Comments on: How To Attract Tui’s To Your Garden http://www.justaddworms.com/2009/03/26/how-to-attract-tuis-to-your-garden/ Helpful advice and information about vegetable gardening Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:02:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Rodney http://www.justaddworms.com/2009/03/26/how-to-attract-tuis-to-your-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-1132 Rodney Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:16:36 +0000 http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=1160#comment-1132 All being well the tui should find it before too long. I'm sure your Dad will enjoy using it. Please feel free to make further comments here if you have any questions or require advice ... PS Did the tui feeder get to you in time for your his birthday? All being well the tui should find it before too long. I’m sure your Dad will enjoy using it. Please feel free to make further comments here if you have any questions or require advice …

PS Did the tui feeder get to you in time for your his birthday?

]]> By: Brigid http://www.justaddworms.com/2009/03/26/how-to-attract-tuis-to-your-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-1131 Brigid Tue, 06 Sep 2011 22:50:27 +0000 http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=1160#comment-1131 I saw three tui in the trees at my home in the city today .... we are really close to (what was) the Christchurch CBD, near Hagley Pk. I have never seen them in town before. A good sign??? Hope so! I saw three tui in the trees at my home in the city today …. we are really close to (what was) the Christchurch CBD, near Hagley Pk. I have never seen them in town before. A good sign??? Hope so!

]]> By: Mac McElwain http://www.justaddworms.com/2009/03/26/how-to-attract-tuis-to-your-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-855 Mac McElwain Mon, 10 Jan 2011 04:57:34 +0000 http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=1160#comment-855 I live at Tai Tapu just outside of Christchurch. We have Bellbirds, and this morning I could swear I heard a Tui. Has anyone else got any information on them in the area? MAC I live at Tai Tapu just outside of Christchurch. We have Bellbirds, and this morning I could swear I heard a Tui. Has anyone else got any information on them in the area?
MAC

]]> By: John http://www.justaddworms.com/2009/03/26/how-to-attract-tuis-to-your-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-737 John Wed, 30 Jun 2010 22:15:17 +0000 http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=1160#comment-737 Thanks for the reply. I made a temporary screen out of a plastic milk bottle, and taped it around the front and sides of the tray - like a fence. It's high enough off the surface of the nectar to prevent the wax eyes reaching the nectar - although they do land on the 'fence' and try! Have just had the tui land (they always seem to hold onto the vertical roof supporting post rather than on the flat) and he/she seemed to be able to reach down over the fence and into the nectar. If it continues to work, I might try and find a tray with a suitably high side so that I can remove the temporary fence. Sounds like your screen (mesh?) works too. I feel a little sorry for the wax-eyes though. PS - I'm in Mt Eden. Thanks for the reply. I made a temporary screen out of a plastic milk bottle, and taped it around the front and sides of the tray – like a fence. It’s high enough off the surface of the nectar to prevent the wax eyes reaching the nectar – although they do land on the ‘fence’ and try! Have just had the tui land (they always seem to hold onto the vertical roof supporting post rather than on the flat) and he/she seemed to be able to reach down over the fence and into the nectar. If it continues to work, I might try and find a tray with a suitably high side so that I can remove the temporary fence. Sounds like your screen (mesh?) works too.

I feel a little sorry for the wax-eyes though.

PS – I’m in Mt Eden.

]]> By: Rodney http://www.justaddworms.com/2009/03/26/how-to-attract-tuis-to-your-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-735 Rodney Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:33:05 +0000 http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=1160#comment-735 Hi John ... Thanks for your comments and pleased to hear that tui feeder is working well. You're the second person this week that has mentioned the wax-eyes and how they take all the food. As the tui has a somewhat longer beak it may be worth inserting a mesh on top of the tray which will allow the tui access but stop the wax-eyes being able to reach the mix. We have them in our garden but don't have this problem as they seem to prefer feeding from suet feeders we have set up around the place. Having said that we do have the same problem with sparrows. Your comment concerning the filling of the bottle is well timed as I have recently changed the way of inserting the bottle into the feeder. Over the last month or so I have been experimenting with the bottle in an upside down position and it works equally well. This eliminates the need for blue tack or tape and no more issues with mix spilling everywhere. I now sell the feeders with the bottle in this position. If you wish to check back within the next week I intend to publish a detailed blog post which will recommend reversing the bottle. By the way ... in what part of NZ do you reside? ... cheers. PS Hello again John ... June 30th I have now cut out a screen that fits into the tray to stop sparrows. It seems to work OK but will trial a little longer. Assuming it continues to stops sparrows it should also stop your wax-eyes or silver-eyes as I like to call them. Keep in touch as I will disclose more over the next few weeks. They're not difficult to make so if folk want them I will be able to supply them. Hi John …
Thanks for your comments and pleased to hear that tui feeder is working well. You’re the second person this week that has mentioned the wax-eyes and how they take all the food.

As the tui has a somewhat longer beak it may be worth inserting a mesh on top of the tray which will allow the tui access but stop the wax-eyes being able to reach the mix. We have them in our garden but don’t have this problem as they seem to prefer feeding from suet feeders we have set up around the place. Having said that we do have the same problem with sparrows.

Your comment concerning the filling of the bottle is well timed as I have recently changed the way of inserting the bottle into the feeder. Over the last month or so I have been experimenting with the bottle in an upside down position and it works equally well. This eliminates the need for blue tack or tape and no more issues with mix spilling everywhere.

I now sell the feeders with the bottle in this position. If you wish to check back within the next week I intend to publish a detailed blog post which will recommend reversing the bottle.

By the way … in what part of NZ do you reside? … cheers.

PS Hello again John … June 30th
I have now cut out a screen that fits into the tray to stop sparrows. It seems to work OK but will trial a little longer. Assuming it continues to stops sparrows it should also stop your wax-eyes or silver-eyes as I like to call them. Keep in touch as I will disclose more over the next few weeks. They’re not difficult to make so if folk want them I will be able to supply them.

]]> By: John http://www.justaddworms.com/2009/03/26/how-to-attract-tuis-to-your-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-734 John Tue, 29 Jun 2010 01:34:44 +0000 http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=1160#comment-734 I received one of your tui feeders as a gift and it's fantastic! One question - any idea how to prevent the waxeyes drinking all the nectar before the tui get a chance?!? About 20 of them descend upon it as soon as its topped up and it only takes them a few hours to empty it. A tip perhaps - I wanted to make refilling the bottle easier, so created a new bottle with holes drilled so that they face out. I then put a large, wide rubber band (actually a strip cut from the wrist section of an old kitchen rubber glove) around the base of the bottle (therefore blocking the holes) and filled it that way. It means I can walk out to the feeder with a full bottle, insert it and just pull the band off once it's in place. Easier than the blue tack, I think. I received one of your tui feeders as a gift and it’s fantastic! One question – any idea how to prevent the waxeyes drinking all the nectar before the tui get a chance?!? About 20 of them descend upon it as soon as its topped up and it only takes them a few hours to empty it. A tip perhaps – I wanted to make refilling the bottle easier, so created a new bottle with holes drilled so that they face out. I then put a large, wide rubber band (actually a strip cut from the wrist section of an old kitchen rubber glove) around the base of the bottle (therefore blocking the holes) and filled it that way. It means I can walk out to the feeder with a full bottle, insert it and just pull the band off once it’s in place. Easier than the blue tack, I think.

]]> By: Matthew http://www.justaddworms.com/2009/03/26/how-to-attract-tuis-to-your-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-703 Matthew Thu, 20 May 2010 00:09:20 +0000 http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=1160#comment-703 Hi Rodney - thanks for the speedy response! Was just curious as when I tried something similar with a bottle that I wanted to drip feed some tomatoes, as the water level in the bottle dropped, it reached a point where the air pressure above the water was such that the bottle would crumple - but when it couldn't crumple any more, the dripping would stop - so I only ever managed to get a few 100mls (out of 1000ml) of water out of the bottle. Was just concerned that the same would happen here, and wondered if you had a magic solution - like a hole in the cap. Hi Rodney – thanks for the speedy response! Was just curious as when I tried something similar with a bottle that I wanted to drip feed some tomatoes, as the water level in the bottle dropped, it reached a point where the air pressure above the water was such that the bottle would crumple – but when it couldn’t crumple any more, the dripping would stop – so I only ever managed to get a few 100mls (out of 1000ml) of water out of the bottle. Was just concerned that the same would happen here, and wondered if you had a magic solution – like a hole in the cap.

]]> By: Rodney http://www.justaddworms.com/2009/03/26/how-to-attract-tuis-to-your-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-702 Rodney Wed, 19 May 2010 11:21:50 +0000 http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=1160#comment-702 Hi Matthew ... thanks for your interest. Liquid flows into the tray via 5 small holes drilled in the plastic bottle. This is just a slow gravity feed. If I want a more rapid flow I make the holes slightly bigger. Usually fill the bottle to about three quarter capacity and all works fine. Don't adjust the cap at all. Have sold many of these and to date no problems. We have about three pairs of tui here and feeder takes about a week to empty out. Hope this helps. Hi Matthew … thanks for your interest.

Liquid flows into the tray via 5 small holes drilled in the plastic bottle. This is just a slow gravity feed. If I want a more rapid flow I make the holes slightly bigger. Usually fill the bottle to about three quarter capacity and all works fine. Don’t adjust the cap at all. Have sold many of these and to date no problems. We have about three pairs of tui here and feeder takes about a week to empty out.

Hope this helps.

]]> By: Matthew http://www.justaddworms.com/2009/03/26/how-to-attract-tuis-to-your-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-701 Matthew Wed, 19 May 2010 10:56:38 +0000 http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=1160#comment-701 Nice feeder - I'd like to get one. A question before that though - after watching the video of you refilling the bottle with sugar water, I wondered how you regulate the flow of liquid from the bottle into the tray... No cap would result in immediate emptying and overflow - and cap on would result in a vacuum so strong it would prevent liquid dripping. Surely one doesn't have to twiddle the cap into a half-on/half-off position? Nice feeder – I’d like to get one. A question before that though – after watching the video of you refilling the bottle with sugar water, I wondered how you regulate the flow of liquid from the bottle into the tray… No cap would result in immediate emptying and overflow – and cap on would result in a vacuum so strong it would prevent liquid dripping. Surely one doesn’t have to twiddle the cap into a half-on/half-off position?

]]> By: Rodney http://www.justaddworms.com/2009/03/26/how-to-attract-tuis-to-your-garden/comment-page-1/#comment-63 Rodney Sat, 25 Jul 2009 10:37:16 +0000 http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=1160#comment-63 Hi Raewyn ... pleased to hear that the tui are making good use of the feeder and thanks for the photograph, much appreciated. Hi Raewyn … pleased to hear that the tui are making good use of the feeder and thanks for the photograph, much appreciated.

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