Janus Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Vistors to the feeder (including Robin, Nuthatch and blue tit) seem to just grab a meal worm and off they go. Or, sometimes they eat a few while on the perch, then grab one and off they go. The Great tit howver, just throws loads out on to the ground, then grabs what looks like a large one and off it goes. I`ve not noticed this before, even though I`ve had a feeder of meals worms up for a few years. The upshot is that the standard size feeder is being emptied in approx 16 hours (from about 5am to 9pm). Anyone else experienced this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcoblog Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 This is true, but sounds made up ... I've just started to put food out for birds as I never seem to get any in my garden. Quickly realising that just chucking food onto the lawn would be doomed to failure and carnage (due entirely to the next door neighbours cat's prowling habits), I went to the expense of buying a feeder and some seed (Tom Chambers classic seed blend, 'tasty treat for the discerning bird' it says) from Chatsworth garden shop (Blue Diamond). This, (seed and feeder) I duly hung off the washing line, slap bang in the middle of the garden and peeked out of the kitchen window excitedly ... nothing happened. Some more time went by ... nada. All of a sudden ... nothing else happened ... I waited ... more nothing ... After a couple of days it got very windy and something happened ... the bird seed blew out of the feeder and onto the lawn ... all of it. Then something else happened! It turns out that next door's cat loves bird seed! It's scoffed the whole bloody packet now, whilst a couple of solitary and stupid pigeons sat in the sycamore tree and watched in envy. Do you think the cat'll like mealworms? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorpist Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Putting bird feeders in the centre of a garden is disaster waiting to happen. Sparrowhawks will love it. Bird feeders need to be near an escape route for songbirds, hedges or bushes are good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janus Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 I cannot answer your question Alcoblob about whether cats like mealworms, but it is not the cat(s) eating mine. I`ve watched the feeder swinging around when the wind blows and the mealworms stay inside. I`ve also watched the great tit chucking the mealworms out. I assume it wants to get to the largest and may have travelled some distance from a nest of chicks, and wants the trip to be worthwhile sort of thing? Or, maybe that`s what all great tits do regardless of nest location? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loraward Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Putting bird feeders in the centre of a garden is disaster waiting to happen. Sparrowhawks will love it. Bird feeders need to be near an escape route for songbirds, hedges or bushes are good. Unless you also wanted to feed the Sparrowhawks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcoblog Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Unless you also wanted to feed the Sparrowhawks. Or next door neighbour's cat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegas1 Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 I got far too excited after reading the first two words of the thread title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anywebsite Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I had a pair of great tits on my nuts in the garden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davyboy Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I got far too excited after reading the first two words of the thread title. :hihi: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey Shaw Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Unless you also wanted to feed the Sparrowhawks. "Sparrowhawks, ma'am": see http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Duke-of-Wellington/ (near the end). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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