Why did the birds quit coming to my bird feeder? It used to attract everything in the woods but nothing now?
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Abby asked:
I had the birdfeeder in a tree at first but had to take it down because of squirrels - turkeys, etc. Everything jumped from my porch into the feeder. I then hung the feeder in another tree. I put a homemade baffle on it (a large plastic planter with a hole drilled in the middle). The “baffle” came to the middle of the feeder and larger birds (Northern Cardinals) couldn’t get to the seed. I saw everything in the feeder including squirrels. I changed the baffle so I can see the birds better and to let the larger birds in and to maybe prevent the squirrels from getting in. I have not seen one bird since. It has been rainy for a few days - could that be it? Or is it the new baffle?
Ramon
I had the birdfeeder in a tree at first but had to take it down because of squirrels - turkeys, etc. Everything jumped from my porch into the feeder. I then hung the feeder in another tree. I put a homemade baffle on it (a large plastic planter with a hole drilled in the middle). The “baffle” came to the middle of the feeder and larger birds (Northern Cardinals) couldn’t get to the seed. I saw everything in the feeder including squirrels. I changed the baffle so I can see the birds better and to let the larger birds in and to maybe prevent the squirrels from getting in. I have not seen one bird since. It has been rainy for a few days - could that be it? Or is it the new baffle?
Ramon
October 30th, 2007 at 4:55 am
ya gotta keep food in your feeder!
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:16 am
For the right height for the right height for the birds you keep moving it around incidentally it is at the right height for the right height for the birds you keep moving it is at the right height for the birds.
For the right height for the right height for the birds you have other features to attract the birds you want to.
November 5th, 2007 at 8:48 am
You are lucky it is only squirrels feeding off the bird seed, we have mutant rats crawling up ours! I suggest you clean the feeder and the baffle because squirrels leave a scent that detracts some bird species (rats do, too). Water alone won’t do the job, but whatever cleaner you use must be non-toxic and rinse away residue because the birds will get it on their feet. That being said, we don’t really have a lot of birds at our feeders when it is raining.
I honestly thought that the zoologist at the Wild Animal Park was out of his mind when he told me about the scents left by rodents on the feeders. But, since they have a huge aviary comprised of several exotic bird species, I thought I’d give it a try. Now, I clean it every time I fill it, just in case.