Bird feeder advice

[wil7985]

Having recently moved house I'd like to attract some birds onto my garden (the flying variety). I have put up a feeder with fat ball/nuts/mealworm about six weeks ago and have changed the food every couple of weeks. I've yet to see a single bird, there's no cats etc in the garden, where am I going wrong ?. the feeder is about seven feet up in palm tree. any ideas folks?

[Perpetua]

It can take the birdies a time to ' find ' a new food source, plus with the mild weather we're having there's not the need for them to search quite so much for grub.

I've had very, very few visit my feeders so far this winter wil7985 , other than the greedy pigeons!

[wil7985]

Somebody else did say that, Perpetua, so maybe I'll just have to wait a while.

[catface26]

Bought some feeders while shopping last night. Thought I'll just pop out now and put them up. Went outside in my t shirt and didn't even feel cold. No wonder there's no hungry birds about!

[violetblade]

I agree with Perpatua it takes a long time for them to find you but once they do they become regular visitors most of ours are starlings, blackbirds, sparrows and of course the greedy pigeons who hoover up any spillages from the feeders. Occasionally we get different visitors we've had a variety of tits, robins, doves and this year we have some lovely waxwings altho the waxwings are here for the rose hip and not the seeds.
Just make sure your feeders are away from walls/posts and things cats could easily climb as if they don't feel safe your less likely to get visitors also as Perps said if the weather is mild it will take them longer to find you so maybe wait until the weather with you is a little colder. If you can hang them from your washing lines or a rope tied between 2 points seems to make them feel secure.
A couple of pictures taken yesterday this tree is usually full daily as is the wild rose bush but it took us a while to attract them.

[Deleted]

As above, you have something for all, you now just have to give them time. They will come though, just wait until the robins sniff out the mealies. lol
I actually spend more on the birds than I do on vaping. Thank goodness for Croston Mill.

[phatfil]

Good on you, sounds like you have had solid advice above, Just one thing my ol Mam drummed into me.. once you start feeding you MUST keep it up. some birds may be coming a distance relying on your food to provide the necessary energy for the return flight, its a responsibility but a very worthy one..

[wil7985]

Used to have lots visitors at my old house, so I'll stick with it, it chills me out watching them feed, know what you mean about the costs jess  

[Deleted]

It can be a bit pricey, wil7985, but TBH, the birds are far more entertaining than the TV. I have a large window 3ft away from my armchair, where I have a clear feeder suckered to it, ATM it has 3 fills of sunflower kernels a day & a nut feeder suckered too, which, thankfully, doesn't need quite such a regular fill up. There are also two fat balls, on a mug tree attached to a log & a large bowl that has mixed seeds (filled twice a day) on the windowsill. In the garden, there's a feeder with sunflower kernels, peanuts & fatballs. With a bird table for titbits, so they are paid for the entertainment!!

As I posted above, thank goodness for Croston Mill their wild bird feeds are brilliant quality & prices are very good. Over there it's free postage & it arrives so quickly, it is fantastic. Even to here, I have to pay (£5 per up to a 30kg box), but in 48 hours, it is here.

[violetblade]

I also find it very relaxing I could watch them for hours we feed them cheaper now than we used to we buy seed, mealworms and suet pellets from home bargains still a few pounds each week but they are worth it

Forgot they also do peanuts

[Karma]

I've decided that the birds around here are just stupid. we had loads visiting when I had the feeders at the side garden but you could only see them from the conservatory which is a bit cold at the moment. So I moved them 3 meters to the back garden and have hardly had a nibble

The other reason I moved them was I had a couple of feeders on a low ornamental tree. When opening the feeders to refill I was finding slugs in the lids the slugs must have been sliming their way up the tree to eat the seeds? Do slugs even eat seeds? Perhaps they just have it in for me cause they know I hate them

[Perpetua]

Dec 30, 2015 15:13:31 GMT wil7985 said:

Used to have lots visitors at my old house, so I'll stick with it, it chills me out watching them feed

Me too wil7985 , everyone . . . I love watching the little birdies get stuck into the nosh I put out for them, possibly seems a bit daft but seeing the one and only Mr Robin over Christmas with his bright little chest cheered me up no end.

Simple pleasures are very satisfying . . . .

Slugs are very much like the Devils Spawn in my world Karma, loathe them with a passion!

[Karma]

Slugs are very much like the Devils Spawn in my world Karma, loathe them with a passion!

plagued with them this year Perpetua not much you can do about them though when you have pets, or even when you're feeding the birdies They should have frozen to death by now but it's still too wet and mild.

[Richard46]

The distance from the feeder to some cover can make a difference. Feeders are best placed fairly near a bush or shrub etc. Also no where that a predator can reach obviously.

[Perpetua]

Dec 30, 2015 17:11:11 GMT Karma said:

Slugs are very much like the Devils Spawn in my world Karma, loathe them with a passion!

plagued with them this year Perpetua not much you can do about them though when you have pets, or even when you're feeding the birdies They should have frozen to death by now but it's still too wet and mild.

Horrible things in honestly Karma, coming from someone who would welcome a stray Zebra into their garden!

Fortunately, not having any grass now I've not been too bothered by their slimey presence, except when they try and get at Baby Girl's feed ( which I've got in a gurt sack in the garage and top up from ) they get the flick n zap treatment then.

Not having it.