"Andy Dingley" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 13:51:04 GMT, dave wrote:

insists of putting out vast amount of bird
seed (continuous feeders), 1/2 coconuts, seed-ball (several of those).
Thanks to
this over-plentiful supply we actually have FLOCKS of sparrows in our and
neighbouring hedges, and dozens of pigeons who feed on the seed the
sparrows
throw out of the feeders.

Can you improve the feeders? The sort with a saucer beneath will catch
much of the spillage, avoiding the pigeon feeding problem.

We have five of those. The sparrows kick out the seeds they don't want even
from the widest saucer. We don't have visiting rock doves but blackbirds and
collar doves scavenge on the ground. And so do the hens of course.

I gave one of my neighbours a couple of hanging feeders. She still gets
to feed birds, but they're pigeon proof. Much better than the old
"breadcrumbs on the ground" approach.

Small amounts of fresh breadcrumbs (such as those left on the table after a
meal) aren't too bad but people chucking part or whole slices - or even
loaves - are asking for trouble.

What bothers me is that the recent wild bird seed mixture we bought - in a
large sack - contains a brassica seed which none of the birds wants. They're
kicked away from the saucer and the ground underneath the hanging feeders is
very green. I'm hoeing it in as green manure but I'd rather not have it. We
shan't be buying that mix again.

And get a cat.

We haven't a cat but it sometimes seems that everyone else does, there's
always one cat or another sitting on the fence round our garden, they've
been a menace to nesting birds. But they don't have an effect on the feeding
birds, which fly off when disturbed and return.

Mary