Attracting Garden Birds Help

[Chime]

Hi

First time poster on the board so go easy with me!

I am finding it very difficult attracting gaden birds to my feeder. Currently on there, I have a mixed seed feeder, a berry fat cake, a tray containing seed, a water holder and a feeder containing nuts. The feeding station is placed about two metres from a kitchen window, adjacent to a row of conifers that runs the length of the garden, which is about a foot away from the station. I don't have a problem attracting the pesky starlings when the weather is warmer, but want to attract other garden birds to feed. The odd blue tit, robin and blackbird have been in the garden, but not to feed - what am I doing wrong?
Thanks for reading this and all feedback is appreciated

:-)

[Tobyh]

Firstly - Welcome to WAB!

You may not actually be doing much wrong at all. You have a good selection of food, water and cover for them. You don't say what there is around you (urban?) - do you see other birds that don't come to the garden? Do neighbours feed and get more visitors?

You say that the birds don't feed which is a bit weird. Maybe they don't like the position of the feeder and don't consider it safe. Generally mine tend to like something they can dive deep into in case of danger and, in the case of the tits, somewhere they can sit in safety and eat. Perhaps they don't like the conifers for some reason (maybe too dense - can hide something bigger).

I assume there's no cats around all the time?

Forgot to ask - how long have you been putting food out? they do need time to get used to it.
TobyH

[Chime]

Hi Toby

There is the odd cat knocking about, but that's where I thought the conifers would be more of a help that a hinderance as they are quite thick. I know for a fact that the people either side of me don't have any feeders out. We live in a small village which does have a lot of greenery and trees for cover etc...
I may try moving the feeder further away from the conifers if you think that would help?

:-)

[Tobyh]

I think you'll have to just try a few things out. Is there other cover they could use? Smaller thicker bushes for example? Mine love Fuschia, Blackthorn, Dog Rose etc - anything that a larger bird of prey will struggle to fly right into. It's the first place they go if there's a scare.

If there is lots of greenery around I'm surprised you aren't getting more interest.

You also didn't say how long you've been putting food out. Birds are creatures of habit and once they find it and are happy, they should continue to visit but they do need time to get used to it.

TobyH

[Madonplants]

I'm just wondering if it's too close to the kitchen window. Don't forget, Starlings are birds and need fed, too. I've not long moved here and 4 fat balls hardly lasted a day in my old garden, but here, it's different. I've only seen two Starlings in my garden in the 5 months we've been here, yet they over fly the garden and the Tits prefer the seed I put out. I've seen my first Song Thrush, Redwing and Fieldfare for years here and a few weeks ago, had my first ever Long Tailed Tit, three of them in fact. I did get lots of Coal Tits here, but haven't seen them in a while now, just the Blue and Great Tits.

[Chime]

The food has been put out constantly for a good 14 months, and has been changed regularly even though there's been little interest. The garden is surrounded by conifers on all three sides, but plenty of birds fly over but just won't stop in my garden! - lol
I did buy one of these new seed feeders with the perches on them. My wife reckons they won't come near as it's bright yellow in colour!

:-)

[twee]

I found my variety of birds increased when I started feeding sunflower hearts. I have one with mixed seed for the house sparrows. The other feeders have just sunflower hearts, most birds love these.

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by Chime

I am finding it very difficult attracting gaden birds to my feeder. Currently on there, I have a mixed seed feeder, a berry fat cake, a tray containing seed, a water holder and a feeder containing nuts. The feeding station is placed about two metres from a kitchen window, adjacent to a row of conifers that runs the length of the garden, which is about a foot away from the station.

Unless you have a local population of birds that is very used to feeding close to humans, then 2 metres from your house is simply too close. Start by moving the feeding station as far from any house/regular human activity, as is practical. I'd also suggest having at least a metre between the feeders and any conifer. Although conifers provide cover, they don't provide vantage points and the birds may therefore feel insecure; if there are no adjacent deciduous trees, placing the feeders in a more open position may actually make them more attractive.

Feeder colour is not an issue, however familiarity of food may be. Again if you have a population of birds that are unused to being fed, selecting a food type, that looks like food encountered in the wild may help. Hulled sunflower seeds sit petty well in the image of what most garden birds would recognise as being edible. Also remember that a lot of birds are more comfortable feeding from the ground so it's worth while scattering food beneath the feeders - experiment with, dried fruit, broken peanuts (not whole) and apple as well as sunflower seeds, for the ground feeders.

It's worth persisting and once you get one adventurous individual, others will follow, for that reason I'd say the Starlings are welcome because they act as an advertisment that food is available - I just think the other birds around you are too timid to come with in 2 metres of house, as a start off. You may be able to move the feeders closer over time.

CM

[Chime]

Thank you for your advice, it's appreciated!
:-)