Culprit

This wood pigeon is the reason that I am going to have to take the tray off the bottom of the feeder. When the tray is in place, it lands on it and empties the feeder within a very short time. It also leaves large quantities of mess on the patio underneath the feeder.

Today, I was sitting just inside the back porch waiting for the starlings to come to the bird table, when it flew down to the feeder from the chimney above and behind where I was sitting, realised I was sitting there and in a thunder of wings, flew to the top of the hawthorn tree with the sparrows and starlings. Nearly gave me a heart attack!

It stayed in the tree, eyeing me balefully for depriving it of its supper. As you can see from the pictures, the light was failing so I gave up for the day and never did get a shot of the starlings. Never mind, try again tomorrow.