How to feed small birds without attracting pigeons?

It might be. It was a small, gentle, shy bird and I understand magpies are quite aggressive and not so small. I think a magpie might have taken on the pigeon. I will try to get a better look or even a photograph tomorrow.

 

I put different food in different places.
So peanuts go on a bird table and spread over a shelf at the back of the shed, mealworms go on the ground near to some undergrowth .

Once the peanut are gone I don't put any more out until late afternoon, I scatter just a few mealworms now and then through the day.

Sunflower hearts in a feeder and fat balls are there all the time.

 

one of my feeders has a weight lever, so heavy birds can't get into it. also squirrels . And I had two heavy black wire hanging baskets, put the both together and hung them from a pole, in it I have a suet container, only small birds can get through the opening to the suet. But have no pigeons here. Closest large birds are doves, blue jays, hawks, crows. So my statement may or may not be of use. We also have vultures, but they don't care about seeds. And a bald eagle is sighted sometimes up in our woods.

 

When it returns check to see if it's tail bobs up and down - which gives it the name Wagtail.

 

I often get the yellow ones around here, but the black and white ones used to nest in the empty stacked apple boxes on the farm where I worked.

 

I am sure it is a Pied Wagtail. I have been needing to pay attention to other things so haven't been watching the birds closely, but I think when somebody told me what it was I misheard the word magpie. It definitely isn't a magpie. It does have a longish tail and I think it does bob up and down. I will try to notice for certain.

It definitely isn't a magpie, they are much bigger and wouldn't be afraid of a pigeon or let a pigeon eat food it wanted.

 

Let's hope we've solved the mystery bird for you groundbeeetle.

 

I will watch out to see if its tail bobs up and down. The past few days I haven't had time to observe. I am almost certain it is a pied wagtail.

 

I just looked now, and its tail is bobbing up and down. Definitely a Pied Wagtail.

Thanks, it is lovely to know what these birds are, and to know how best to feed them. I had sprinkled some mealworms in different places about an hour ago, and the robin appeared immediately and ate a few mealworms, and now the pied wagtail apppeared. No sign of the pigeon, and there is still some food there uneaten, but I won't hold my breath. These little birds make me so happy just them being there, so I don't know what I will do re feeding them long term.

 

I'm glad I could be of help. Enjoy your bird watching.

 

My issue is the Starlings---they attack my suet cakes scaring the little birds away. All I need to do is step out on my deck and they fly away. But they eat those cakes up like crazy. Took this video few falls ago. sometime gatherings are larger ---they usually get up to the farmers field on the other side of the woods where I want them.