Sparrow, Squirrel, and Starling Deterrants

[wildflowergardener]

I've been trying some new things to deter these pests this week/weekend.

The squirrel chewed up my supposedly squirrel proof caged feeder this week, so I am trying out the Yankee Flipper feeder. Unfortunately, no squirrels have tried it yet, so I haven't gotten to see it work - other than in the video.

Also, it immediately became a house sparrow only feeder - which I don't mind feeding some, but they were monopolizing it all day long so nothing else could get on it and going through a lot of seed quickly - I bought the magic halo sparrow deterrent, which is a metal hoop that goes over the top, and you hang mono filament line (fishing line basically) down and spooks the sparrows but other birds are ok with it - unfortunatly the cardinals sometimes don't like it as well - it said you could use it without the lines and cardinals would still be ok, but the sparrows were still coming so I had to use it. I have another feeder the cardinals are ok with and it is weight sensitive so only two sparrows can eat at a time, so they don't go through the food as fast. So far no sparrows have come with the line attached - but other birds which hadn't been able to eat have.

My squirrel proof suet feeder had starlings on it a lot - it is a suet feeder in a cage - I was able to modify it this morning with a finer mesh on the ends and a squirrel baffle on the top, so the starlings couldn't get their heads in where it's close enough to eat - so far so good, and the other birds have been able to get to it. I saw a ruby crowned kinglet for the first time yesterday but he was scared off by the starlings - so now that I've fixed it so they can't use it he's been back again and again, and so have the woodpeckers - wrens haven't quite figured it out yet but they are small enough to get in.

I still threw seed on the ground so the others could eat but not monopolize the feeders. Also, my Eurasian tree sparrows are also spooked by the fishing line, which is too bad, but they like thistle as well and can eat on the ground and from the other feeder as well.

Any other ideas that have worked for you, for these pests?

Edit to add: Just when you think you have one pest under control it seems another comes.

[elleng]

1. Where ARE you

that gets you so many pests????

[wildflowergardener]

2. St. Louis

Just your common suburban back yard.

And it's really not that many maybe 20 sparrows, 10-15 of starlings, and a bunch of squirrels.

I thought they were a pretty common thing at any birdfeeders.

So far things seem to be working. I decided to remove the fishing line from the "Magic Halo" for the sparrows over the halo. I was worried that a bird might get injured, so I've had a few sparrows on the feeder - but the kind of look at it warily, come get a seed and leave - they don't sit hogging all 4 holes at a time and scaring away the other birds.

Meg