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Best way to stop feeding birds. (1 Viewer)

stuart scott

Well-known member
I'm going to be moving house within a month and sadly will have to take all my garden feeders with me (there will be no one else to carry on the good deed).
What’s the best way to stop the feeding?
Would doing it slowly over time by leaving them empty for longer be best?

The garden has quite a little community of regulars and it can be very busy at times. To add to my guilt, a number of birds are starting to display for breeding and territories obviously assuming its a good place to bring up a family because of the regular food.

ta
stu
 
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Hi Stuarts,

Its a hard one, I would keep feeding them and hope the next tenant will carry on.
Doe's any of your neighbours feed the birds. Our neighbour fed the birds then left. I get them all now. Are you moving far from where you are now?

Maybe some one else will give you better advice.
 
Willowa,
I am thinking of getting some cheap feeders to leave full of food and hope the next tenants may take a hint. I'll have to find a good place to hang them though, grey squirrels in the garden forced me to get metal armoured ones after they destroyed my plastic feeders.
I'm not aware of any neighbours that feed them.....I've been here a year and only seen one neighbour !
ta
stu
 
Hard as it is Stu,I think it would be better to reduce the food now,Spring is on it's way and nesting will soon begin,they will find new sources ,as your food begins to dry up.Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
 
stuarts said:
Willowa,
I am thinking of getting some cheap feeders to leave full of food and hope the next tenants may take a hint. I'll have to find a good place to hang them though, grey squirrels in the garden forced me to get metal armoured ones after they destroyed my plastic feeders.
stu

good idea. Leave them a note telling them what species you regularly attract (maybe soem photos too) and advice on how to deal with the squirrels.
 
hil5 said:
good idea. Leave them a note telling them what species you regularly attract (maybe soem photos too) and advice on how to deal with the squirrels.

LOL I read this too quickly and at first thought you were suggesting leaving a note for the birds to say where stu is moving to! Mind you not a bad idea 3:)

Providing weather is turning to spring where you are stu, I'm with Mary on this one, hard as it is. (although its worth as Willowa says, making contact with someone in the same street to ensure your not the only ones feeding birds. I have to say, my own birds can be pretty fickle if there are other food sources around but they always seem to give the impression they rely on me completely!
 
Bye bye Blackbird

stuarts said:
I'm going to be moving house within a month and sadly will have to take all my garden feeders with me (there will be no one else to carry on the good deed).
What’s the best way to stop the feeding?
Would doing it slowly over time by leaving them empty for longer be best?
ta
stu

Had the same dilemma when I left for Spain in august last year. I kept feeding as long as I could and even (out of guilt) left some stuff on the garage roof when I left. Better to have the food as long as possible I reckoned, they're not going to forget how to feed elsewhere, are they?

I also though left notes of suppliers and a tick list (which included regular Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker) with the neighbours in the hope they'd get the bug.

May be they're on Bird Forum by now!

All the best

Stephen Christopher
www.catalanbirdtours.com
 
I wouldn't leave feeders for the next tenants because you don't know if they'll like having birds around or take care of the feeders the way you do. They might keep them full of food, but are they willing to keep them clean as well? -- which is equally if not more important. Or maybe they'll have a bunch of cats. ;)

If it were me, I'd gradually take them down, one at a time. Your birds will find other places to get food. :t:
 
I'm going through the same thing, and had pretty much decided on the strategy Katy suggests--take down one feeder at a time every few days. I know we used to read dire warnings--"If you start feeding birds you must never stop because they will become dependent on you and starve if your feeders go empty"--but actual research shows this is not really the case. Most wild birds that come to feeders get only about 25% or less of their food from the feeders and continue to find the rest in the wild. So they will adjust. But it's hard to leave them behind, nevertheless.
 
Hi Stu,

I would just keep feeding while this cold snap is here. At least there will be more natural food around soon.

Don't feel guilty you have done your best.
 
Katy Penland said:
I wouldn't leave feeders for the next tenants because you don't know if they'll like having birds around or take care of the feeders the way you do. They might keep them full of food, but are they willing to keep them clean as well? -- which is equally if not more important. Or maybe they'll have a bunch of cats. ;)

If it were me, I'd gradually take them down, one at a time. Your birds will find other places to get food. :t:

Hi Stu,this is the best advice you could get. :clap:

Good luck on your move :flowers:
 
Stu
whatever you do you'll have done it with the best intentions, and no one (or bird) can ask for more than that!

colin
 
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