photos of feeding area any ideas why birds wont visit

[bean77]

I live in a semi quiet street in a city and my front garden is medium size and has a pine tree well established and a sycomore tree (i cant spell) we also have a hedge running around the front of the house which is 6 foot high. We have a drive way which has one car on then the drive way leads to a shed. Ive put a pole bird feeder up near the pine tree but the only problem is its about 1 meter away from the street tho it does have a hugh 6 foot hedge to shelter it from view. I also have lots of little bushes and next door has a tree that more or less sits right near my feeding station. I buy RSPB food so its good quality and their fat balls and buggy nibbles etc So far ive had a few blue tits and a few great titis, i have seen sparows but they dont go near my feeding station. I sprinkle meal worms on the ground and these go but i think thats due to the magpie and blackbird! Ive put cat shoo plants around and shoo them out of my garden. What im i doing wrong the feeder has been up about 2 months i change food weekly so it dont go stale and ive put water out. Help! I cant feed round the back as thats tarmac at the mo and very very small garden (we have just moved into house)




the photos show the feeding area in differnt views
photo one and two show the feeding pole near the bush and fence. Photo 3 shows the feeding pole view as if you were standing on my drive. I am sorry the photos arent very clear but i hope you get the idea! Basicly where that green bush thing is is where the pole is, i thought this would give the birds cover?
Thanks very much in advance Im keen to get bird watching!
Gill

[Steve_In_Cheshire]

On the wooden panel fencing what you have, whats on the other side ? Is it safe for the birds to land on the fence like they seem to do here as we have similar wooden panel fencing.

Do you have cats around, its just the panel fencing is very close to the feeders and they could jump from the fence and punce on the birds if you know what i mean, if you don`t have cats about then no probs. Personally i would position them away from the panel fence as the birds may not feel safe.

How long have the feeders been up for as you have to give birds a bit of time to get used to the feeders being there, they will know about your feeders but they are probably just giving them a watching brief at the min until they know its safe.

[bean77]

on the other side of the wooden fence is a garden that has around 3 established trees in it, the house is empty at the mo so the garden is left undisturbed. Im not sure about cats I do keep a eye out and have gone out and scared them of, I have also planted cat shoo around the garden, which cats are not ment to like....but i will keep a eye out for the furry things! I wish we could put this in the back but my very very small garden at the back is tar mac. For some reason my house has huge front garden but tiny back garden! Feeders been up about 2 months now.....

[Steve_In_Cheshire]

If that was me i would try and position the feeding station in-between the 2 trees at the front as a test for a while, that way its away from the panel fence and the birds can land in the trees close by and drop onto the feeders.

Other than that it looks fine, it looks a birds heaven with those trees. From my experience its just a matter of patience and testing a few different spots. They will arrive trust me, free food its too good to resist

[Hedge Witch]

I tend to agree with Steve, Gill. A cat could use the fence as a launch pad. The good thing about these feeding stations is that they are so high that cats cannot jump that far. Mine is the same one, and cats or no, the birds are managing fine. They have a tree and hedge for cover too.

Can you move it towards the car? A few feet away from the fence?

[Tursiops2]

Originally Posted by bean77

What im i doing wrong the feeder has been up about 2 months i change food weekly so it dont go stale and ive put water out. Help! I cant feed round the back as thats tarmac at the mo and very very small garden (we have just moved into house)

Gill

Hi Gill, and welcome to WAB

There are a range of possible reasons why you're not getting many birds to your feeders, the likeliest being:
1. It can take birds a while to locate new sources of food, particularly when natural food is in abundance as it is now;
2. The breeding season is well underway and birds are settled into their territories. They won't be wandering around looking for food as they do in Autmn and Winter.
3. It's a nice little patch of ground from a wildlife point of view, but it needs time to mature, and the planting could possibly do with a re-think - it's a bit heavy with evergreens.

I don't think the positioning of the feeders is a major issue, it's mainly a question of time and patience, and a bit more planting

T2

[Geoff F]

I think it might be the type of feeder that is your main problem. They look rather complicated to me, like those sold in garden centres to tempt punters not birds.

The simple open tray is too near the ground for birds to feel safe.

I find that tits and greenfinches will usually quickly figure out how to access a source of food but some types never use them, I think they avoid them as a matter of principle!

My garden just has one fatball hanging feeder, one hanging peanut wire cage feeder and a simple flat top birdtable. Actually one of those front and back.

The birdtable should be very simple and needs straight forward access. I make mine from pieces of plywood screwed to a wooden pole which leaves the table about 5 ft off the ground.

I have found that while all species, from dunnock to crows, flock to the table the hanging feeders are normally only regularly used by a few species. It took several months before the first robin had a go, but they still don't like using them. The chaffinches took over a year to use the peanut feeder, and only regularly visit it during the winter now.

Sparrows never used the hanging feeders and I have only seen a blackbird there on very rare occasions.

So, I would simplify things, erect a higher easy to use birdtable and just wait. Providing the birds aren't disturbed they will come along eventually, but some species will always be dominant.

[bean77]

Thanks very much for everyones advice. I have now moved the feeder inbetween the two small tress as suggested. I got the feeder from the rspb and all the seed holders from their but I will look at getting flat bird table and putting it else where in the garden. I do sprinkle food on the ground and meal worms which seem to go and Ive seen 2 blackbirds in the garden today. I have attempted to plant more colourfull plants (but I have lived here since november and I have a 5 month old baby so its been a bit rushed) But i have planted lily of the valley, iris, lavender, herbs, and a mixture of large daisys etc. I did buy some seed for wild flowers from the rspb but this will have to wait to next year to be planted now. I guess I will just sit and be patient. We did try hanging food in the trees my hubby got a ladder and put a fat ball very high up and a robin does come to this. We get alot of insects so i think the birds are eating these at the mo. Thanks very much for your help I will keep you updated
Gill

[tameblackbirds]

I agree that the feeders are too close to the fence and the shrub at the bottom is asking for a sneaky cat to hide under should be in an open aspect so birds feel safe with trees reasonabbly close to flock into for cover Good luck also think birdtable good idea will get me another as my last attempt rotted

[hobble]

I agree your feeding station should be placed in the middle of your gravel area.
I have the same feeding station and have great success with it, peanuts for the tits, fat balls for the long tailed tits, black sunflowers for the tits and the tray with robin mix for the robins.
I am sure you will have visitors soon.