No Birds On Feeders (1 Viewer)

[Rob3430]

I'm a bit puzzled, have been feeding birds just outside the fence in my garden by hanging feeders in the tree line at the back for quite a few years. I normally see Goldfinches who feed on the Nyger seed, the odd Greater Spotted Woodpecker, and a variety of finches, tits etc, just normal UK garden birds. This year though they don't seem to be feeding that much, normally the feeders would need filling about once or twice a week, especially for the Goldfinches. I only need to top them up now every 3 or 4 weeks, and have not seen the amount I normally see. It has been like this for about 3 or 4 months. I clean everything quite regularly, so am at a loss really. Any ideas. A squirrel and lately a rat has been using the peanut feeder.
Is it possible the birds have been scared away by a cat or something?

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

I follow a few people on Twitter from South Wales Rob. A couple have said that the Nyger seed is not proving popular at the moment. Mine’s gradually being eaten by a handful of Siskins but it is slow. The suet pellets on the other hand are very popular.

Rich

 

[Rob3430]

Hi Rich, ok I'll try some suet see if it makes a difference, not much action on the seed feeders (sunflower and mixed seed) either.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

My father only lives in the opposite side of the Neath Valley to me Rob, and he’s says pretty much the same as yourself.

The 9” suet feeder I just bought was needing to be filled every day in the recent cold spell. And the sunflower seeds weren’t far behind.

Rich

 

[KC Foggin]

Any Birds of Prey around your area? They are a big cause of no song birds around.

BTW, a warm welcome to you from those of us on staff here at BirdForum

We're glad you found us and please join in wherever you like

 

[Euan Buchan]

I use sunflower seeds and the birds including Goldfinches,Greenfinches, Chaffinches and other birds love them, it's funny you associate finches to love niger seeds but they haven't touched it at all, I don't think I'll be buying them again but need to use them up.

 

[MikeInPA]

I’ve heard of bad batches of Nyger seed, you might try a different brand/supplier.

 

[FayzaStar]

I follow a few people on Twitter from South Wales Rob. A couple have said that the Nyger seed is not proving popular at the moment. Mine’s gradually being eaten by a handful of Siskins but it is slow. The suet pellets on the other hand are very popular.

Rich

Do you think they get fed up of the suet pellets? When I started feeding the birds here in February the suet pellets were snapped up... Now sometimes they leave them until the very last..

 

[delia todd]

Hi again Faye... I find the birds can't get enough of a particular food (so I get plenty in) then find they don't touch it for weeks, or even months. Then they're back on it again. I find this particularly so with the fat balls and the fat in coconut halves. So contrary they are.

However, the suet pellets have so far remained a constant.

Strangely, there's a feeding station on a foot path at the edge of town here, and while my birds aren't touching the fat balls at the moment ... the ones on the footpath are gobbling them up.

 

[Rob3430]

I use sunflower seeds and the birds including Goldfinches,Greenfinches, Chaffinches and other birds love them, it's funny you associate finches to love niger seeds but they haven't touched it at all, I don't think I'll be buying them again but need to use them up.

I'm trying all sorts now from mixed seed to sunflower, both the striped kind and black sunflower. I see a few Goldfinches and the odd Blue Tit, but nowhere near what I used to see. I put some on a bird table as well, to see if it made a difference, but all that does is encourage the squirrel and pigeons to sit on there and scoff it all ! The goldfinches round here - the odd ones that I do see, never seem to go for anything else except niger, not sure what to try next though. Just wait I suppose, see if it improves in the warmer weather.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Do you think they get fed up of the suet pellets? When I started feeding the birds here in February the suet pellets were snapped up... Now sometimes they leave them until the very last..

I’ve wound back the feeding at the moment was having a bit of an issue with the odd rat.

Rich

 

[FayzaStar]

I’ve wound back the feeding at the moment was having a bit of an issue with the odd rat.

Rich

Ugh. I've worried about that too. I was picking up litter where I live last week because it's so bad, and there was two dead rats on the other side of the building to where I feed the birds

 

[K00K004Birds]

I'm a bit puzzled, have been feeding birds just outside the fence in my garden by hanging feeders in the tree line at the back for quite a few years. I normally see Goldfinches who feed on the Nyger seed, the odd Greater Spotted Woodpecker, and a variety of finches, tits etc, just normal UK garden birds. This year though they don't seem to be feeding that much, normally the feeders would need filling about once or twice a week, especially for the Goldfinches. I only need to top them up now every 3 or 4 weeks, and have not seen the amount I normally see. It has been like this for about 3 or 4 months. I clean everything quite regularly, so am at a loss really. Any ideas. A squirrel and lately a rat has been using the peanut feeder.
Is it possible the birds have been scared away by a cat or something?

There may be a cat or some other predator around. Get an inexpensive security camera and point it at the feeder.

 

[TheFifeFlyer]

I find the starling family that frequent my garden go mental for the suet and mealworm mix pellets.

As do the sparrows, magpies and blue tits.

I filmed this just this afternoon and seen it a lot crazier

https://imgur.com/aeTQsMY