how long should it take for birds to use a new bird table......

[Meglet]

I have had a bird table in my garden for 2 weeks now and the birds haven't touched it .

They are happily scoffing all the food in the feeder that is fixed to the fence (a couple of metres away) but don't seem interested in the bird table.

Does it take them ages to use a new table or does it mean I've got to reposition it?

This is interesting because I have a feeder on the house wall and also a bird feeder in the middle of the lawn. The one on the house empties very quickly and then I find that the birds will go onto the bird table until I refill the wall one. I think that they feel safer and less threatened on the house wall. They can more easily be got at by predators if the food is away from the house - perhaps that is the answer!

When I bought mine, it said on the box to allow about 4 weeks for the birds to get used to it - I thought that sounded a long time, but it was about right.

Even now, though, they still go more often to the feeders I have hanging from a tree branch than the ones hanging from the 'feeding station'.

I need to be more patient then .

Mr Blackbird keeps looking at it but hasn't perched on it yet. The sparrows and tits are squabbling over the feeder.

Birds are creatures of habit and very cautious. It can take a year to really get them confident. It's important to keep the food (and water) topped up and clean so they get lots of reinforcement for coming to your garden.

Different birds will go for different food and different delivery systems.

One other thing - if there is a cat about you may never get birds coming!

We hardly get cats in the garden, I might see one every few months.

Must put water out too!

We've had feeders out for the three years that we've lived here and the birds won't use them. They will eat ant fat balls we put out, and they loved the meal worms we put in a dish on the ground.

I have three feeders the birds won't touch! Feel oddly rejected by it... perhaps I need to add some fat balls.