Birds in my tunnel

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shokkyy

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Birds in my tunnel
« on: September 01, 2012, 12:37 »
Every morning when I go in my tunnel there's a robin and a wren in there. Actually, the robin seems to hang out in there a lot all day. He doesn't even bother flying out unless I go right up to him.

I'm actually quite happy to have a robin in there, because they are pretty good at eating caterpillars and pests, but I'm beginning to wonder if it's a bird that's nibbling on my aubergines. I haven't got a very good crop of them, just a few fruit growing to a decent size. But the biggest one, my pride and joy, now has half a dozen circular nibbles on it, which look very much like what the bluetits do to my cooking pears outside.  It's really not at all like slug damage, just perfect circles, and I don't know anything else but a bird that would do that.

I didn't think robins ever went after fruit so I doubt he's the culprit, but I'm not too sure about wrens. And of course it's very possible the bluetits are going in there when I'm not around. Anyone know if wrens would do it?Or anything else that might do similar damage?

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8doubles

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Re: Birds in my tunnel
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2012, 13:35 »
Wrens and blue tits are insect eaters too so they are unlikely to be the culprits.
I would be thinking large slugs (which most birds will not eat) are the culprit, or possibly mice.
I would think the damage to the pears is likely to be insects and the blue tits are helping by eating them.

Woodlice also do more damage to fruit and veg than most people think

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shokkyy

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Re: Birds in my tunnel
« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2012, 14:24 »
Mystery solved. I put a box trap in there overnight and this morning found a mouse in there. That's a first, never had them go after aubergines before.

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shokkyy

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Re: Birds in my tunnel
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2012, 21:25 »
This robin has now become incredibly tame. He follows me into the tunnel, seems to have become a big food source for him. He comes so close to me I can almost touch him, doesn't even fly away if I make a noise or move toward him. I did have brassicas in there with caterpillars on them, as well as quite a few other things that were snacking on my crops, and he's munching his way through all of them. What a shame I'm going to have to start shutting the door soon, as the temperatures are going down.

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8doubles

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Re: Birds in my tunnel
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2012, 08:31 »
Robins do not need much of a gap to get in and out, we have a robin (probably raised in a nest in the shed) that uses the lawn mower handle to roost on at night in hard weather.
He gets in under the 2"corrugations on the roof sheeting.

I am sure you could sort out a robin 'porthole' before the weather gets too cold . :)

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rowlandwells

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Re: Birds in my tunnel
« Reply #5 on: September 19, 2012, 21:53 »
we also had a jenny wren coming into the greenhouse i don't know who was more surprised me or the wren when i went into the greenhouse the daft bird flew out the window straight into the shading net and i had to get the wife to get it free i haven't seen it in there since :lol:

but we have a couple of blackbirds eating the grapes in the tunnel good luck to um its either them or the wasps rather the birds than the wasps we now have to check if there's any birds in the tunnel before we go in  :unsure:



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