Sparrow Problem

[dharding]

Hi
I've recently started feeding live mealworms and the resident robin quickly found them and eveything was ok for week or so. Then the starlings found them and quickly finished them off. I've now put the mealworms in a cage arrangement. The starlings were annoyed but the robin could eat at will. This worked well for a couple of weeks until the sparrow population cottoned on. They may only take a couple each, but what they lack in appetite they more than make up in numbers, there seems to be dozens of them (whoever said the sparrow population was in decline doesn't live around here). None of the other small birds get a look in, including the robin. Has anybody got any ideas?
Thanks
Dom

[Jenny]

I've resorted to splitting mealworm supplies: robins like collecting from a feeder on the low storage shed, blackbirds and thrushes from a feeder on the lawn and the sparrows (being later risers) get theirs from separate feeders in suitable locations near to their nests! All very time-consuming! My big hassle isn't from starlings (blackbirds and thrushes chase the few we've got off and they in any case seem to prefer bird cake) but hoodies. The resident pair didn't do a good job of protecting their territory and we now have six eyeing up what's on offer - I now have to have the dog stationed near the door to prevent them invading! The other birds might fly off briefly when he charges out to remonstrate the hoodies but come right back, even if the dog's on patrol! I'm wondering how long this situation will last though as hoodies are smart - one flew in with a rock hard slice of bread at the weekend and dunked it in the pond to soften it and I've found four crab carcases, in one case partly eaten on the patio. I've seen hoodies do this on the shore to break the shells, but using a patio is a novel idea!

[Hil]

Hi

Sparrows will eat lots of mealworms but only during their breeding season April until September. I think you could be drawing sparrows in from quite a wide range. Mine come from not just my street but those across as well (I've watched them). They really do find insect food hard to find in the later months of their breeding season. Hopefully, you will feel some comfort in that you are helping them.

The mealworms will belong to the robin/wren/tits in the Winter. During the breeding season my mealworms (in the Guardian cage) are mostly eaten by the sparrows but the robin and blue tits are clever enough to slip in there once the sparrows have been temporarily scared away. Also as Jenny suggests sparrows are later risers than robins so you could put some out late at night for the early morning. Robins also go to bed later than sparrows.

can you get your robin tame enough so it comes close to you to take the mealworms from close to you? You can work on this over the Winter months maybe for next year. I do this with mine, the sparrows are too timid. Waxworms are even more loved (but more expensive). I've had "taming" success with great tits, blackbirds and the odd cheeky starling.

[barn owl]

indeed its a nice little challenge to get some of your fav birds to be shall we say hand fed, it takes a week or so of persistence to get them to close feed but very worthwhile, i do it with my robin, at first i noticed he/she would come close for a look, so i started to sit on a chair in the open shed doorway, then throw some small amounts of food out about 10 feet away, just enough that robby could take some for the chicks, then 8 feet then 6 etc, in a week robby was coming within a foot of me, great satisfaction was had by us both, i noticed that when i was on the pc robby would go in my shed looking for the food hehe, thats great satisfaction and trust. just lately the baby robins have addapted the same attitude and perch where mum did looking for me. so its a nice likkle earner to spend some of my time earning trust, i recomend anyone to try to get your locals to trust you. my problem lays with magpies they are bullies and just will not go away, sparrows are abundant now, robins never leave, i get the odd blackbird but the rest have moved on, the tits i see only a couple a week, breeding season is always busy here but then it all goes quiet. thank god for robins being territorial, i love those and like thier company.