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Squirrel Feeders: Squirrels Gone Wild!
Well…I never thought it would come to this, I’m a pretty tolerant backyard birder, and have several squirrel feeders in the yard for the critters. But they are starting to drive me craaaazy! The other day one had the nerve to tear a 5-inch hole in the screen of my back porch. When I unlocked and opened the door, there he was scurrying about like nobody’s business. Late for work, it took me 15 minutes to get him out the door! He chewed a nice wooden black cabinet containing corn and several types of seed. He also managed to shred the big plastic bin containing regular bird seed. They overturn the water wiggler in my bird bath constantly, and I think they might even be scaring off the hummingbirds, as they are known to be one of their predators.
I have 5 cats, 4 of which are indoor-only. One is an ex-feral and goes out for 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening. When the squirrels on the deck see him come out…they say “hi, how ya doing today?” Being an ex-feral he has no interest in the squirrels or luckily, the birds.
These squirrels are turning into monsters, brazen, they are not even scared of me anymore. Suggestions? No bee-bee guns please!
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See More Species with a Finch Bird Feeder
Feeding thistle or nyjer seed will attract more than Goldfinches!
The high fat and protein content found in thistle makes it wildly popular among both House and Purple Finches, Towhees, Pine Siskins, Juncos, and Indigo Buntings (shown above). This makes the Finch Bird Feeder highly versatile and a pleasure to watch. Another great benefit of this feeder is that seed won’t germinate, so there’s no worries of unsightly weeds below your feeder.
Mixing thistle seed with finely chopped sunflower kernels also helps reduce the mess below feeders. Pine Siskins and other prefer the mix as well. Finch feeders have special ports for thistle, they are generally much smaller than those of other wild bird feeders. There are tons of finch bird feeders on the market, one to suit your tastes and environment shouldn’t be too hard to find!
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Crowded Thistle Bird Feeder?
If finches are flocking to your thistle bird feeder in droves, it may be time to add more feeders! Not the same tube type feeders, but inexpensive thistle socks, made of mesh with a simple drawstring closure. They are highly effective at giving finches their “needed” space to feed.Since the socks, or sack is mesh, the whole surface offers feeding space. They do not have to be cleaned, and are meant to be disposable after they become worn and tattered. You can get hundreds of feeders from just one thistle sock.
Goldfinches, unlike other birds, are non-aggressive around feeders. Instaed of fighting for food, they are apt to just give up. So by adding another thistle bird feeder or two, you can accommodate more Goldfinches inexpensively, and effectively!
Birding Tips, Information & News
If finches are flocking to your 