shit and the risk of rodents hoovering up the dropped crumbs,

Is it a bird table Bluntness? I only use hanging feeders which pheasants can’t cope with. My gravel remains unmolested.

It's like a stand with hanging feeders on it. It has little ledges that hold the fat balls, and the pheasants, and water etc, then there is hanging feeders hanging off the top of it. The pheasants, normally the female ones stand on the ledges and knock the hanging feeders and then eat the seeds, and the others stand under it, on the ground, eating what Evers dropped.

We also have squirrels do the same thing. They knock the feeders and the seeds fall out then they eat them.

Clearly smarter than they look,,,

Squirrels are acrobatic little buggers - our ones are adept at hanging upside down from the shepherds crook that the feeder hangs off.

Bluntness Take off the trays that the bigger birds sit/stand on and get a squirrel baffle (google it!) as a PP has mentioned upthread! Problems solved!

Continuity Squirrel baffle is ideal as is not having feeder close to anything squirrels can leap from.

Basil

Because they’re hatching/rearing their fledglings and need plentiful food. At this time of year, I put two tables directly under one of our large trees because I know there are nests. Because I can remember not enjoying shopping for food when my kids were tiny

I can't take rhe trays off as it's wrought iron and they are welded on.

But I shall google a squirrel baffle, thanks.,

BaubleQueen The little blighters climb up the pole, but will see if I can get a squirrel baffle.

Continuity you screw the baffle to the pole (maybe halfway up) it's a really simple thing, the squirrels then start climbing the pole as usual but can't get any further due to the great plastic dome They work great.

It's funny seeing them looking puzzled underneath the dome!

Bluntness that's a shame about the trays you must have a posh one then as most of the trays are detachable so you can choose where to position them and also to rinse them out.

Just seen squirrel proof hanging bird feeders (would also work as pigeon proof) the little birds can get in the outer ring then feed from the inner feeder but the bigger birds like pigeons, and squirrels can't. I've seen these in a wildlife park but they were a lot bigger, like hamster cage size which too big for my feeder but these are smaller ones perfect for hanging up off a bird station pole thing.

Our feeder frequented by only small birds and tiny rodents is this cheap as chips one from wilko
www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-wild-bird-cage-seed-feeder/p/0298740

There is still time to sign the petition to make illegal netting of trees and hedges to prevent births from nesting.

It will be debated in Parliament on the 13th of May.

Do you have a link to the petition?

This is the petition I signed you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-the-netting-of-hedgerows-trees-and-buildings-to-prevent-birds-from-nesting#signature-form

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/244233

Same thing, different petition.

My coconut halves disappear as the squirrels steal them. And the badgers eat any birdseed scattered on the ground, as well as their own (expensive) badger pellets.

This a petition to ask for a hedgehog tunnel to be left in hew developments.

www.change.org/p/help-save-britain-s-hedgehogs-with-hedgehog-highways

Nope.

Keep feeding them please.

As to the comment about them being rats with wings? No, they are living, breathing creatures who have as much right, if not more, to be able to eat and exist wherever they want.

Thank you for being good to them