Something eating all the birds nuts over night...?

harveybobbles

We have a bird feeding station in the back garden with a selection of nuts, fat balls etc... Every morning the nut tray is empty. Yet before I go to bed at night it is half full.

Just wondered what could be eating them.

We have suirrrels, but they prefer the monkey nuts on the other side of the garden.

antw23uk

Its more than likely the squirrels but i wouldnt rule out rats or mice. You put out food and they will come

shelly

My first thought was rats too but I think that's because I visited my parents yesterday and Mum mentioned she had seen a rat hanging off the nut holder of her feeding station.
Must admit I wouldn't have thought they could shimmy up the metal pole but apparently they can :eek:

krlyr

I've seen squirrels buying things all over our garden recently from the neighbour's bird feeders (oh well, the dogs have done more damage to the lawn with their crazy playing, good job we haven't just returfed it or anything!) so maybe they're stashing all the nuts somewhere rather than eating the whole lot daily.

KxMx

I get several species of birds in my garden which love the nuts and go mad for them. Starlings, doves, wood pigeons will always eat them first if there is a selection of food on offer, and I have witnessed 2 Magpies working together to get a bag of them open!

Perhaps you have an early morning caller who is polishing them all off

blossomhill_2

It will most likely be mice or rats I am afraid - we watched a mouse wearing night vision eat loads of them (we had the night vision,not the mouse!)

Robins are also out at night (listen for the singing) as are badgers - how low is it?

As for rats shimmying - there was a thread on here about a woman who had a dead rat fall on her from a tree - they climb just like squirrels and use tails for balance

Any chance of taking the feeders in at night?

shelly

blossomhill wrote: »

As for rats shimmying - there was a thread on here about a woman who had a dead rat fall on her from a tree - they climb just like squirrels and use tails for balance

A rat climbing a tree I can imagine. I just can't imagine one running up a smooth metal pole. I'm not saying I don't believe my Mum, it's just one of those 'mind boggling' things for me to get my brain around

Caroline_a

I stopped feeding the birds when I saw a rat climb up the bird feeding pole.... euww!! Not seen any since I got the cat though!

harveybobbles

The metal pole is about 7 foot away from the closest fence and there are no trees near by for anything to jump from.

I don't mind feeding the squirrels, but they get fed from another feeder else where.

There are foxes opn the field at the side of the house.

I've seen pigeons, doves, magpies and other large birds feeding from the feeding station during the day. We also have a robin, but he takes one nut at a time.

Might see if anyine has a night vision camera I can borrow...

antw23uk

Didnt think of foxes but yes could well be them too. They eat anything and everything

lynnemcf

When I was a student (back in the dark ages) we were all in the kitchen cooking our supper when a rat ran out of the back of the fridge and straight up the hot water pipe that ran to the cylinder in the bathroom. It was smooth copper pipe and the rat had no trouble with it.