On the move... (1 Viewer)

There is a possibility we may move house in the next few months.

I am really worried about all the garden birds. The following is what I plan to do. Besides these things does anyone else have any suggestions? Also, someone please tell me birds adapt easier than I imagine they do.

1. My next door-but-one neighbour has already started placing fatballs on trees in her garden (about 25 feet away).

2. I will give a feeder to her as well, to encourage the goldfinches etc.

3. I plan on leaving a few feeders in the garden along with some supply of food as a "gift" to the people who buy our house

4. Nr. 3 depends of course whether the new owners even "like" birds.

I suppose I'm feeling guilty in the way I have built up such a wide range of birds coming to my garden, only to suddenly abandon them!

Any suggestions/advice is extremely welcome. (In the event the housemove falls through, please disregard the above!) :eek!:
:flyaway: Thanks.

I think perhaps you should gradually start reducing the amount of food you put out - this should encourage the birds to look elsewhere for food. You'll have to harden your heart at first to do this, I imagine, but at least you gradually get them used to looking in other places.

Elizabeth, yes I have thought of that, but it's going to be sooooo hard!

I'm afraid that Elizabeth is right. You have to work on the theory that the new people have no interest in birds. If they are it is a bonus. Certainly by getting your neighbour to possibly take on the responsibilty of feeding the birds might help but even there it is fraught with possibilities. It is a well know fact that you can have a bird table in your garden but no birds. Move it a few feet and suddenly you have birds.

Is the house your own or are you renting. I ask because if you are selling then you may meet the prospective new owners. If you do you could mention the garden birds and see if they take an interest. If they do you could then talk them through what you do to feed your garden birds. You never know, it might be a selling point. A lot of people like birds in their garden.

Good luck in whatever you do.

I have this image of the new people sitting in the garden next spring, suddenly startled to see you appear with a bag of peanuts and nyger seeds.

Good luck

I see you haven't mentioned the upside of the move H............

Pete, no, because I'm the mother of all pessimists!

Hi Helen.
no matter how hard it is, you have to look on the bright side and think of the fun, and food you will
bring to your new birds. your old featherd freinds
will not loose out, you would not belive how soon
they learn to adapt even if the new people dont
feed them. the will soon find others that do!
If your move comes of , just get your feeders out
as soon as you can and sit back to see how soon
your new found featherd freinds come to feed.
all the best if the move comes off.
bert.

Reader, thanks very much for the advice. We do own, so no doubt we will at some point meet (hopefully) prospective purchasers!

Bert, thanks for that. To be honest that is what I wanted to hear! As I said our neighbour already has fatballs on the trees.

The house we hope (please, please, please!) to move in is right in the middle of Red Kite country, and the first viewing also included seeing 4 kites just above the trees in the garden! I nearly fainted! That clinched it for me.