Our fledged batch (one nest) of barn swallows come back to the nest each night and try to STUFF themselves inside, so that the parents will continue to feed them. Bad little spoiled birdies.

I don't know what got them, but the squirrels here have gone nuts. They act like they are starving to death. They chewed two holes in my deck box and it is thick. They try frantically to jump to my window feeders all day long. Chewed a hole in my screen. I finally had to take the feeders down. I really hate that. I had them there last year and the squirrels didn't bother them. I could watch hummers, woodpeckers and finch who sat 3 ft away. There are more birds this year also. I was wondering if the the winter weather is causing the squirrels to act like they are starving. I have fed birds and squirrels for years and never seen squirrels like this.

The only thing I can think of is to enclose it in chicken wire, I'm sure the finches could get through but not cats or squirrels or even Jays &Crows. I know not very pretty but you of all people could live with for a couple weeks! Wonder if Mom would accept it?

my sister has tons of birds around her place and many eat off the ground under the seed feeders. she just about gave up on feeding birds cause the stray cats wound lay under her shrubs and bushes and pounce on the birds. She found some green enameled fence at home depot and put 4 green metal fence posts in the ground and wraped the fence around them. it did not take long for the birds to get used to it and the green color was not very noticeable except close up because it blended in with the surrounding plants. she can still fill the seed feeders from a short step ladder. and says she has not lost any birds lately.