We live in a new build house (built 2009) but our garden has really started to mature with the leylandii, cherry trees, magnolia and other shrubs starting to take form and providing a lot of protective cover for the birds. We have situated a bird table, feeding station, fresh water and various hanging feeders around the garden (niger seed, peanuts, mixed nuts, sunflower hearts, mealworms etc), however we seem to have very few birds visiting our garden:
Is there anything else we can do to encourage more activity???
We always try to remember the quote from the Kevin Costner film Field of Dreams - "if you build it, they will come"...not so far!
:0(
Hiya aitchies welcome to the forum from Sheffield.
From what you're doing i don't think there is much more you can do, you have got in the garden similar feeders to me..i think one thing you do need is a hard frosty period, you may find they come visiting then.
As we say in Yorkshire there's nowt as funny as birds
Regards Alan
My photos are here and here
Hi Aitchies.
As Doggie says , you are doing all the right things.There is something I might add though.As it's a new house(are you on a new housing estate?),I was wondering how much cover you have actually got and in your surroundings eg neighbours gardens and outside of these.I'm presuming the plants and trees will not have matured enough yet i.e reached a decent height for the birds to feel safe(do correct me if I'm wrong).If this is the case it's probably a matter of giving it time, if it's not the case, it's still a matter of giving it time.
It took six months to encourage goldfinches to come to my garden, even though they flew over regularly and it took afurther three months for greenfinches to come, even though they were around as well.
So all in all a waiting game.
Please keep us posted how you get on, would love to know.
Viv.
Hi Aitchies and welcome from me in Lancashire,
I agree with all that has been said. I can also add that at least here in my patch our gardens are eerily quiet at the moment because there is still a lot of natural food for them in the fields. This time last year we had hard frosts and snow for weeks on end, so the birds were hungry and many of us had visits from a variety of birds not normally associated with gardens. It's different this year because its been so mild. Have patience and they will come.
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
Hi Aitches and a welcome from me in nottinghamshire - like the others say you seem to have something for everyone out in your garden so here's hoping the birds will gradually start to come - a few good frosts wouldn't do any harm to bring them in, but don't give up hope and keep us informed.
Hi Aitches
sounds like you should just do it bit by bit. It's no use spending money on expensive foods like mealworms if they don't get eaten!
Thanks everyone for your replies. We'll remain patient...it's really frosty today and snow forecast so maybe there'll be more to see over the next few weeks.
Viv - you're probably right...although we have done a lot to our own garden to provide the necessary cover, a couple of the properties around us are still not quite so mature. We aren't far from the woods so we'll wait and see.
Mr Robin is certainly happy as he lords it over our garden every day with no other birds to bother him, although we did see a thrush this morning!
www.bbc.co.uk/.../magazine-16743212
It's gone from a famine to a feast in our garden since I last wrote here!
The frost has lifted and in the past couple of days the garden has become a hive of activity...2 chaffinches, 4 blue tits and 2 wood sparrows have joined the ranks of our other visitors.
The blue tits have even also been investigating the 2 bird houses we have in the garden - let's hope they nest!
that's good, aitches
So pleased for you.