Build a bird feeder

We have a large wildlife friendly garden and enjoy watching the vistors to it, the grey squirrels are very entertaining, skilful and amusing, we always seem to have two or three in the garden.

If you are having trouble with feeders I reckon one of these is an answer, we have had this feeder hanging in the garden for about two years and it is still fully intact (Squirrel proof?). I really like Tractor Man`s feeder as well.

PS my feeder is not really on the ground!

I set up my garden hose pointing down over the centre of the bird feeder, and made an air operated water valve from a couple of old pneumatic valves. The button to operate the valve was in the kitchen, so with my compressor on and the water live on the water valve I was ready. When the squirrel hung down off the bird feeder, or sat just above it I was able to give them a surprise. Once I had a few practice goes, I was able to give them a good soaking. They are smart though, as soon as they saw me in the kitchen they were off. However they just ate the nuts before I got up and armed the system. They went through a supposed squirrel proof bird feeder in about 2 days, the mesh was so fine. They opened up the seam in my heavy duty stainless mesh one so they could get the nuts out by pushing the seam apart. I have just redone the seam which is holding at the moment. I still feel the water jet will work, but I need an automatic system where the squirrels trigger it when they were hanging on the feeder or approached it. I need some means of detecting the little b****rs and triggering the water jet fast while they are in range. Any suggestions would be welcome. I also considered a radio controlled trigger, as they just sat on the branch and laughed at me when they were on the feeder and I was upstairs unable to reach the button in the kitchen.

Chris Gunn

Chris, have you ever worked as a storeman? As an apprentice a visit to the stores for a newby usually entailed a soaking or being enveloped in a cloud of French chalk from the hose strategically place above the counter, you soon learned to press the service bell from a safe position.

Mike

We were troubled by squirrels and pigeons. The pigeons were probably worse than the squirrels as one of them learnt to grip the metal feeder and flap his wings furiously which shook all the sunflower seeds out through the fine metal mesh. An entire flock of his mates then descended and hoovered up everything on the floor. Refilling was almost a daily occurrence and the 22 solution would probably bring the anti terrorist police around as I live near Finsbury Park!

My solution was to gently melt some ATORA beef suet in a saucepan and then add sunflower seeds until it was a thick paste.When this has cooled and nearly set I spoon it into the metal mesh tube and the beef suet stops the pigeons from just shaking the seeds out. The little birds can still get their food easily. Occasionally i have to poke the mesh with a fine stick to loosen the bits in the middle where the small beaks can't reach. Not an engineering solution but it seems to work for me.

Bob

Remarkable what beaks and animal teeth can do,a spaniel called Merlin "adopted" us, our neighbours fence was patched with parts of a budget incinerator , the blighter knawed through it in an afternoon, we are talking 16G or so steel wire and a a hole big enough to get through, could not find a trace of loose metal , guess their digestive system is on a par with their teeth.

Mike, I used to visit the stores, but they were a bit kinder, all I went for was a long wait. A favourite trick elsewhere was to solder a nail to a penny and nail it to the floor in front of the Rozalex dispenser. As one bent down to pick up the penny someone would pull and release the dispense and a gobbet of Rozalex would splatter on one's back. I could go on but I am getting off topic.

Chris Gunn

How about a weight operated douche?

The squirrel will be heavier than the 5-10 grams of a sparrow. If you were to fit the pneumatic button to the hanger of the bird feeder and get that to operate the water it could be entirely automatic.

Regards,

Richard.