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Originally Posted by metalfish  Aah maybe this is your answer... it's probably the crows and magpies putting the littluns off, they both predate small birds and if there's no cover to hide in they wont come near. |
This is rather an amplified view of the risk I think! Corvids do predate chicks and eggs during the breeding season, but rather more unusually, adults. Far greater risk of cat/Sparrowhawk predation, especially if there is food on the ground. The Crows/Magpies could be putting the small birds off by intimidating them but not enough to keep them away from the feeders altogether, especially during the winter months. At the moment, it's the abundance of autumn berries around because the mild weather has meant insects have still been a main food source. Once the berries start getting low, the birds will come. All the advice on this thread is valid, especially the need for fence cover/natural plants/natural perches, in the garden, but it's not what's keeping the birds away at the moment.