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Catching "Crumbs That Fall to the Floor" Followup #2 (To 8-22's Post)
by
TheLastLeafGardener
(IC: blogger)
In part # 1 of my follow-up to my HT post "Pole Systems and Bird Feeders (The SAGA Continues)" which I "published" on August 22nd 2013) I ended by saying:
"I think I may finally have found the solution, a solution that (so far) has not involved replacing my feeders, rather a solution that has involved modifying my rain (CB feeder) as well as my shine (WBUSS Feeder) which are the feeders I discussed in my first entry here on HT! Does this mean I've come full circle? Be that as it may, I'll tell you how I modified my rain and shine feeders (as well as what I hope to do with my seed hoop) in parts two and three of my 'Catching crumbs that fall to the floor' entry."
And, having made that promise in part today's entry will be dedicated to sharing with you how I've modified my "rain feeder" (also known as a CB feeder) in a way to control seed spillage which will result in (hopefully) deterring pigeons from visiting my urban garden."
However, before I delve into this topic, please let me give you a quick update on my cardinal couple, Cam and Mac, as unbeknownst to them, they have been a driving force in my efforts to come up with a "proper" feeding system which includes one that will deter pigeons.
I am thrilled to announce that last Saturday, September 7th 2013, I discovered Cam and Mac's SON basking in the sun on a bouncer in my garden. I have named him Vincenzo and he can be seen in the first image accompanying today's HT entry.
I made the announcement of Vincenzo's presence on TLLG's FB Page @ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=546231765426201&set=a.355589574490422.73015.247917655257615&type=1
As you can see Vincenzo chose to make himself cozy by sitting in my bouncer (as seen in images one and two). This is a chair I've written about on TLLG's Blogger in an entry @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/01/another-year-over-and-new-one-just_8.html
The aforementioned image initially appeared with a comment I made on TLLG's FB Page about the third picture with this HT posting (@ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=546566858726025&set=a.355589574490422.73015.247917655257615&type=1)
when I was trying to come up with a name for the little fellow which I ultimately decided would be Vincenzo. If you are interested in how I decided upon that name I have a two part short blurb about it on TLLG's FB Page.
Part One (which relates to picture four in this HT posting) can be found @ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=548077195241658&set=a.355589574490422.73015.247917655257615&type=1
Part Two (which relates to picture five in this HT posting) can be found @ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=548436591872385&set=a.355589574490422.73015.247917655257615&type=1
But once again (as I often do when it comes to "talking" about my visiting birds), I have digressed, for the purpose of this post is to discuss the modifications I have made to my rain feeder in an effort to deter seed spillage, and so, without further ado, please let me tell you about the seed saucer I have added to my CB (rain) feeder.
As you may recall, in my very first entry on HT (6-27-13), I discussed the CB feeder (also known as rain feeder) and if you'd like to refer to that post, it may be found @ http://www.hometalk.com/diy/outdoor/garden/rain-or-shine-bird-feeders-to-perch-or-not-may-be-the-question-1721634
I also have a number of posts within TLLG's Blogger pages re the CB feeder including one @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/06/visiting-birds-cb-feeder-follow-up.html
The CB feeder as you may know was procured by yours truly to accommodate Cam, her beau Mac, and the smaller songbirds which visit my urban garden. However, as you may also know, Cam and Mac never perched on the feeder, and they only availed themselves of seeds from it when it was placed on a ledge which surrounds my garden as evidenced in image six of this entry featuring Cam at the feeder.
And, as you may also know from my prior posts, mourning doves began rocking the CB feeder (as seen in image seven) in an attempt to spill seeds. Their endeavors were successful and seeds landed on my kiwi vines'* foliage which they then ate causing destruction to my vines' hard earned leaves.
[* I have a number of posts about this amazing vine on Blogger as well on tumblr and you may refer to them by clicking on the following links respectively:
Blogger @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/search/label/Actinida%20kolomikta%20and%20Actimida%20%28Kiwi%20Vines%29
tumblr @http://thelastleafgardener.tumblr.com/search/kiwi+vines ]
Moreover, as I've stated on HT in the past, the seeds that got "knocked" to the ground attracted mice and pigeons, a fact which was discussed @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/08/a-few-antics-of-long-island-seagulls.html
The "solution" of using a seed saucer (I'll provide pictures and info on this product within this entry) came from Susan Grimstead*, who evaluated my situation and came up with the suggestion, but, she also suggested a stop gap solution, and that is a solution of what I could do as I awaited the arrival of my seed saucer.
Ms. Grimstead's suggestion was that I place empty clay pots below my feeders to catch the seeds. Pigeon deterring experts found that "pigeons would not generally fly into (clay) pots."
However, my mourning doves did not concur with the pigeon experts' findings re flying into clay pots to get seeds, as evidenced by the photos posted below where the eighth image shows a "mourner" contemplating the seeds that had fallen into a pot, and the ninth image shows him/her going for them head first.
In any event, soon after I tried the clay-pot system my seed saucer arrived, and it can be seen in image ten of this posting.
For details re the assembly of the seed saucer to the CB feeder, please refer to my post on Blogger @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/09/honoring-remembering-service-of-others.html
So, dear reader, there you have it, as promised (on 8-22-13), the details re how I modified my rain feeder and thus the conclusion of follow-up of part two of my "Catching crumbs that fall to the floor" entry.
In part three of this series, I plan to tell you how I modified my shine feeder (the feeder directly in front of the CB feeder in image ten). And in part four, I will also discuss what I hope to do with my seed hoop (the device I mentioned in my 8-22-13 HT entry).
For now, I'll leave you with some photo-ops (pictures eleven through thirteen) of how a few of my visiting birds have reacted to the seed saucer.
* INFO on Susan Grimstead @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/09/honoring-remembering-service-of-others.html
"I think I may finally have found the solution, a solution that (so far) has not involved replacing my feeders, rather a solution that has involved modifying my rain (CB feeder) as well as my shine (WBUSS Feeder) which are the feeders I discussed in my first entry here on HT! Does this mean I've come full circle? Be that as it may, I'll tell you how I modified my rain and shine feeders (as well as what I hope to do with my seed hoop) in parts two and three of my 'Catching crumbs that fall to the floor' entry."
And, having made that promise in part today's entry will be dedicated to sharing with you how I've modified my "rain feeder" (also known as a CB feeder) in a way to control seed spillage which will result in (hopefully) deterring pigeons from visiting my urban garden."
However, before I delve into this topic, please let me give you a quick update on my cardinal couple, Cam and Mac, as unbeknownst to them, they have been a driving force in my efforts to come up with a "proper" feeding system which includes one that will deter pigeons.
I am thrilled to announce that last Saturday, September 7th 2013, I discovered Cam and Mac's SON basking in the sun on a bouncer in my garden. I have named him Vincenzo and he can be seen in the first image accompanying today's HT entry.
I made the announcement of Vincenzo's presence on TLLG's FB Page @ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=546231765426201&set=a.355589574490422.73015.247917655257615&type=1
As you can see Vincenzo chose to make himself cozy by sitting in my bouncer (as seen in images one and two). This is a chair I've written about on TLLG's Blogger in an entry @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/01/another-year-over-and-new-one-just_8.html
The aforementioned image initially appeared with a comment I made on TLLG's FB Page about the third picture with this HT posting (@ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=546566858726025&set=a.355589574490422.73015.247917655257615&type=1)
when I was trying to come up with a name for the little fellow which I ultimately decided would be Vincenzo. If you are interested in how I decided upon that name I have a two part short blurb about it on TLLG's FB Page.
Part One (which relates to picture four in this HT posting) can be found @ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=548077195241658&set=a.355589574490422.73015.247917655257615&type=1
Part Two (which relates to picture five in this HT posting) can be found @ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=548436591872385&set=a.355589574490422.73015.247917655257615&type=1
But once again (as I often do when it comes to "talking" about my visiting birds), I have digressed, for the purpose of this post is to discuss the modifications I have made to my rain feeder in an effort to deter seed spillage, and so, without further ado, please let me tell you about the seed saucer I have added to my CB (rain) feeder.
As you may recall, in my very first entry on HT (6-27-13), I discussed the CB feeder (also known as rain feeder) and if you'd like to refer to that post, it may be found @ http://www.hometalk.com/diy/outdoor/garden/rain-or-shine-bird-feeders-to-perch-or-not-may-be-the-question-1721634
I also have a number of posts within TLLG's Blogger pages re the CB feeder including one @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/06/visiting-birds-cb-feeder-follow-up.html
The CB feeder as you may know was procured by yours truly to accommodate Cam, her beau Mac, and the smaller songbirds which visit my urban garden. However, as you may also know, Cam and Mac never perched on the feeder, and they only availed themselves of seeds from it when it was placed on a ledge which surrounds my garden as evidenced in image six of this entry featuring Cam at the feeder.
And, as you may also know from my prior posts, mourning doves began rocking the CB feeder (as seen in image seven) in an attempt to spill seeds. Their endeavors were successful and seeds landed on my kiwi vines'* foliage which they then ate causing destruction to my vines' hard earned leaves.
[* I have a number of posts about this amazing vine on Blogger as well on tumblr and you may refer to them by clicking on the following links respectively:
Blogger @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/search/label/Actinida%20kolomikta%20and%20Actimida%20%28Kiwi%20Vines%29
tumblr @http://thelastleafgardener.tumblr.com/search/kiwi+vines ]
Moreover, as I've stated on HT in the past, the seeds that got "knocked" to the ground attracted mice and pigeons, a fact which was discussed @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/08/a-few-antics-of-long-island-seagulls.html
The "solution" of using a seed saucer (I'll provide pictures and info on this product within this entry) came from Susan Grimstead*, who evaluated my situation and came up with the suggestion, but, she also suggested a stop gap solution, and that is a solution of what I could do as I awaited the arrival of my seed saucer.
Ms. Grimstead's suggestion was that I place empty clay pots below my feeders to catch the seeds. Pigeon deterring experts found that "pigeons would not generally fly into (clay) pots."
However, my mourning doves did not concur with the pigeon experts' findings re flying into clay pots to get seeds, as evidenced by the photos posted below where the eighth image shows a "mourner" contemplating the seeds that had fallen into a pot, and the ninth image shows him/her going for them head first.
In any event, soon after I tried the clay-pot system my seed saucer arrived, and it can be seen in image ten of this posting.
For details re the assembly of the seed saucer to the CB feeder, please refer to my post on Blogger @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/09/honoring-remembering-service-of-others.html
So, dear reader, there you have it, as promised (on 8-22-13), the details re how I modified my rain feeder and thus the conclusion of follow-up of part two of my "Catching crumbs that fall to the floor" entry.
In part three of this series, I plan to tell you how I modified my shine feeder (the feeder directly in front of the CB feeder in image ten). And in part four, I will also discuss what I hope to do with my seed hoop (the device I mentioned in my 8-22-13 HT entry).
For now, I'll leave you with some photo-ops (pictures eleven through thirteen) of how a few of my visiting birds have reacted to the seed saucer.
* INFO on Susan Grimstead @ http://www.thelastleafgardener.com/2013/09/honoring-remembering-service-of-others.html
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Published September 15th, 2013 8:00 AM
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