Bird feeders

[Modestandatinybitsexy]

I'm feeling impatient with my bird feeders.

I've been watching the local bird population flock to my neighbours garden, which is great, they probably have a long established habit of feeding them, but I've been out filled up water and suet and peanuts and sunflower seeds and not a nibble so far!

We had good interest in the summer I know you're not suppose to feed in the summer but I wanted to establish regular visitors in our garden, we probably got a bit lax as the weather got wet as they were mouldy when we cleaned and refilled last week, everything still looked good this morning and I swapped out a few fresh seeds. We have four trees and at least half a dozen different bird feeders dotted around.

I know it takes patience and not to let the feeders get mouldy again but I'm worried they don't like our food or the neighbour's have far superior food. What am I doing wrong?!

Might not help, but I was getting no joy with my bird feeder, l wondered if maybe that couldn't see it properly and stuck a very realistic Robin Christmas tree decoration on top.
It's super busy now, once one brid knows they all tweet each other. Good luck

It might take a bit of time. Have your neighbours got more ‘escape’ routes close by such as hedges or trees than your feeders have?

My feeders are fairly busy but I had a reasonable amount of birds coming into the garden before because of the native hedges at the top of the garden with blackberries and Hawthorns etc. I am noticing more variety in the species I’m seeing now though. I’ve got fat balls and peanuts out at the moment.

We hang our feeders right next to a hedge and in a tree, it's like Oxford street just before Xmas. The birds queue up in the bush and nest in the hedge while the sparrow hawk sulks on the back hedge because he can't swoop in and get them off the feeders.

No takers yet for our new feeder, I'm impatiently sitting on the balcony watching it currently despite it being 1 degree.

I thought you were meant to feed them in the summer as they come to rely on it?

It’s odd as you did get interest in the Summer, so that should mean the location of your feeders is ok. Nevertheless, the location of your feeders would be the first thing I’d look at.

I have multiple “feeding stations” in my garden and the ones that are close to dense shrubs are by far the most popular. Birds like to be able to get to cover quickly and most trees aren’t actually that good for providing cover.

Also remember that different birds prefer different feeding methods. Not all birds find it easy to eat from a hanging feeder, so I also have a ground feeder. It’s by far the most popular feeder in my garden for sparrows, dunnocks and robins. All of those birds are capable of using a hanging feeder, but given the choice, they prefer to be on the ground 🤷‍♀️

When it comes to food, I do think there’s a difference in how appealing different brands are to birds. Mine have been staring at B&Q fastballs for weeks now. Clearly, they are not impressed! I’ve found that Peckish food always goes down a treat, especially their Daily Goodness Nuggets

@Acti you’re correct. Advice from the RSPB is to feed birds all year round

Thanks everyone. Our garden isn't the bushiest in the neighbourhood. It was a jungle when we moved in 5 years ago and we're in the process of reestablishing wildlife borders since clearing out years of rubbish, weeds and ivy.

We mostly have hanging feeders in the trees, including a little hanging box with flat bottom which I've never seen a bird on!

We have a bird feeder hanger next to a huge bay bush which was popular in the summer. The trees seem to be more popular in gardens nearby.

Looks like we might need a few different feeders and nicer food!

Advice now is to feed all year round. No worries about them relying on it as birds get their food from multiple sources. Summer food is useful because they have the added burden of nestlings to feed, then after that they're moulting so want to be out and about as little as possible so an easy food source is valuable.

we're in the process of reestablishing wildlife borders since clearing out years of rubbish, weeds and ivy. I would have thought that was an excellent wildlife border .

Sprinkle dried mealworms. They are like crack for bird life.

The birds that visit us ignore the feeder, but they love the bird table