feeding birds

[flitty]

I have always enjoyed feeding the birds with seed etc in my garden but recently every day about 20 racing pigeons descend on my garden and eat the lot and then hang about on my roof all day till 4pm . How can i get rid of them as i dont know who owns them and the other birds wont come when they are there.

[aelmpvw]

i don't have a pigeon problem but the birds don't seem to be turning up as usual for their breakfast?

[dustypuss]

Pigeons have a very good memory as to where to get a free meal . Stop putting food out for the birds aprox one to two weeks and this should solve the problem as they will move on . Or get a cat :-)

[flitty]

ive got a cat and it must like birds lol

[Gizmonster]

.... or put your food in feeders where the pigeons can't get at it.
If you put food on a table, fence it off with some mesh - small enough to keep pigeons out, but big enough to let small birds in.

[hammerman]

I have this dilemma at work. I feed the lovely little song birds, finches, tits etc and the moment i step outside down come the Herring gulls and eat the lot.

But it got me thinking....who the hell am i to say who feeds and who doesn't ? There is a natural pecking order in the animal and bird kingdom as well as the human ones.

I hate seeing all the little birds go without but surely they must have a plentiful supply of natural food. I also have one of those squirrel proof feeders filled with nuts for the little ones too

[danchip]

my grandma used to feed the birds and then sit on a deck chair in the garden watching them, she would sit there with the hosepipe in her hand and any larger birds like pigeons or magpies that came to feed got a blast of water shot at them, it always made me laugh how little birds were fine but the bigger ones had to go without!

[chaptazbru]

My sympathies are all with the little 'uns who always get browbeaten by the bigger birds. I like danchip's gran's idea ! I rush out clapping my hands to chase the big ones (pigeons and magpies) away and then at least the little ones manage to get something.