What type of feeder are you using? maybe a tube feeder they can't land or sit on like one of the tube feeders might work.

Annette

My feeder is plastic so when the heavier birds land it tips and they fly off. As I speak, I see a dratted Blue Jay and a Red Wing Blackbird are eating!

I don't think there is anyway too stop them. They don't perch on my thistle seed feeder so the finches and white crowned sparrows have a free range there.

Blue jays like peanuts. Maybe you could keep them occupied at another feeding station using peanuts (in the shell). I used to have a window sill where I had sparrows, doves, jays and squirrels coming by every day. I had a bowl of bird seed for the sparrows and doves, and a cup of peanuts which the squirrels and jays shared. There weren't any quarrels, and the jays weren't at all interested in the mixed bird seed. Breaking open the peanut shells kept them pretty busy.

Lorna

Granny here seems to be repeating herself a lot lately, I type something delete part and then type the same thing again.
Being frugal, gardening season is right around the season don't you know :o), I'm determined to wait till the other eye is done before I get reading glasses. Right now it's a bit of a challenge reading what I type. Bear with me, in the meantime and I'll think of another excuse to use after I get reading glasses LOL.
Lorna, we buy peanuts for the Jays but only if they appear on the scene, this is one bird I don't mind not seeing here. These guys also like newly planted crocus bulbs among other things, how they sense where they are is beyond me they don't bother the established bulbs but they find the new ones even under mulch.

Annette

Another bully is mocking birds. Last year we had one (or two, can't tell them apart you know) perch in the tree and dive bomb the other birds when they tried to eat. I would run outside several times a day to shush them off. So far, this winter, I haven't seen them.

Then there are the starlings and the grackles..............

lol, gldno1. When grackles pay a visit, it's like that movie "The Birds". They swoop in and gobble as much as they can, the nearby trees and shrubs black with them. My neighbor raps on her window to get them to move on, then they come up to my feeders!

I have the same problem except ours are called scrub jays. Scrub jays look like blue jays without the pointed head.

I agree with Lorna and you could also try suet. If I hang suet they will opt for that instead of the seed. Most birds eat one seed at a time ... not the scrub jays ... they take a whole beek full at a time. They'll eat anything.

ThinMan, I have good luck with the weight-selective feeders (often called squirrel proof).You could also try one of those plastic owls. I'm not sure if it would frighted away all the birds, but the slow-flying jays really fear owls. (you would need to move it around the yard every few days or they'll figure out it's fake. Remove the owl when the flock moves on). Around the end of March bluejays pick out their nesting sites and will become even more aggressive.

When I have flocks of birds that "clean me out" for days on end, (starlings, mourning doves, English Sparrows)I stop feeding all birds completely. After a few days I begin putting out a small amount of feed early in the morning and about an hour before sunset so that the cardinals and chicadees and other early risers have something to eat. If the flocks of whatever don't return, then I gradually go back to the original feeding amounts.

I have also used a "super-soaker" water gun on unwanted critters. But right now the air is so darn cold I would be afraid they would catch pneumonia!

Good luck with whatever method you choose!
Patti

Good suggestions, everyone. I have hung a tube feeder to see if that helps. There was a chickadee on it by the time I got back in the house and looked out the window. The downside to the tube feeder for me is that it hangs over the porch and all the mess from the feeder ends up on the porch floor. Small price to pay, though, if the blue jays stay away.

I'm also going to try putting just a small amount of seeds in the other feeder each day so the jays will not get to feast there. Maybe they will stop hanging out here so much.

I will keep your other great ideas on deck for possible later deployment.

Thank you all for your help.

TM

Here the grackles attack the squirrels.
It is comical to watch a squirrel run the fence ducking and dodging.
We don't have jays here, but did when I lived out of town.

I'm visualizing Patti with a super soaker water gun.

I guess I am lucky - my birds co-exist. I have had as many at 7 Blue jays on my feeder at one time - there must be 40 around here, swooping in and out. They are one of the few birds that store food, clever buggers!! My chickadees swoop in between jays - there is a huge population of them. They feed on the ground, as well as at the platform. I also have a silo on the pine tree out front. Without trying, I seem to have built squirrel-proof feeders. I get slate juncos, hairy and downy wood peckers, maybe 30 goldfinchs, siskins.....what or who am I forgetting. I have put, alternating, 2 kinds of suet - one with lots of suet in it, and one that is mostly peanuts and seeds. The woodpeckers prefer the mostly suet on, and the jay the seedy one. They are all sharing. How large is your 1st feeder, TM? If it is smaller, the jays may feel the need to dominate the food source....

Nancy, who is trying to think like a bird-brain - hey, wait, I'm blonde!!! lol.

The first feeder isn't very big, Nancy, so you may be right. We got it because it was a lot prettier than the big homemade one we used for years. A big pretty one would have been too many buckos.

When we had a big feeder, the jays would still come in, but I think they must have got their fill faster, because I don't remember them being there almost constantly like they are now.

They haven't been here the last two days, so maybe I'm on the right track.

TM

Well, TM, it may be too late this year, but I copied my platform from a friends feeder:

I have a super-spike in the ground, with a 4x4 in it, about 5' high. The base is about 2 1/2 ' square. I put 2x2's around the edge. Within the 2x2's, I have put 2x2 uprights, bevelled to 30 degrees, and about 18" high. I've lost my dimensions about this point. It was a piece of plexi about 24" by 36", me thinks, divided by length. I screwed the top into a piece of 2x2, then made the edges fit. It gives it a bit of a slope, which is kinda cool. Sadly, when we had the thaw in early Dec., it has adopted a wee list to starboard. Also, at that size, when it is this cold, or so....I only have to fill it every other day!!!

Nancy.

btw - the birds aren't big on esthetics~~lol!!

Nancy.

I don't care if I ever see blue jays around my house. Yes, they are pretty but they are the biggest bullies around. I have even seen them swoop down and attack cats. I could shoot them with the BB gun but since they have bird brains it wouldn't work. I know this for a fact because I have tried it on my neighbors chickens (and turkey) which he lets free range and they prefer my ground to his. I have seen where they have been scratching in the flower garden this winter and the "chicken war" will start again between him and I when I plant in the spring. I have a feeling it's going to be ugly and may even involve some casualties. (Chickens of course.)

Years ago, my farm neighbours 'free range' hens loved my veg garden. I had a huge one then. If they had just eaten the bugs, we could have co-existed, but they would put a peck into every tomato. I taught my Corgi to herd them - lol.

Nancy.

I'm visualizing Patti with a super soaker water gun.

Yeah, me too. :-) In this weather, it would probably turn out a little bit differently - instant ice buckshot.

I have even seen them swoop down and attack cats.

I could probably cut them a little slack on that, since the cats, if they had the chance, would likely return the favor with lethal intent. I say this with all affection for cats, as I have owned and enjoyed a number of them.

btw - the birds aren't big on esthetics~~lol!

Yup, Nancy. I remember seeing your feeder. :-) :-) :-)

I taught my Corgi to herd them - lol.

We used to have three English Setters, and our neighbor had chickens. I wish the setters would have stopped at just herding the chickens. It would have saved some hard feelings. Our fault though, for not keeping the dogs under total control.

ThinMan

I agree with Lorna. I have about a dozen or more Blue Jays sometimes at the feeder at one time. I still have lots of Juncos, sparrows, finches, peckers and cardinals too. The jays are not really bullies here tho, tho I know they have that reputation. I suspect it is because I have a platform feeder for them and a shelf feeder on the fence and they mostly eat out of that. I keep a plentiful supply of peanuts in the shell in it. Cob corn and then just sprinkle a bit of cardinal seed over it. That seems to keep them happy and mostly bully free. They also seem to have "schedules"...they eat at certain times of the day and the other birds eat at diff times. At least thats how it works here for us. I actually enjoy the jays..its like Jet liners comes to the buffet line :)

I read a tip once abou Grackles and Starlings once, and it MOSTLY works for me..tho not entirely for sure. Don't buy ANY seeds with corn or millet in it....no exceptions...they love..adore, desire, and come by the hundreds for corn, and many of the cheaper seed mixes are full of corn and millet. Instead put out corn on the cob meant for squirrels. Squirrels and jays do fine on the cob with it..and sparlings and crackles leave it alone. They also love suet...so hang your suet underneath a board let the board become a flat roof over your suet basket. A attach it with staples to the bottom of the board. This means ONLY upside down feeding birds can eat the suet. Crackles and starlings can not hang upside down. Also once you get a Gathering of starlings or crackles..stop feeding for a week or so...they quickly move on to someone elses feeder. Then you can refeed. I hate doing this because I feel quilty for the other birds that depend on me..but I do sometimes have too. I read somewhere that about 80 percent of the cardinals born in a year do not survive the first winter due to lack of food and water supply. I think I help increase those odds a bit. Cards are a special fav or mine. They always almost feed as a couple and the beauty is like none other against the white snow.

Lots of good stuff to know in your post, Keesha. Thank you. We have a pair of cardinals visiting now - the first ones we have had in recent memory. It sure is fun to see them.

TM

The cardinals are neat - a friend pointed this out to me, and I watch now to see this phenomenon. The female always comes in first!!! She checks the restaurant, then reports back....he then comes in to see if she is right. I have almost never seen the pair at the feeder together....She is like the tester for the king - lol.

And TM, I am crushed that you think my feeder is not asthetically pleasing - especially with the list!!! lol.

Nancy.

I saw two female cardinals fighting at the feeder the other day. Whether it was mother and spring daughter or mother and an invading female, mother was claiming her territory. I saw lots of juvenile males. So funny looking with their bright red heads and mottled red bodies. Doesn't seem to be any fighting between them and dad or each other.

Then we have the titmice, chickadees, and various sparrows. I had to buy a new feeder as my old one got broken in the last wind storm and they don't seem to like it as much.

Keesha, I really appreciate your 'starling 101' post above too. Your info about seed/feed types was very good. My feeders contain black oil sunflower, nyger and safflower - no corn or millet - and I was considering getting corn cob squirrel wheels, so it's good to hear they won't attract bad birds. Of course, the racoons and possums are a whole 'nother story!

I've been feeding birds for six years now here and never had a starling flock until last week. First there was just one on the suet feeder, next day 21 - at least! - guess the first one was a scout.

I took in the suet feeders and all was quiet for two days. Then we got a magical snowfall - 6" of beauty, rare here! - so I put the feeders back out for my regulars (including a couple types of woodpeckers who are such fun to watch!). Well, no joke, within 20 minutes the yard looked like a Hitchcock movie set - I've heard that birds have a highly refined sense of smell, this was proof positive!

With snow on the ground, I left the suet feeders up ... starlings were piggy, but pretty well behaved, not beating up the locals whom I didn't want to be deprived. But, they did scoff up the suet at warp speed. Snow is gone now, the suet feeders are empty and I'm going to leave them that way for at least a week, in hopes the starling flock moves on. Here in the South, my suet feeders are only out for a short time - I'm more than a little ticked that this season I have to minimize that time frame ..... because of the darned starlings! :o(

Thanks, It is just something I read and found helpful tho not foolproof in my birding backyard. Try the suet thing, it allows you to suet feed without crackles and is a easy do it yourself thing. Just use a scrap of wood and mount the suet feeder to the bottom of the board using the hammer in staples or bent nails to secure it. Make sure you have the kind that the suet goes in the skinny end trap door style. It works the best for adding suet once it is empty. I am prolly not explaning this right..but it should be a flat board with the suet basket stapled underbeath wide side to the board...the "end trap door" to the sides. The entire thing..board and basket should be no thicker than several inches . Also make sure your board has a decent overhang over the basket or they will land on the top and "lean" over to eat...a good overhang prevents this. Then just use hooks and eyes to hang with coat hangers or wire. Good luck!

type jn Upside down suet feeders into google or amazon or ebay and you will find some other styles that also work to keep away starlings and crackles. But a flat a scrap board and a 99 cent suet basket from Menards works just as well

Thanks again, keesha! I now can see, with your help, how I can retrofit my suet feeders to accommodate the right birds and block the wrong birds!

And, like yourself, I do know that nothing is foolproof, or birdproof! That's part of the fun - trying to outsmart them, yet keep them coming back and happy!

We have bird bullies this year, and need some advice re: how to get rid of them. This summer scrub jays discovered our backyard . . . and drove out the bird family that has been living there for several years (the husband and wife, so to speak, but I'm not sure what type of bird) as well, as several other types of birds that we have usually seen in the past 8 years.

In September, the scrub jays also demolished 99% of the fruit on our pomegranate tree, and are quite enjoying the acorns in our front yard as well. I do NOT want to feed birds, making them dependent on me, but I DO want to STRONGLY discourage the scrub jays from remaining on our property. I also want to encourage the smaller birds to return.

Besides tossing tree netting over our pomegranates, what can I do to displease the scrub jays when they arrive at our house. And what can I do to encourage the other smaller birds to return and remain, as they have for the past several years, w/o being fed from a feeder?

TM, to keep our patio area under the deck clean (I hang my feeder there), I have gone to using hulled black oil sunflower only. I tried safflower, but had it coming up all through the yard/garden. All the birds love it. I have it in a tube feeder and I sprinkle some on the patio in the early morning, too, for the cardinals and doves who can't eat from a perch, but need a platform. Grackles and jays are a pain, but I put out enough that everyone seems to get his/her fill.
Ground up unsalted peanuts on the rail of the deck attract the jays, too. Who told us that last week (I think)?
Wonder where a pound of seed comes in your comparison-tee hee...

Cynthia

It was Pat (patlovesdirt)who told us about the crushed peanuts in the "How do you attract birds" post. Thanks again for the tip, Pat.

The college in our town has dozens (probably 100s) of live oaks and pecan trees on campus, that are home to uncountable numbers of grackles. Last spring the school hired a bird abatement company to shoot off some kind of guns in the evening when the birds come in to roost. They did it 3 times over a period of a week and, as far as I can tell, it didn't do a bit of good.

Our local Walmart cut down a very nice live oak that was next to their building because so many birds were roosting in it. The sound from that tree was deafening.

I hate to think of all the blackbirds I'd attract if I had feeders here. (I don't because of my outdoor cats.)

When I lived in PA and OH, I always fed the birds in the winter; loved seeing the cardinals, nuthatches, chickadees & woodpeckers. Sparrows were awfully quarrelsome. I don't remember ever having more than 3 blue jays at a time, who really weren't much trouble. I sure do miss watching birds at a feeder.