About to give upon attracting birds!!!!!

StuMack · #1 (**permalink**) 08-10-2010, 12:37 PM

Hi guys,

I live in an inner city terraced house, lots of cars, kids, cats, dogs and far from serene. There is little green space close to me, and a result i get very little birdlife in the garden.

I've got feeders but all I ever see are mags, sparrows, crows and gulls!!

Is there anything i can do to increase my chances of increasing the variety of birds? I get sick of seeing the nature progs where some guy has a peregrine feeding from his flat in inner-city brum etc . Makes me sick!!

As much as i love wwt, it would be nice to see a chaffinch, blue tit or even a bloody robin !!!!

All suggestions taken on board

thanks, stu

Gatekeeper · #2 (**permalink**) 08-10-2010, 12:47 PM

Unfortunately, you can only feed the birds that happen to frequent your area. I would love to attract a Nuthatch to my garden, but they just don't frequent my area; I've heard 1 in the last 40 years

.

Maybe you could improve the garden itself, and make it more attractive to birds, through planting bird friendly plants and shrubs.

Also, House Sparrows, are in serious decline nationally, so you're doing good work feeding the ones in your area.

Deb London · #3 (**permalink**) 08-10-2010, 12:55 PM

You've got Sparrows.

DON'T STOP NOW!

Not sure about feasibility, but do you have space for a small tree. In your back yard? In any front garden? I feed birds over concrete at the front (no tree) but there is a tree in the street.

Do you not hear Blue Tits and the like?

StuMack · #4 (**permalink**) 08-10-2010, 01:02 PM

I've got a huge conifer at the rear, lots of shrubs, buddleia bush for the butterflies but only the sparras frequent them! I'm not to good with recognising calls and songs as yet.

Stu

accipter · #5 (**permalink**) 08-10-2010, 01:09 PM

I went down the wild flower and plants route no birds but lots of bees and butterflies.

RKB · #6 (**permalink**) 08-10-2010, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StuMack

I've got feeders but all I ever see are mags, sparrows, crows and gulls!!

I say be grateful for what you have with the limited habitat. Crows and Magpies are two of the most intelligent birds (and possibly animals) on the planet, so why not appreciate them? I get Red Kites, Water Rail, Grey Wagtail and Teal in my garden, but I've only ever had a House Sparrow twice. Believe me, it is possible to say "WOW! A House Sparrow! I wish that bloody Kite would get out of the way!"

John · #7 (**permalink**) 09-10-2010, 03:32 AM

Concentrate on your garden and plant wildlife friendly plans and shrubs. A bird bath wouldn't go amiss either. That could draw the odd bird in for a quick bathe and a drink.

Next check out what you are using for feed. I use feeders full of Sunflower Hearts as the main attraction then add feeders full of mixed seed and also peanuts plus fat balls. Between that lot it pulls in quite a few birds.

I am lucky in that there is plenty of vegetation around my garden but I have planted plenty of plants and shrubs that are wildlife friendly plus created a pool and a stream as well.

John

Philipo · #8 (**permalink**) 09-10-2010, 08:29 AM

Try getting a feeder that sticks to your window as I had one brought for my birthday, it hold seeds and has a space for two fat balls, its stuck on my first floor office window at home and as there's a good selection of different seeds and dried meal worms I get a good close up view of great tits, blue tits, finches, I also have a hawthorn tree outside the window and that open has long tail tits, thrush's, blackbirds and even last winter we saw two red-wings feeding on the berries...

All this takes place in a garden 15ft square in central Ipswich with a 13 storey office block in front of my window...

I must admit it took nearly a year to attract all these birds by offering different types of food...so please be patient and you will reap the rewards..

Phil

Jonquil_d · #9 (**permalink**) 09-10-2010, 10:52 AM

Just a word on Window feeders.
WE bought my daughter one for her third floor flat in Liverpool...and she did see a range of birds on it until it crashed to the ground.....we think it was a careless window cleaner wot did it.
More recently I have seen a two fatball feeder at a friends house and this has a safety chain so that if it becomes "out of place" it doesn't fall to the ground even if the food gets spilled ....I think the other end needs to be screwed to the wall or the window frame.