squirrel control

[Walker570]

Great, leave her to it.  ####### peacocks ripped ours out.

[Mice!]

3 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Great, leave her to it.  ####### peacocks ripped ours out.

I took the picture and walked away 👍

[sam triple]

4 hours ago, Mice! said:

Blanked!! It poured day late last night, and was very windy this morning??

So I went to fill another feeder and found squatters.

I'm quite sure this means there aren't any squirrels coming to this feeder!!

But it's taken some filling by that little blue tit.

I think she's using the feed point like a chimney?

Nice to see though 

[Mice!]

11 hours ago, sam triple said:

Nice to see though 

Absolutely,  on the camera I had Squirrels,  pheasant,  a weasel or stoat going up the tree and a rabbit 😳 the rabbit actually turned up yesterday but I just sat and watched it, how times change.

The wood smells and looks amazing at the moment. 

[sam triple]

8 hours ago, Mice! said:

Absolutely,  on the camera I had Squirrels,  pheasant,  a weasel or stoat going up the tree and a rabbit 😳 the rabbit actually turned up yesterday but I just sat and watched it, how times change.

The wood smells and looks amazing at the moment. 

Yes rabbits seem to making a bit of a comeback all round , nice to see your hard being rewarded like this 

Edited May 19, 2022 by sam triple

[old man]

20 hours ago, Mice! said:

I took the picture and walked away 👍

Maybe a weight in the lid when you next pass?

[old man]

Out this morning, overcast and cold wind.

Feeders hit hard since last visit.

Number 1 was shot freehand while facing away at 25 yds through the shoulder blades, flipped into the brambles and left for the night crew.

Number 2 came to the feeder and was popped through through chest as it stuck it's head inside, an old breeding boar.

Then 3 hours of nothing.

[Mice!]

2 hours ago, old man said:

Maybe a weight in the lid when you next pass?

I'm going to put ip a camera to check she is using the feed point for access then strap down the lid 👍

[Sciurus]

I wonder why  a frustrated hungry grey hasn’t tried chewing its way in as it will have seen the tits flitting in and out it’s old feeder?

[Mice!]

3 hours ago, Sciurus said:

I wonder why  a frustrated hungry grey hasn’t tried chewing its way in as it will have seen the tits flitting in and out it’s old feeder?

The feeder was last topped up on the 16th of March, I'd shot two on the 9th but seen nothing after the 9th, I don't lock the lids, a squirrel could easily just lift the lid to get at the blue tit so I'm taking it there hasn't been a squirrel near that feeder for at least a month,  maybe longer?

I think this is why these feeders haven't been damaged,  there only thin ply so it wouldn't take much chewing. 

[old man]

15 hours ago, Mice! said:

I'm going to put ip a camera to check she is using the feed point for access then strap down the lid 👍

👍

[Sciurus]

@Mice! Good job you had cleared them out in that wood. 👍

[sam triple]

6 this morning plus 2 jays , greys running everywhere this morning and I was thinking I was getting on top of them 

[Mice!]

1 hour ago, sam triple said:

6 this morning plus 2 jays , greys running everywhere this morning and I was thinking I was getting on top of them 

Probably youngsters,  there is always an influx around June and July,  some I had the other week only looked like yearlings. 

[Walker570]

Certainly not the numbers around my patch that there was. I'm on 50 this year so far and 89 this date last year. Mind that is what it is all about.  Certainly a big increase in small birds, nuthatch in particular and no damage to any of the twenty odd nest boxes I have up.

[sam triple]

52 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Certainly not the numbers around my patch that there was. I'm on 50 this year so far and 89 this date last year. Mind that is what it is all about.  Certainly a big increase in small birds, nuthatch in particular and no damage to any of the twenty odd nest boxes I have up.

I’m on 115 in 10 months only 2 feeders in the wood going to have to put up more only shooting 2-3 hours a week this will have to increase especially now they’re getting into the wheat and destroying that 

[Longbower]

I’m well down this year , only a couple each month .  Feeders hardly touched , the nuthatches are like seagulls 😂

Three in two weeks.

[Martlandhw100]

I'm on 84 so far since Jan on 1 permission hopefully get over a 100 before the birds come in August. My mate has also had 40 odd. Still seeing plenty about though. 

[Walker570]

I had a visit yesterday from one of our more eminnent members and I showed him around our wood explaing that we considered it squirrel free. Now, I am not sure if his visit was above board. I think he snook one in down his trousers letting it out at the bottom when i wasn,t looking because what did my wife find this morning?  Yes a young pregnant female, so not happy with just one he snook in breeding stock🐿️🐿️🐿️🐿️

Always good to see you anyway Ken. **** law prevails.

[arjimlad]

I have searched but to little avail... please share your tips & designs for making a squirrel feeder.  I think I've done all I can with stalking/sitting & waiting in likely spots, it's time to get a feeder going.

[Fisheruk]

Out at crack of dawn this morning. The Conservation wood where I have thinned out the greys over the last year. Only 5 trapped in the two week trapping session in April. The feeder was filled up after the trapping fortnight and for a month remained untouched. 
Checked again this morning and saw it had had some light interest over the weekend.

Sat under a nearby Yew tree and this fellow appeared about 6.45. 580 grams.

 

[Walker570]

1 hour ago, arjimlad said:

I have searched but to little avail... please share your tips & designs for making a squirrel feeder.  I think I've done all I can with stalking/sitting & waiting in likely spots, it's time to get a feeder going.

Should be a few bits on here about my flip top feeders. If not pm me an address and I will send you some details how to make one.  Pity your so far away or you could have one to try as I always have a few lying about.

Flip tops are good. Little birds can come feed and act as decoys. The squirrels soon learn to lift the lid and then sit on the porch so to speak eating the feed giving a nice steady hold on the head.  I have had a hen pheasant learn to lift the lid and a few woodmice amazingly(on camera) but in the main the food is primarily there for tree rats.

 

31 minutes ago, Fisheruk said:

Out at crack of dawn this morning. The Conservation wood where I have thinned out the greys over the last year. Only 5 trapped in the two week trapping session in April. The feeder was filled up after the trapping fortnight and for a month remained untouched. 
Checked again this morning and saw it had had some light interest over the weekend.

Sat under a nearby Yew tree and this fellow appeared about 6.45. 580 grams.

 

Was that the tree rat or his danglies?

[Fisheruk]

1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

Should be a few bits on here about my flip top feeders. If not pm me an address and I will send you some details how to make one.  Pity your so far away or you could have one to try as I always have a few lying about.

Flip tops are good. Little birds can come feed and act as decoys. The squirrels soon learn to lift the lid and then sit on the porch so to speak eating the feed giving a nice steady hold on the head.  I have had a hen pheasant learn to lift the lid and a few woodmice amazingly(on camera) but in the main the food is primarily there for tree rats.

 

Was that the tree rat or his danglies?

Certainly well hung 

Edited May 23, 2022 by Fisheruk

[Mice!]

4 hours ago, arjimlad said:

I have searched but to little avail... please share your tips & designs for making a squirrel feeder.  I think I've done all I can with stalking/sitting & waiting in likely spots, it's time to get a feeder going.

Loads of different designs on here.

I've been quiet for the last couple of months but this set up keeps producing squirrels. 

feeder on the left is open and filled with cheap B&M seed with a drop of molasses,  the bigger feeder on the right is a flip lid, I've changed designs as time goes on but the flip lid means I can use peanuts and sunflower seeds without the birds emptying it, but they can get some.

if you feed the birds they'll bring the squirrels,  the feeders were left empty for probably 6 weeks, but starred producing squirrels after two weeks of being topped up.

Size matters, ideally you want the feeder to stay filled between your visits, even if you prefer stalking,  stalking around a good feeder will yield more squirrels. 

[old man]

8 hours ago, Walker570 said:

I had a visit yesterday from one of our more eminnent members and I showed him around our wood explaing that we considered it squirrel free. Now, I am not sure if his visit was above board. I think he snook one in down his trousers letting it out at the bottom when i wasn,t looking because what did my wife find this morning?  Yes a young pregnant female, so not happy with just one he snook in breeding stock🐿️🐿️🐿️🐿️

Always good to see you anyway Ken. **** law prevails.

Good to see you too Sir,  a warm welcome as always. Look for another as i had one down each leg. i had become afraid that the lack of tree rats would encourage you to drop asleep more often.

You certainly have a fantastic area which does you and your fantastic chief scout huge credit, a real haven. Lots of work involved.

Good tyres on the Landie too.