Re: Diary summary week ending 29th June 2025

[DianaCanada]

Aggressive squirrel or squirrels in the garden. Lst week I had to but a new bird seed holder as the original which had been hanging on the pergola for the past three years had just about given up, not helped by said squirrels who knocked it off its hook and made a "forced entry" to get at the seed.
So a trip to the pet shop for a replacement. Three days it lasted and so another trip to the pet shop to get something, hopefully, a little stronger and more "squirrel proof"./
Picture shows the sad remains of the last one.

Ours is squirrel proof, if one of the varmints manages to climb the pole and get to the seed entries, a wire portion is pulled down by the weight of the little critter and covers the access.  No success for squirrels for several years, and has not been knocked off its hook, either.

[Wellington66]

I've tied my bird feeder to my washing line.  Comical watching them do their high wire act and falling off just as they reach their goal.  I feel really cruel but they were costing me an arm and a leg in nuts.
When I fill the feeder up I do put a few nuts and seeds on the grass for them though.
Welly x

[louisa maud]

I don't feed the birds anymore, didn't like what they did to my washing

LM

[Jebber]

Sadly I also have had to stop feeling the birds I can no longer reach up to the feeder, my balance is so precarious I would almost certainly end up having another bad fall, I have to keep both hands on my zimmer, especially outside.

I never replaced the bird table either, the small birds never got a look in because the pigeons saw them off, then the  gulls came down to investigate and made a terrible mess.

[radstockjeff]

Although we are about 30 miles inland from the sea we still get flocks of gulls. I try not to encourage them and do not put food out. They find their food from the refuse bags put out for collection. They assemble along the ridge lines of the adjacent houses watching and waiting.We have about four "regular" pigeons who prance around picking up the dropped seeds from the seed feeder, but are generally not a nuisance.

[Jebber]

Although we are about 30 miles inland from the sea we still get flocks of gulls. I try not to encourage them and do not put food out. They find their food from the refuse bags put out for collection. They assemble along the ridge lines of the adjacent houses watching and waiting.We have about four "regular" pigeons who prance around picking up the dropped seeds from the seed feeder, but are generally not a nuisance.

We used to have a terrible problem with the gulls ripping the rubbish bags open, that problem ended with the change to bins some years ago.

[DianaCanada]

Although we are about 30 miles inland from the sea we still get flocks of gulls. I try not to encourage them and do not put food out. They find their food from the refuse bags put out for collection. They assemble along the ridge lines of the adjacent houses watching and waiting.We have about four "regular" pigeons who prance around picking up the dropped seeds from the seed feeder, but are generally not a nuisance.

We have gulls here too, must be about 2000 km from the Atlantic.  Fortunately they don’t hang around our suburban area much.  No pigeons either, just mourning doves.

[radstockjeff]

Jebber, yes the introduction of suitable bins to store the food waste has been helpful to a great extent, but sadly, there are still some folk who need educating in how to use those facilties and who continue to put food waste  out in such a manner which will instantly attract the gulls.

[DianaCanada]

Jebber, yes the introduction of suitable bins to store the food waste has been helpful to a great extent, but sadly, there are still some folk who need educating in how to use those facilties and who continue to put food waste  out in such a manner which will instantly attract the gulls.

By-laws here state we must use bins with very secure tops.  Raccoons are very adept at opening things, so sometimes one does see garbage strewn around on pickup mornings.  Crows like to partake as well, though not very talented at opening the bins!