Squirrel-proof bird feeders

LOL gulligranny - it's hard not to find the little B's entertaining isn't it. Our dogs went berserk yesterday, rushing at the windows, barking. There was the squirrel, standing on his hind legs, surveying the garden, to make sure they weren't out, so he could saunter towards the bird table.

We have several squirrels who frequent our bird-feeder so OH decided he would grease the pole so they couldn't climb up. After a few times getting part-way up and then sliding down, the wily little critters now jump up, slide down, rub off the grease on the lawn and thus clean the pole to enable ease of access. We've given up trying to stop them now ....

Driving back from a NT house yesterday and grandson spotted a red kite.
It had me wondering how many other 12 year olds would recognise birds these days. His 7 year old sister noticed it too, and they were discussing whether it would be a kite or a buzzard and what were the differences.
It made me feel really happy.

I've tried all sorts. Have currently stopped feeding the birds as the crows were stealing it all. The RSPB apparently have a good one. The external bars have to be close together and a long way from the food source and only a small food tray or long beaks and squirrel claws can reach through. Good luck

I think pigeons are a damn nuisance [ I know they are Gods creatures and all that flim-flam].
They swoop in , take all the grub shit poo all over the show.

To me they are what a lot of people call them FLYING RATS

My wood pigeons sit in the water bowl while eating the seed. I do chase them off sometimes to give the goldfinches a chance. Most of the time the pigeons feed on the ground along with the blackbirds and dunnocks, eating the seed that the smaller birds have dropped.

I don't want to stop the pigeons feeding Annaries, I do want to slow them down, and stop them emptying every feeder before the smaller birds get their chance. They're huge, huge, and greedy. My young dog has taken a dislike to them, and given a chance, races out to chase them out of the garden. He doesn't do this with the small birds. His ancestors were bred to flush ducks, something else he does given the opportunity. I suspect the size of the pigeons makes his small dog size brain see them as either ducks, or the enemy.

Annaries try the window ones, the little birds love them, especially the fat balls. It takes a while for them to find the feeders but when they do we can see them close up from inside the house.

Don't like pigeons they are bullies. Just like people, some are nice and some are not!

Pigeons are birds. Why do you want to stop them feeding?
I found the same as Purpledaffodil, that even the small birds did not want to feed from the squirrelproof cage. They seemed to be always wary and looking over their shoulders when on the outside, and did not venture anywhere near the seeds, so we got rid of the feeders. Spherical ones were no good, too, for the same reason.

Those pigeons, they're planning to take over the world….

I have the answer, the ones you stick on the windows, they are great. I have a selection of them and haven't even seen a squirrel since we got rid of the others.

www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_11/280-6363369-0966060?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=window%20bird%20feeder&sprefix=window+bird%2Caps%2C433&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Awindow%20bird%20feeder

I haven't tried the two that come out on top.

The squirrels still lurked around the ones previously recommended, sorry.

Now can anyone tell me how to stop the pigeons?

I found that the large baffles worked very well, especially if the feeder was hung by a longish 'cord'. It also helped to keep the seed dry.

Reminds me of the completely secure computer - it has no 'on' switch!

You really must admire the squirrels for their intelligence - they are amazingly clever little blokes - obviously the equal of people who design (and buy) bird-feeders, anyway!

We bought one at vast expense called a Squirrel buster. Ha! It was so effective nothing could feed from it and the peanuts got mouldy inside it eventually. Definitely not recommended.

Thanks for the OP and big thanks to shysal for the link. It's pretty clear one of our neighbours has the occasional grey squirrel cull, but currently there is one especially pesky visitor. He (maybe a she) skips through the leylandi our neighbour planted at the border of our gardens, and next appears on the roof of our shed. He stands up, little white chest gleaming, as he makes sure the dogs are not in the garden. Then, hopipty skip, he's enjoying the seeds in the squirrel proof (ha) bird feeders.

The other problem is some apparently genetically modified pigeons, who consume vast amounts of bird seed. The dogs dislike them almost as much as the squirrels. But, I can't let the dogs feed their prey habit by guarding the garden from squirrels and pigeons - the barking would irritate the neighbours.

So - I'm off to order on the link

Tried everything, including baffles, without success. Ended up with a contraption like a large cage that made getting the bird food in almost impossible!

I would almost be glad to see pigeons on my feeder in order to divert them from my vegetables the other end of the garden. Fruit and brassicas are all swathed in netting to protect them and I planted a row of begonias in a narrow bed beneath my patio wall and have to replant the poor plants every morning after the birds/pigeons have pulled them up and scattered them on the patio.

Bit light hearted but....I am fed up with bird feeders - and I mean those who feed birds; my neighbours have every device you can imagine to feed garden birds, and that would be lovely if only the seagulls would realise that they simply do not have a hope of getting any seed. But every dawn they are there, squawking and fighting and crating general mayhem for about an hour before they give up, only to return when life on the shore gets boring. And as for the wood pigeons.....

Thanks sal. We use ones with a seed 'catcher' at the bottom so wondered whether the 'baffles' work. Has anyone tried those?

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BIRD-FEEDERS-BIRD-SEED-FAT-BALL-PEANUTS-NUTS-SQUIRREL-PROOF-LARGE-/321347099266?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Garden_Plants_Bird_Bath_Feeder_CV&var=&hash=item4ad1c79a82
The round one doesn't keep them out, but the bell-shaped one does!
I posted a photo of a squirrel inside mine on here somewhere, and Galen said she had the same problem with that model.
Good luck!