I have a bog metal hopper-type feeder with spring-loaded perching bars, and the spring tension is adjustable. At any particular setting, birds over a certain weight will depress the bars, which closes off the seed ports. During Blue Jay migration, for example, the spring loading can be adjusted so the heavy Blue Jays are denied access. But really, where’s the fun in that? Unless it’s in watching their clever attempts to circumvent the exclusion mechanism! In the end, I’ve just opted to leave the spring tension on high, and the only critters who actually depress the bars are the bears, who are not deterred in the least, but simply push over the feeder pole, bust open the hopper and devour the entire load of sunflower seed!
Hmm... April 21st, nearly time for the bears to show up... -Geo > On Apr 21, 2021, at 4:23 PM, Anne Marie Johnson > <annemariejohn...@frontiernet.net> wrote: > > You can find a few more tips for deterring large flocks of birds on this > page of the FeederWatch website. > > Anne Marie Johnson > Caroline > > On 4/21/2021 2:15 PM, Donna Lee Scott wrote: >> I too have many RW Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, and 6-8 Grackles and I >> am going thru a lot of expensive bird food. >> I put out food in early morning, one time a day. >> >> The only thing I can think to do is to stop feeding the birds altogether for >> a while, so that the hoards go somewhere else and then start feeding the >> “dainty” birds again. >> >> Donna L. Scott >> 535 Lansing Station Road >> Lansing >> >> From: bounce-125563710-15001...@list.cornell.edu >> [mailto:bounce-125563710-15001...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Deb Grantham >> Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2021 2:06 PM >> To: CAYUGABIRDS-L <cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu> >> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] question about feeder crowds >> >> Hi, >> >> A neighbor of mine is bothered that she gets a lot of grackles and starlings >> at her feeders, and that they hog all the food she puts out. Any suggestions? >> >> Deb >> >> >> -- >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> Welcome and Basics >> Rules and Information >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive >> Surfbirds >> BirdingOnThe.Net >> Please submit your observations to eBird! >> -- >> -- >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> Welcome and Basics >> Rules and Information >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive >> Surfbirds >> BirdingOnThe.Net >> Please submit your observations to eBird! >> -- > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
