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Setting up new hide location in woodland - advice please... (1 Viewer)

theMusicMan

theMusicMan

Well-known member
Hi All

I have recently been scouting the local woodland and copses in an attempt to find a decent location to set up a feeding station for wild birds. Obviously the location needed to be quiet from roamers and walkers, yet close enough to home for me to be able to maintain it with regular clean food, nuts and stuff. Well, today I have found somewhere that's only a short distance from my home and where I could potentially maintain throughout the remainder of the Summer and the forthcoming Autumn and Winter (though some may say we're already there!).

What I would like to know is this; how long do you think it would be before birds started coming down to the location on a regular basis. Whilst walking there this afternoon I did hear several species of Tit, and other songs/calls I don't recognise, so there are birds about. The area is a small woodland copse, just on the borders of conifer forestry woodland. I plan on going up there regularly to strategically set up some trunks and branches, and to stock up the feeders I have ordered.

So, does it take long to attract birds to these type of feeding stations? I don't mind hanging out for a few weeks with regular food, but it would be good to know when I could potentially start using the area with my hide.

Any advice greatly appreciated.
 
I put up a couple of feeders in a woodland setting last winter.
The local Blue,Great and coal tits had found them within a couple of hours and were feeding regularly.
By the end of the first day they had also attracted Chaffinch,Robin and a Wren.
I think the last two were just curious as to what the other birds had found.
I also noticed Goldcrest in the tree that the feeders were in.
I did find that both feeders, although securely fastened, kept ending up on the floor,I put this down to the local Squirrels although I never actually saw them.
 
Hi John,
When I set up my "little reserve" the birds quickly got the message. Started with blue/ great tits, then the sparrows and on and on.
I now have loads of regulars including green& GS woodpeckers, long tail tits, coaltits, green,gold & chaffinch, collared doves, woodies, tree creepers to name but a few.
But as the birds start nesting in your plot the crows, magpies and squirrels start calling.
Luckily I now have 5 sprawks in the garden, 2F, 1M &2Juvs, and the females love magpie and crow, so nature looks after its self.
So best of luck, and you should start reaping the rewards within a few weeks, but it can take years to get the less common birds on a REGULAR basis.

Clive
www.flickr.com/photos/mosesdavies
 
OK, that's encouraging thanks. I plan on going up early tomorrow morning to set and place some feeders, then I'll pop up again on Saturday morning to see if anything has gone. Seems to be a good measure as to if any birds are venturing down from the canopy!

I'll keep this updated with progress for anyone interested - I am hoping for a decent autumn/winter location to be honest. Fingers crossed.
 
Make sure you get the light behind the hide - there's nothing worse than going into a hide and finding that you're looking straight into the sun. Otherwise, tits, Robins etc don't take long to find food, and over the course of a winter, finches, Nuthatches and Great Spotted Woodpeckers should be reasonably forthcoming. The longer you do it, the more chance of other birds of course. I use feeder guardians to keep the squirrels and crows off. The other thing to think about is the possibility of vandalism or theft if you're using public land.
 
Forgot to mention John, use good thick tying wire on the feeders to stop crows, squirrels etc chewing through it and pinching the feeders ;-)
 
gowerboy said:
Forgot to mention John, use good thick tying wire on the feeders to stop crows, squirrels etc chewing through it and pinching the feeders ;-)
Click to expand...
Ahhh, great idea sir, thanks for that one. I am off up there in an hour or so (need to inject the dog - she has insulin dependent Diabetes) at 08:00, so will pop up then to start this off...!
 
There was a thread about a woodland feeding station a while back that got trashed by vandals fairly quickly and more than once, so unless the spot is really quite deserted and off the 'beaten track' I would be very careful indeed.

Also in a park near me the local group had set up some feeding stations only for a warden to come across some "chaps" lying down nearby with rifles+telescopic sights trained on the bird table.

I don't mean to discourage you but if you are doing a feeding station I suppose you have to compensate for the thicker/more malevolant members of society. Perhaps a table with a cage affixed to the feeding platform would be better, ensuring that is squirrel/corvid proof, and could be easily disguised with brush/bracken etc.

Hope this helps.
 
ColonelBlimp said:
There was a thread about a woodland feeding station a while back that got trashed by vandals fairly quickly and more than once, so unless the spot is really quite deserted and off the 'beaten track' I would be very careful indeed.

Also in a park near me the local group had set up some feeding stations only for a warden to come across some "chaps" lying down nearby with rifles+telescopic sights trained on the bird table.

I don't mean to discourage you but if you are doing a feeding station I suppose you have to compensate for the thicker/more malevolant members of society. Perhaps a table with a cage affixed to the feeding platform would be better, ensuring that is squirrel/corvid proof, and could be easily disguised with brush/bracken etc.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Sad world we live in isn't it? Thanks for the thought.

The area I have identified is on a public path that is used more by horses and their riders than walkers. It is also about 50m into the woods, away from the path though the area [clearing] is still just visible from the main path but this doesn't mean that people will be able to see any feeders etc as these will be hidden, as you suggest, behind some fallen trees and low bushes. I'll take some pics later - didn't manage to get up there this morning as the wife and daughter needed the car (dentist - yuk), but might get a chance to pop up there later today or tomorrow morning.

Also, the general area is well away from any roads, and the path doesn't start until you have walked up a lane 100yds from a small country road, so I am hoping there won't be many lesser members of society passing through this way. Time will tell though eh!
 
ColonelBlimp said:
There was a thread about a woodland feeding station a while back that got trashed by vandals fairly quickly and more than once, so unless the spot is really quite deserted and off the 'beaten track' I would be very careful indeed.

Also in a park near me the local group had set up some feeding stations only for a warden to come across some "chaps" lying down nearby with rifles+telescopic sights trained on the bird table.

I don't mean to discourage you but if you are doing a feeding station I suppose you have to compensate for the thicker/more malevolant members of society. Perhaps a table with a cage affixed to the feeding platform would be better, ensuring that is squirrel/corvid proof, and could be easily disguised with brush/bracken etc.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
That was mine!Bloody scumbags.

Good luck with the project John,some good tips there.
 
mike from ebbw said:
That was mine!Bloody scumbags.

Good luck with the project John,some good tips there.
Click to expand...
Thanks Mike, it's you who has enthused me to have a go at one myself... your location and setup is awesome, and I only wish I could end up with something such as that. Where was the one that got trashed...?
 
Update:

Well... I have placed some trunks and branches around the place, built a shelter under the cover of some brush for the viewing area, and have this afternoon placed food around the place too. All that remains now is to wait to see if I have done enough to (1) attract birds and (2) not attract undesirables!

It's not as glamorous as Mikes place in Cwm, but it will suffice. If I manage to get some visitors, then I'll tot it up a bit more in time.

Bad pic attached... on left is the hide, and right shows the view from the hide. Believe it or not, there's an 8' x 4' blue tarpaulin sheet under the cover of those bushes...!!

Wish me luck, back up on Tuesday to see if any foods have been taken - or if the whole thing has been demolished by some hoody thugs!!
 

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Things are looking good John.My old place was within walking distance of the house near town.Should have known better really than to place it there in the first place.
 
Cheers Mike. I'd like to return the favour and invite you down as soon as I know there's going to be birds about... you'll be more than welcome.

It may be a few weeks/months yet but I'll keep the thread updated.
 
mike from ebbw said:
Things are looking good John.My old place was within walking distance of the house near town.Should have known better really than to place it there in the first place.
Click to expand...


Barstewards they is Mike....that woods has such potential for birdlife and feeders - unfortunately all you get over there are bloody bikes churning up paths (and they are not supposed to be in there) and slobs intent on destructing anything they see and don't understand abt....4 brains bewteeen them I would say.....grrrrr
 
UPDATE: Have been busy making regular trips to the feeding station, but last weekend, as I ventured nearer to the feeders and hide, my heart missed a beat...! I couldn't see any of the feeders and I had the thought that some vandals had visited and destroyed everything.

Alas not, but the squidgers had certainly been having a good go at the feeders. The more sturdy metal based feeders were still hanging in their original locations, but the cheaper ones had been removed and were on the floor right underneath where they were originally hung up! So, I used some more sturdy cable ties to keep them in place, and following another visit yesterday I am pleased to see they are holding up.

The news on the bird front is, well... excellent I have to say. It seems to be taking less time than I originally anticipated to get the birds to visit and to associate me with feeding time!! Nearly all the food I place at the site is totally gone within a few days of putting it there... I am delighted to be honest.

On Monday I spotted Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Marsh Tit, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Green Woodpecker, Jay, Buzzard, Robin, Wren and a host of others whose calls or song I can't distinguish. I plan on visiting the feeding station with my camera and popup hide tomorrow morning when I can hopefully get my first decent images.

Fingers crossed...!
 
theMusicMan said:
UPDATE: Have been busy making regular trips to the feeding station, but last weekend, as I ventured nearer to the feeders and hide, my heart missed a beat...! I couldn't see any of the feeders and I had the thought that some vandals had visited and destroyed everything.

Alas not, but the squidgers had certainly been having a good go at the feeders. The more sturdy metal based feeders were still hanging in their original locations, but the cheaper ones had been removed and were on the floor right underneath where they were originally hung up! So, I used some more sturdy cable ties to keep them in place, and following another visit yesterday I am pleased to see they are holding up.

The news on the bird front is, well... excellent I have to say. It seems to be taking less time than I originally anticipated to get the birds to visit and to associate me with feeding time!! Nearly all the food I place at the site is totally gone within a few days of putting it there... I am delighted to be honest.

On Monday I spotted Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Marsh Tit, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Green Woodpecker, Jay, Buzzard, Robin, Wren and a host of others whose calls or song I can't distinguish. I plan on visiting the feeding station with my camera and popup hide tomorrow morning when I can hopefully get my first decent images.

Fingers crossed...!
Click to expand...

Seems like you have a good assortment there, look forward to your report and some pics !!
 
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