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Why am I not getting more birds?? (1 Viewer)

C

Chilt

Well-known member
Hello everyone, so I’m pretty new to garden feeding, been doing it about a year now and have been constantly upgrading, I like in the uk with a lot of trees near the back garden and a lot of wild life going on. Here is what I have for the birds to eat!

Tom chambers bird feeding station
Niger seed
Sunflower hearts
No wheat mixed seed feeder
Dried Mealworms
Suet to go fat balls
Suet block
Anti squirrel nut feeder (only perches)
Separate bird bath
Nesting boxes
(These are all located far from a big hedge/bush

Now I get a few birds to the garden like I’ll get 2 gold finches come and I’ll get a robin come and have some mealworms, and a blue tit is enjoying the fat balls at the moment. I’ll get the odd great tit having some nuts, but with how much stuff I have and it’s all not cheap quality seed, id expect more birds than what I’m getting, am I doing something wrong?

Any help would be a massive help!

Thanks

Chilt
 
I think some pictures as to how things are set up and an overview of how your garden looks and where it's located would help a lot.
Mind you that external factors like cats and noise / lots of movement during the day can put birds off.

I'm no expert, I only get sparrows, tits, magpies and pigeons at my feeder, if I'm lucky a jackdaw show up, but I live in a large city not rural.
 
lestat said:
I think some pictures as to how things are set up and an overview of how your garden looks and where it's located would help a lot.
Mind you that external factors like cats and noise / lots of movement during the day can put birds off.

I'm no expert, I only get sparrows, tits, magpies and pigeons at my feeder, if I'm lucky a jackdaw show up, but I live in a large city not rural.
Click to expand...

I have kind of a square garden, the back is pull of bushes, there’s a low fense on the right hand side and a high fense with a big free over looking the garden on the left hand side, I’ve had to put the feeding station away from the fenses and the back bushes due to squirrels so it’s kind of in the centre of the garden, I think it’s anti squirrel now as I’ve Greesed the pole and it’s a gold 6.5ft feeder, so I’m going to buy (AGAIN) a mesh peanut feeder to see if it will attract more birds, I’m going to change my anti squirrel one into a large mealworm feeder for the little Robbin! I have a bird bath which is near by also!

Thanks

Chilt
 
Aaaah!!! Methinks that may be the problem.

Small birds like to have some cover to sus out the area before they got to the feeder, and if danger comes want somewhere to rush to so they can't be seen. I think your feeders are probably too far from the bushes for them.

There are quite a few methods for deterring squirrels, which others can help you with. I have no experience with that issue (no greys in this area, and very few Red Squirrels in the town, sadly. Seen one in 20+ years!
 
I absolutely agree with Delia. Your feeders need to be near bushes/hedges so the birds can dive for cover when a Sparrowhawk appears. A thorny hedge or bush is best as this deters cats from climbing up inside it.

Lee
 
Troubador said:
I absolutely agree with Delia. Your feeders need to be near bushes/hedges so the birds can dive for cover when a Sparrowhawk appears. A thorny hedge or bush is best as this deters cats from climbing up inside it.

Lee
Click to expand...

This is where my feeder is located, this is my Flickr page, any suggestions where the best place for it could be? The big bush on the left is full of bee’s if that makes a difference?

I had it previously on the right hand side at the back near the far right bush, and still the same problem, with the added problem of the squirrel jumping on it!

https://flic.kr/p/2g6NHUM
 
The flickr link isn't working. At least I'm not able to see the situation in the yard.

As far as I can tell birds don't mind normal bees, not sure if the other way around is the same. But I get bumblebees and honey bees in my back garden and I get plenty of birds, just a few species sadly, but regular visits. The bees tend to stick to the flowers, and the birds tend to stick to the grass / ground plants and the feeders.

As what the others suggest, giving options for cover helps a lot. I have both my feeders near hedges on opposite sides of the garden together with some smaller bushes.
 
Your link doesn't work.

As has been said, reposition the feeders near cover and you should attract more visitors.
 
Sorry guys I had removed it as I thought nobody else would look at it, my feeders are about 7-9ft away from the bushes if that helps?

Thanks

Chilt
 
Hi again Chilt

It is really rather better to have pictures uploaded to a thread (threads can be looked at and replied to for years would you believe? LOL)

If you need help working out how to do that, please don't be afraid to ask.
 
lestat said:
The flickr link isn't working. At least I'm not able to see the situation in the yard.

As far as I can tell birds don't mind normal bees, not sure if the other way around is the same. But I get bumblebees and honey bees in my back garden and I get plenty of birds, just a few species sadly, but regular visits. The bees tend to stick to the flowers, and the birds tend to stick to the grass / ground plants and the feeders.

As what the others suggest, giving options for cover helps a lot. I have both my feeders near hedges on opposite sides of the garden together with some smaller bushes.
Click to expand...


https://flic.kr/p/2g8fFTf

There the link again, don’t really know how to get the pixel size down to upload straight onto here! Haha

Chilt
 
Hi Chilt

A few ideas... depends what software you have.

Re-sizing Pictures:

After you've done any other work on your pic (always a copy mind ) and cropped away any part of the picture you don't want, you can then re-size it. But don't crop to get the file size you want.

How you actually do it depends on what programs you have.

In Windows 7 you can right click on the image and there's an option to re-size (choose the smallest 800x600 - you can go bigger 1032 on the longest side I think, but Windows doesn't give you that option!). Adobe Photoshop: you have a better choice there, in the Image menu: Resize, you can actually choose the size you want, and the quality... always select medium.

Window 8: Right click on the image and select Edit from the drop down. Then select Image from the menu in the Paint programme that opens. You can then type in the number of pixels for the longest side. I usually choose 900 but you can go up to 1032.

I use Paint.net (free) for basic editing. Then select Image > Resize. Type in 900 in the highlighted box and save. Then Save As (new name).

Alternatively you could download the free program called Picassa.

If you use a Mac, this page shows you how to do it: http://www.howtogeek.com/201638/use-your-macs-preview-app-to-crop-resize-rotate-and-edit-images/

I hope one of these ideas work for you. If not, try posting in the Computer subforum - I'm sure someone will have more suggestions for you. There's loads of methods depending what software you have.
 
delia todd said:
Hi Chilt

A few ideas... depends what software you have.

Re-sizing Pictures:

After you've done any other work on your pic (always a copy mind ) and cropped away any part of the picture you don't want, you can then re-size it. But don't crop to get the file size you want.

How you actually do it depends on what programs you have.

In Windows 7 you can right click on the image and there's an option to re-size (choose the smallest 800x600 - you can go bigger 1032 on the longest side I think, but Windows doesn't give you that option!). Adobe Photoshop: you have a better choice there, in the Image menu: Resize, you can actually choose the size you want, and the quality... always select medium.

Window 8: Right click on the image and select Edit from the drop down. Then select Image from the menu in the Paint programme that opens. You can then type in the number of pixels for the longest side. I usually choose 900 but you can go up to 1032.

I use Paint.net (free) for basic editing. Then select Image > Resize. Type in 900 in the highlighted box and save. Then Save As (new name).

Alternatively you could download the free program called Picassa.

If you use a Mac, this page shows you how to do it: http://www.howtogeek.com/201638/use-your-macs-preview-app-to-crop-resize-rotate-and-edit-images/

I hope one of these ideas work for you. If not, try posting in the Computer subforum - I'm sure someone will have more suggestions for you. There's loads of methods depending what software you have.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that delta! Will keep all of this in mind and next time I’m
On my pc! I’ll try this!

Thank you very much

Chilt
 
I'd place it closer to the little japanese acer tree (assuming it's the purplish brown one behind the central feeding pole)
Alternatively you could consider planting some privets to the right fence, my birds like that plant to hide in. In case you don't want to move the feeder so far back. There's another bush in my yard they love, but I don't know the name of the plant. Since the Netherlands / UK are pretty similar in climate I think it will at least grow where you live ;)
 
I'd move the feeder to the other side of the gravel area - between the acer and the ceanothus. They will provide the shelter. It's too close to the seating area, especially if you sit out there a lot.
 
Thanks for the response guys! That seating area doesn’t get used loads as it’s the over flow for when more people are here, and I’ll try it back there to see, only issue I have is the squirrel jumping from it and smashing all the food back, I’ve got a anti squirrel nut feeder there but I’d need to get a caged fatball feeder and maybe something for the sunflower heart feeder ya think?

Thanks

Chilt
 
Unfortunately the blasted squirrels are a pain, but try the squirrel proof feeders by all means. Good luck!
 
Just a little update on the activity in the garden at the moment!

So a couple of days after this post, i started to get more birds?! (Did you guys have a word with them for me?? :))
Anyways! I start work at 6am so im out the house by 5.30am so i get the Mrs to keep me updated. And the other morning she said you have 6 birds on your feeders! I was like "WHAT??!" And now! My garden is literally full of birds! Blue tits, Great tits, House Sparrows GoldFinches...

Now, i havent moved the feeder, but i got a standard mesh nut feeder which i think attracted the Great tits, And also the sunflower heart feeder is attracting EVERYTHING now! :)

So i thought id get a Shepherds Hook for back by that Purple/Blue bush. Ended up getting another feeding station which ive just got my 2 seed feeders on at the moment but there holding up well and they are busy! Good thing i got a 1kg capacity CJ Feeder the other day or else id be out there every 5 hours haha. And i think thats whats attracted the house sparrows because thats one of the main feeding points they use!

Just thought id update you all with the progress as you've all helped me and gave me advice and it makes me really happy to see a garden full of birds!

Thanks for everything
Chilt
 
What great news Chilt.

Told ya to be patient didn't I;)

I'm jealous of your Great Tits and Goldfinches.... rarely have them here.
 
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