New to bird feeding!

[shiffty]

Hi all..as a totall newbie to bird feeding i thought id join this great site to try and gain a bit more info about r feathered friends...i have a smallish garden which is pretty close to woodlands and no theres plenty of birds around..mostly crows magpies ,seen the odd bullfinch and blue tit...i have placed a bird table and some feeders in front of my patio...the table has been up for around 3 weeks now and i have yet to see a bird use it...i have a mixture of seed on it , sunflower hearts, mealworms, niger seed.etc etc... also in the palm tree a bit further down the garden i have a few feeders hanging..again no birds as of yet.....am i right in thinking it takes time for the birds to find and gain confidence in using these .or r they simply put off using them as i have a lot of crows and magpies sitting on the garden fence and walls....many thanks for any replies you may have mike

[Steve_In_Cheshire]

That looks a nice set up and a nice bird table.

In my experience it takes a little while for birds to appear on a new feeder, i think they observe it for a few days just to make sure its safe. They will know the food is there and they have probably had a nibble already whilst your back has been turned, its like with anything new, just give them time.

Are their any cats in your area ? Just make sure the bird table is not too close to that wall along with the hanging feeder from the washing line, birds like to feel safe and that wall looks like a good launch pad for a predator if its too close.

Just give them time, when they are confident about your bird table your feeders will soon be empty in no time

Keep up your enjoyment, they are certainly little entertainers.

[shiffty]

thanx steve for the reply..yea next door does have a cat , whos always in my garden,,,hes a old cat , and probably wont be much threat to the birds..but i guess the birds dont no that ..lol....i woke this morning to 3 squirrels on the table and feeders...guess thats what il get when trying to feed birds...anyway thanx for the reply...il keep posted any news of birds landing on the table and feeders....

[simon taylor]

Mike - It's early yet. A lot of garden birds are still feeding on natural food in fields. My feeders are quiet but give it another month and they'll be alive. Hang on in there....