The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Wildlife => Topic started by: ballingall on September 01, 2012, 11:30:23 am
-
Hello all,
We are getting a patch of area at our back door slabbed over, and a rowan tree removed. And yes, I would rather not remove the tree, but it is blocking light out from out kitchen window, and is really getting a bit big now. Trouble is, as it is directly opposite our kitchen window, I have always since we moved in used it to hang my bird feeding things on.
So, any recommendations for what I can use instead? Obviously I could get a bird table, but not sure how good or cat and wind proof they will be?
Thanks,
Beth
-
We were in a similar situation and bought a couple of 'wrought iron' lookalike poles which have various curly bits on to hang feeders, fat balls etc from. They came from Dobies and I think they were about £20 or so each. We thought they looked a bit flimsy but in fact both have been fine, and the birds love hanging upside down from the curly bits, or sliding down the slopes ::) 8) We set the bases in concrete - they wave slightly in the wind but that's just their innate flexibility. They are better than we had expected and give us plenty of pleasure watching the birds feeding. We don't like bird tables because they are so difficult to keep clean and just harbour bacteria which can kill the birds.
-
Thanks FW. I did see those in b&q the other day, but have to say I also thought they looked a bit flimsy. Good to hear they aren't too bad.
I might look into them. I could also put a couple of brackets off the side of the utility room roof, so may do that as well.
Beth
-
We've also got one of the curly poles - it's withstood Kaitlin :o
So they're definately stronger than you think ;)
The CJ Wild bird website has loads of interesting stuff :innocent: http://www.birdfood.co.uk/ (http://www.birdfood.co.uk/) they used to do a suction cup feeder that attached to your window - great for watching up close :thumbsup:
Bushy shrubs in pots would give the birds some cover in the absence of your tree too.
We have a small isolation paddock that had a few small trees in it, needless to say the pigs have rooted almost all of them up, but they haven't touched the rowan :fc: (I need it to keep the witches away ;) :o :D)
-
if you find something that needs concreting in place and it happens to be laying around by next weekend it can be fixed in place as the slabs go in for you :-)