Giving a bit back to nature is a rewarding and worthwhile experience but give a little too much and, well, you could be plagued by seagulls.
With a little careful consideration, though, it is possible to enjoy feeding the birds in your back garden without playing host to 30 seagulls on your roof.
Bird tables are popular Christmas gifts for gardening enthusiasts and nature lovers, and spotting wild birds from the comfort of your own home is a lovely way to connect with nature and support Britain’s wildlife.
While pest birds, such as pigeons and seagulls are a nuisance to homeowners with the mess and noise they create they can also be a menace to smaller birds in that they take all the food.
Smaller birds in search of some much-needed winter sustenance will easily be scared off by larger birds, which are excellent scavengers.
It’s not just pest birds that are a problem, squirrels are also opportunist food hunters that prey on bird tables and enjoy the spoils.
Giving some consideration to the location and accessibility of the bird table as well as to what food to put out will help to make sure the little birds get their fair share and that you are not deluged by pest birds.
These simple tips should help:
Leave out specialist wild bird food – this will ensure the birds get the nutrients they need
Avoid leaving out cooked food – cooked food and large amounts of bread will attract pests – rodents as well as birds – this is the sort of offering the seagulls will repeatedly return for.
Use small mesh feeders – small mesh feeders are designed to be difficult for larger birds and squirrels to eat from, leaving just enough space for smaller birds to access the food with their beaks.
Contain spilled food – putting in place a container or mesh cover to cover any food that is spilt on the floor will stop pigeons which may deliberately upset food to knock it onto the floor to eat.
Make access to the table tight – Some tables come designed for smaller birds to use while keeping food out of reach of larger birds. Adding garden canes or string can help to keep out seagulls.
Pigeons are very difficult to keep away from bird food left in the garden but if there is not a readily accessible source of food they will hopefully move on allowing the smaller birds to enjoy the bounty of seeds.
If your house has been affected by an infestation of pigeons or seagulls contact Total Bird Control for help.
