Feeding birds

My bird cafe is very popular but I am finding the nyjer seed a problem and wonder what others do. I love watching the gold finches swinging and pecking away but it seems more lands up on the ground than in their tummies and it was only when I began to notice a smell that I decided to finally try and clear it up. I was shocked that there was this thick, evil smelling carpet of the stuff on the ground, probably because it's been so wet. Some of it is paved so could be scooped up but much is gravel and I have no idea how to get rid of it or how to stop so much falling. No point hanging anything under the feeder with our winds.

I use squirrel cages for other feeds and love watching the birds pack into them. Long tailed tits love the fat balls (counted 7 in the cage once - quite tame and so sweet), sparrows go for mixed seed and also pack into the cage, other tits prefer nuts and seem to prefer solitary feeding. Haven't worked out yet how to put seed on the ground for robins without attracting big birds as they don't seem to like the squirrel cage and I refuse to feed jackdaws.

Well done for feeding the birds they are wonderful to watch. The only thing I could think off was a sided catchment tray which maybe the wind wouldn't affect as much?

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Originally Posted by jax

Well done for feeding the birds they are wonderful to watch. The only thing I could think off was a sided catchment tray which maybe the wind wouldn't affect as much?

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Thanks. Will see if I can rig up something.

I remember as a child making a bird feeder out of a plastic container, cutting small holes in the side so that the wee birds could enter.

You get 'cages' to put over a ground feeder if that would help? We have a tray at the bottom of the niger seed feeder which works well even in the wind.

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Originally Posted by Liz

You get 'cages' to put over a ground feeder if that would help? We have a tray at the bottom of the niger seed feeder which works well even in the wind.

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Thanks Liz. I've been trying to figure out a way to put something under it that wouldn't either blow away or fill with water. For now I've moved that feeder so it's lower down and more over the paved area so I can keep it clean. Gave it a good sweep again this morning and hosed it down but it's not as clean as I would like yet because the wind was blowing the water sideways. Now I see a crowd of little birds pecking that area, can't think why as nothing to eat there so hope they're not picking up anything they shouldn't. No good talking - they don't listen!

I do have a spare cage that I tried on the ground once for the robins having bought their special seed, but the sparrows kept taking it so I gave up. Maybe I'll try again.

We too have a nyger seed feeder but have little problem about the few seeds that get scattered as the chaffinches, dunnocks and even the robins seem to enjoy them. It is 1 that has very small holes so the larger birds can't access it.
Have to agree about the smell though, we keep all the bird seed in the kitchen and use a storm peg to keep the nyger seed sack firmly closed so it does not permeate the rest of the house.

Wish my birds would pick them up off the ground but they just won't which is why I finished up with this horrible thick carpet of wet ones. Don't understand it as I see the finches pecking away but more seems to land on the ground than is eaten. Maybe they don't like my seed ! I have the usual nyger seed feeder with narrow slits. I'd give up on it if I didn't love watching the birds so much. Never had a problem with seed smelling in the house though.

My chickens wait under the feeders waiting for anything to drop so nothing goes to waste