I think it’s working unless the squirrel gets more creative next time. Tip and ideas welcome.
Tonight I watched the Eastern Grey Squirrel, a fairly small one, try every conceivable way to get at the food. It could get in with its front paws but not with its mouth, nor could it pick up the bird seed with its paws, only push it around. But the Mourning Doves were able to walk on top of the grate and pick up seed with their bills.
I forget where I salvaged the grate, maybe from an old stove or fridge. The tray is the lid of a plastic pail.
I’m going to try putting down chicken netting (1/4 inch) under the grill and see if the bird will pick through it to get the seed. This Eastern Grey Squirrel is tiny enough to poke its nose between the bars of the grill and eat from the lid. It also figured out how to pick up seed with its paw and eat that way.
Thank you for the compliment. Maybe it makes you feel better to know that this was just a desperate solution to a silly problem. Then I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it long ago and decided to share it in case others feel the same. There is so much room for improvement on it. I welcome ideas.
I’ve seen cages like this on sites selling in the UK, they’re designed so the holes are large enough for small birds to fit through but not grey squirrels:
I have one of these and it’s so-so. Some larger birds like Cowbirds are still able to get in, though just an occasional one - not an entire flock. Raccoons and sometimes squirrels tip it over.
Definitely. That’s a Eurasian Goldfinch coming to join the House Finches and Black-capped Chickadee. And in the winter scene – yeah, I don’t know what that blue-and-white one is.
I picked up a wire basket that someone got from a store and left in the garbage room. Turning it upside down over the tray might work. I’ll have to check whether the spaces are large enough for birds to get through. But I like the Mourning Doves. They’re a lot bigger than chickadees and finches. In fact, if the Doves can get through, most likely the squirrels can get through, too. Eastern Grey Squirrel is what we’ve got here, mostly.
