Gardeners in the Asylum

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by OLS

MR.B....I wanted to tell yu something about the birds that scatter feed all over, (from your
mention in your garden video) their behavior doubles your seed costs, makes a mess and encourages
the seeds to take root where you don't want them. IF YOU CAN both find it, and FIT IT, you take that
white grid diffuser that people use in flourescent light fixtures, and cut a piece to fit the floor of your feeder.
The birds that scatter seed like that are generally the 'trash birds' like house sparrows that both make a mess
and also intimidate other birds that you actually want. They are a non-native bird that will kill other birds for
nest space, and will eat anything that man drops or gives. Plus they don't sing so much as CONSTANTLY
chatter in the areas where they roost and rest, and it gets old fast. They like to 'rake' their bills across the food,
to get to what they want. The grid allows birds that peck at it to eat just fine, but it confounds the other bird's
ability to rake the seed and scatter it everywhere. I they want to eat out of a gridded feeder, they have to do it
the same as everybody else.

I will also pass on the fact that almost ANY kind of bird seed attracts them, but they
only want the tiny pearl millet seeds. They will throw out everything they don't like to get to that millet. The irony
is that while almost every bird you WANT TO ATTRACT will gladly take black oil sunflower seeds, about the only bird
that won't is a House Sparrow. So if you skip the blends and go straight black oil seeds, they will eventually just
stop coming around, and ALL the other birds will flock to your feeder. The upshot is the House Sparrows that just
have to come are relegated to the ground feeders they are meant to be, looking for bits of seed kernels the other
birds accidentally drop. This creates a LOT less fighting and intimidation at the feeder, and the only other birds
that will be on the ground are other 'good' sparrows and doves. And they are intimidated by the doves, so its payback time.

Usually at the Depot or the Low'es, you can find a busted piece that they can't sell, but leave there on the
shelf anyway, and you can usually get them to sell it to you cheap at the service desk. It would normally
be trashed, and you only need a little of it.

Very good info, thanks. So the grid gets placed right over the seed in the seed feeding area?

[OLS]

Originally Posted by Mr B

So the grid gets placed right over the seed in the seed feeding area?

You empty the feeder, cut a piece of grid to fit the bottom, then fill up the feeder.
Granted, this doesn't work for all feeders, just the kind where you ahve a flat bottom,
like hoppers, flat tables, etc. For tubes it is useless. That's the job of the pellet gun, lol.