There birds and there are flying pests.

[Ford Focus]

Eighteen years in rural France and we had loads of different birds visiting our bird feeders. Luckily due to having five farmers around us we were never bothered by the "flying rats" aka pigeons. Also never saw a "flying rat" MkII aka starlings. Here back in England we have to continually chase these pests off the various feeders. Ten to twenty aggresive starlings at a time on our fat cakes and they can demolish a large mound of meal worms in a few minutes. The pigeons are just as bad, just slower. When we go out we put the flat cakes in the greenhouse and cover the mealworms up otherwise when we get back everything has gone.

We love to see the breeding pair of buzzards soaring in the sky because all the pigeons hide out of the way!

[Blaze]

Ah yes, starlings and fatballs .... they just love them and push out all the little birds. They even break through the "starling proof" cages with their amazing agility.
I put seed on a dustbin lid for the spuggies and again, I have to put some sort of cage over the top to stop the ramiers (pigeons) scoffing the lot, and crapping everywhere as well

[exile]

Magpies are the scourge here. Not so much on the feeders themselves but rather in the trees around and their presence obviously deters the smaller birds.

In the past I have seen up to 20 pies in a tree at the bottom of the garden. We are now down to about 4 pairs. When you have 20 in one tree you understand why the collective noun is a parliament.

[niemeyjt]

In the past I have seen up to 20 pies in a tree at the bottom of the garden. We are now down to about 4 pairs. When you have 20 in one tree you understand why the collective noun is a parliament.

Would that be because they make a lot of noise whilst doing nothing useful?

[hughnique]

Starlings much maligned, beautiful iridescent colours, and to see a group of them wheeling around at dusk is better than TV.

[exile]

"Would that be because they (magpies) make a lot of noise whilst doing nothing useful?"

Got it in one @niemeyjt. Lots of noise, a bit of squabbling, the ones down the tree run the risk of being shat on etc. Just like parliament.

[Blaze]

"Would that be because they (magpies) make a lot of noise whilst doing nothing useful?"
Got it in one @niemeyjt. Lots of noise, a bit of squabbling, the ones down the tree run the risk of being shat on etc. Just like parliament.

Brilliant !

[Spectrum]

And don't forget a Murder of Crows, or a Charm of Goldfinches, there are lot more of course. We have a few Maggies and crows, and this year half doz of Starlings, a fair few Buzzards and Kites, black and red. Its all in the food chain, the Magpies take to garden birds eggs and chicks, the crows take the Magpies eggs and chicks and the Buzzards take the Crows eggs and chicks. The kites are scavengers' the black mainly fish, red anything.

[Ford Focus]

Just found a video on youtube of "Predator Hunting Call - Starling Distress - 5 Mins - Free Download". It works a treat! Scares them off immediately and they don't return for an hour or so!