Re: No birds at my feeders.

Hi everyone!

This is my first post so I will explain my "problem".

I have no birds at my feeders. I have done everything I can to attract more birds into the garden. I have used different types of feeders, different foods (various seeds and mixes, niger, suet balls, suet nibbles, fruit, dried mealworms etc.etc…) kept seed etc fresh, feeders clean, provided water, cover etc but still not many birds. I have placed feeders in many different areas, in trees, bushes, off fences etc. Even in the recent cold and snowy weather I had over 7 different feeders in various parts of the garden offering different foods and there was no increase in bird numbers (apart from a thrush and a stray fieldfare!). I have been doing all this for over 5 years now. I live on an estate, which is now over 8 years old and has many trees and bushes, it is also only 200 yards from a nature reserve. I am fed up with people telling me to be patient and the birds will come. My sister who lives right in the country and is surrounded by natural sources of food for the birds has to fill her feeders twice a day!

My only success is the nest box from which Blue Tits have successfully fledged for the last 3 years, even then they only return for the breeding season. Even then they hardly make a dent in the seed!

I have seen different birds in the garden, Goldcrest, Long Tailed Tits, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Starlings, Collared Dove, Woodpigeon, Rook, and Magpie etc. but apart from the ground feeders nothing sticks around. Nearby there is a tree full of greenfinches and a whole hedgedful of sparrows. I have no cat, no noisy children and garden organically. I have been successful in attracting other wildlife such as newts, toads, frogs (which now spawn in the pond) and hedgehogs, one of which is hibernating not six feet from my backdoor.

I have spent a small fortune on seed and feeders etc. and would love to see more birds on the feeders. What can I do?

Sorry to go on a bit.Look forward to hearing from anyone.

I thought I would include a couple of photos to show what my back garden is like.Looking a bit sad at the moment!

Hi,what a nice garden you have.In my garden the birds do like to feed nearer cover of my shrubs so they can dart in quick,my niger feeder is quite exposed and i have'nt seen one bird near it yet. 

Hi

I too have little activity on my  feeders.  A few years ago I was topping up twice a day but now nothing.  My numbers for the birdwatch count were very different to last time as well.

Something strange is going on somewhere.. me thinks

Oh I live in central scotland in a new town and also near to woods/farmland.

Hello Madpenguine, and welcome to the forum.

You have worked hard on your garden and it looks lovely. You have managed to attract some very nice species from what you say, and congratulations on your blue tits - brilliant to have them nesting successfully.

I really don't know what to suggest for you. From previous threads it seems clear that every garden and the birds it attracts are different. Many people say feeders are best close to cover, but from my own personal experience, my main feeding station (a very tall pole type), is in the open with all round visibility, so the birds can see all the way round and for quite a distance. There are container grown shrubs underneath it, but it is about 8 or 9 feet from the nearest hedge, and a lot further from the nearest tree. It was the only place in my garden that it could be placed, so it was a matter of no choice. However, it is used most of the day by goldfinches and tits, and the starlings like to sit on the top and on the arms, surveying their territory. The collared doves and feral pigeons also used it until I removed the feeders they were able to manage. The ground feeders root about underneath picking up the spilt food. 

I also have other feeding areas next to or attached to the fences, which attract the sparrows, robins, coal tits, and so on. I have what I call the big bird table for the pigeons and jackdaws, which is next to a fence but considerably higher than the fence and open on 3 sides, with a wall close to the fourth side. Occasionally a sparrow may use this, but I find it is too high and open to the front of the house and road for smaller birds.

You say you have seen starlings. I am surprised they aren't still with you if you provide suet pellets. My starlings will use any feeder they are able to, position irrelevant, and they go mad for the bright pink berry suet pellets. They also attract the other birds with their antics. When the starlings arrive they are closely followed by the sparrows.

Sparrows like evergreen hedges, and like a feeder that is touching the hedge so they can dart on and off in one hop.

I hope someone else can come up with some suggestions for you.

Hi Madpenguin

It looks like your garden is developing nicely. One thing that might put some species off is the lack of lawn and hedging. Gravel and paving prevents ground feeding birds from foraging on the insects and worms that live in the soil and some ornamental evergreens don't have much wildlife value despite their aesthetic benefits. However, i like the pond, the sections of open soil should be good for blackbirds and it looks like you have some good trees and shrubs.

Never the less, there may be a few things you can do to increase bird traffic. My advice would be to keep it simple with regards to the feeding and maximise the opportunities for birds to use your garden for shelter, after all, food is just one of their essential needs.

Try feeding sunflower hearts or a no-mess mix, most seed eating birds love these and even tits, robins and dunnocks will go for them. A couple of feeders, one in the open and one close to a tree or shrub should cover most angles. Maybe a ground table in one of the borders could also be used to tempt in ground feeding birds, they would go for chopped fruit, porridge oats and cake crumbs. From the pictures i could not see anywhere for birds to drink or bath other than the pond, maybe a raised bird bath could be added somewhere?

If you can, maybe think about adding more climbers up the fence panels or put some trellis up around the perimeter. A mix of ivy, honeysuckle, jasmine, clematis and virginia creeper could provide a big attraction for many birds either looking for food, shelter or nesting sites. Maybe some nesting boxes for robins and wrens in amongst the vegetation as well. A couple more nesting boxes with a 32mm hole would be a good addition as i noticed sparrows were not on your list of garden birds, providing some homes for them would be a great idea.

Hope this helps, you may also wish to have a look through the information in our Homes for Wildlife project, you can sign up here

Thanks for the info.

I do have water in a large dish for the birds but they do use the pond for drinking,large birds from the edge and smaller ones from the plant baskets in the pond.

The fence has only recently been replaced so will be putting in more shrubs and climbers this year! My neighbour  has a large clematis and honeysuckle on her side of the fence

The gravel is not as sterile a place to feed as you might think.There is bare earth underneath and leaves etc gather at the edges of the paths and the birds do like to forage here and find worms and other insects.

I do not have a lawn in my back garden but I do at the front. My neighbours on each side do as well.

The front garden has a lot of large shrubs as do most of the gardens round here.

I have been watching my garden a little more intently over the past few weeks and I do have quite a few ground feeders,a robin,blackbirds,dunnock, a thrush and house sparrows have started to make an appearance.

Starlings I do have and they love the suet and fat balls.I have one lot of fat balls in a squirrel proof cage to stop the starlings taking them all.This seems to be use almost always by the robin.

I have put up a pole feeder in the front garden and the open bowl and fat balls (not the seed feeder!) have been used there and that is sited right next to the road!

My problem really is that birds do not seem to be attracted to the hanging seed feeders,no finches of any sort and even the blue tits go for food on tables rather than hanging feeders.

I will try nest boxes with a larger hole and see if that will attract sparrows to nest,maybe even a sparrow terrace if I can run to that!

I will keep you posted as to what happens.

Hi Madpenguin,

Tits and sparrows will use tables and flat trays in preference to hangers because it is easier. Why waste energy on clinging if it is unnecessary! My hangers are used almost exclusively by goldfinches. They are the only finches I get, and it took many months before my first one arrived. The numbers gradually increased and I have in the teens every day now, but they prefer to feed in groups (as do sparrows) and need a hanger with plenty of ports. I have 2 nyjer and 2 sunflower heart feeders hanging next to each other. They arrive together and use all 4 feeders.

Hi Sparrow

It seems I may have to have more tables and trays as you use and keep a hanging feeder up just in case!

I am finding that sunflower hearts and dried mealworms are the most popular foods and on the ground I scatter suet pellet type food which seems to go very quickly.

I have to make sure the starlings cannot get to everything as they chuck most of the food on the ground which is then picked up by woodpigeons.The woodpigeons trample any plants and leave rather large 'deposits' around so I am trying to discourage them

One of my hanging feeders is a clear globe with holes underneath,something seems to be taking the food but I have yet to actually see a bird using it!

Hi Madpenguin,

I have some mesh trays fixed to the fences about a foot from the top, and I find these very popular. I put seeds and peanut granules in them. They are used by sparrows, robins, tits (grab and go mostly), song thrush, dunnocks and a female blackbird. However, I also get my collared doves using them. I don't mind as they come late in the day and clear up!! I have one of these trays specially for the starlings and put suet pellets and raisins in. It keeps them away from the other feeders.

I don't have a plague of woodpigeons - just one who comes sometimes. I do have feral pigeons but have trained them to use a large bird table that is about 8 feet in the air.

It's all trial and error.

It sounds like you have put plenty of thought into your garden and your future plans should reward you with loads more wildlife!

Maybe you could experiment with a nyger feeder, if you are keen to attract finches then this should create an opportunity for goldfinch, siskin and redpoll if you are lucky enough to have these little gems in your area.

As for greenfinches, they will happily eat sunflower hearts or black sunflower seeds as long as the seed feeder is easy for them to use, have you got the standard tubular shape feeders with perching rings? The chaffinch will use hanging feeders but often prefers to feed on the ground.

These are the most likely species of finch to visit your garden but you may have to be patient. Many finches will still be in large mixed flocks out in the wider countryside feeding on seed in hedgerows and stubble fields. As finches are tree and hedge nesting birds your well vegetated garden and those of your neighbours may start to attract more varieties of birds as the spring progresses.