A PUZZLED ROOK
Jun 4th, 2007 by Birdy Trish
I have used the same two bird tables for years. The birds know these bird tables. Now they seem to be obsolete because of the rooks and crows. For some unknown reason this year they have started to swarm down from the skies onto my bird table as soon as I put any food out. They try and eat the fat balls which are in a holder handing from a branch. The blackbirds, sparrows and other birds abound, but in the pecking order of things they are very low down and when you see a sparrow stood on the ground next to a rook you can see how much more food the rook will eat. All of it. I cannot afford it. My hard earned money going to feed the crows and rooks. Never.
21 May2007
The birds don’t know it’s Monday morning. Every day is a glorious day to them. Had better go and feed them even though I know most of it will be taken by the big birds. Nature at work? But I do know that some smaller birds benefit. But there are also rooks swooping in and around. It’s like something from a horror movie! I will outwit these rooks and crows.
23 May 2007 PROBLEM SOLVED?
After an email conversation with Soar Mill Seeds {they sell bird food and bird feeders) I have found out about the Meripac ground feeder tray with an adjustable wire mesh that goes over the feeding tray. One side of the mesh has a door that will open to let in the larger birds. I think I’ll give that door a miss, than you very much. I will keep it tightly closed.
The difficulty is getting a mesh size that lets in the blackbirds , thrushes etc yet keeps out the pigeons, rooks and crows. Well folks I’ve found what I’m looking for.
I purchased a Ground Feeder Tray. This allows water to drain through onto the ground. I also decided to buy the Ground Secure Wire Cage that goes over the Feeder Tray. The size of the mesh can be altered to allow certain sizes of birds to enter. If it is on the small mesh then only sparrows etc can enter. I have opened the mesh out to the largest size hole. This means blackbirds can get in along with a variety of smaller birds. I will just have to keep an eye on the starlings. It’s amazing how all these birds have taken to this ground feeder
Now the thrushes,blackbirds, sparrows, chaffinches and many more, spend hours hopping in and out feeding. They are so close to me as I watch them from my kitchen window. They walk about on the grass, the different species mingle together in harmony. The blackbirds hop through the mesh into the feeder, hop out again to feed their young on the grass near the feeder, as do the sparrows. I still put food on the bird tables – it is a hard habit to break.
4th June 2007 8am
A rook has just landed in the garden and is staring at this feeder in puzzlement. It’s slowly walking round it, never taking his eyes off the food inside the wire. The rook stood and stared at the food inside. It pushed its beak through the wire and tried to reach the food inside. To no avail. It flew away in disgust. Rooks cannot reach the bird food! I have won the battle.
Tags: Bird Feeders, blackbirds, chaffinches, crows, mesh, rooks, sparrows, thrushes
Thank you very much for that information! - I have also been driven mad by jackdaws, crows and pigeons taking all the food that I put out for the smaller birds, and have been looking for advice on what to do. I will definitely try to buy one of those trays - best wishes!