Bird feeder/tables

[Ladygardener]

Can anyone recommend a good site and or tips for either a table or station for feeding and attracting birds. I've tried with hanging peanuts and bird seeds to encourage some birds into my garden. No luck really.The peanuts all seem to go soggy with the large amount of rain we have. I've seen lovely little blackbirds and tiny birds around but they're reluctant to come visit my garden for some reason. I want to buy some kind of table for myself for Christmas.

[blodau]

Hi. Have you tried the RSPB site? They have advice on feeding and attracting birds. It can take a little while for the birds to map your garden and check out new feeders. Once you're on the circuit though, they'll be back and fore.

[Chuckles]

I've had the same problem with peanuts this year LNG, infact I threw more away than the birds ate. They soon go mouldy when damp too

I have an assortment of feeders in the garden mainly bought from Wilco's, not the best quality in the world but very reasonably priced and they do the job. You can pay a fortune for some feeders The way I see it is if the birds use it then thats what counts I have a couple of the ones that hold seed and one made of wire mesh for nuts, also a round metal ball type thing for nuts too. As you can see they are positioned so as not to be out in the open, saying that some birds do use feeders and tables that are totally out in the open.



Birds do sometimes take a while to become regulars to your garden and they do like to feel secure. I don't put loads of food out because they do need to fend for themselves to a degree. I also hang out fat balls too.

[Tig]

I don't know if you have an Argos near you lng - that is where our daughter bought the bird feeder we have - multiple feed boxes, tray and water bowl - on a metal spike so the cat can't climb up it (squirrels manage to get up there though!!)

I don't put food in it all year round - I tend to start about now and continue until March-April. In between there are plenty of berries, seeds and insects around the garden

x Tig

[madonplants]

Nov 26, 2008 10:06:54 GMT Ladygardener said:

Can anyone recommend a good site and or tips for either a table or station for feeding and attracting birds. I've tried with hanging peanuts and bird seeds to encourage some birds into my garden. No luck really.The peanuts all seem to go soggy with the large amount of rain we have. I've seen lovely little blackbirds and tiny birds around but they're reluctant to come visit my garden for some reason. I want to buy some kind of table for myself for Christmas.

The big bit of advice I can give is, think like a bird!! Birds won't visit, if they fear an attack by either a cat or a BoP. Position your feeders close to a large bush or tree, so the birds can come to it and have a scout about, before visiting the feeders. My peanut feeders have struggled this year, so stopped using them for a while. I get Goldfinches, House Sparrows, Starlings and Collared Doves, mainly to the seed feeders. Blackbirds come to the seed that I throw on the ground, as well as the odd apple core. The Niger seed feeder has done wonders for the Goldfinches. I saw two last year, so knew to get one. There was six on it this morning, though the sparrows have the odd go too! The Starlings go to my feeder that has 4 fat balls in it! Not seen my Robins or Greenfinches for a while now, though we did have a Kestrel take something, during the summer!! Put a variety of feeders out and stick to the ones that get used on a regular basis.

If you have done all the right things, it will only be a matter of time before they come.

[Ladygardener]

Thanks to you all for such useful advice and support. ;D Blod I'll try out that site too. Chuckles those little guys are lovely I'd love to see them come visit me. Tig there is an argos near me and they do delivery too so I'll be checking that out, had'nt even thought of them . Madon it seems like I'd be best to try a variety of things to attract them. You're really lucky to have such a smashing variety of visitors.

[Deleted]

only thing i can say is if the bit of the table that you put feed in has sides it gets very messy sometimes and needs cleaning out a lot. i do get lots of birds in the garden, lovely to watch

[madonplants]

Nov 26, 2008 18:09:21 GMT Ladygardener said:

Thanks to you all for such useful advice and support. ;D Blod I'll try out that site too. Chuckles those little guys are lovely I'd love to see them come visit me. Tig there is an argos near me and they do delivery too so I'll be checking that out, had'nt even thought of them . Madon it seems like I'd be best to try a variety of things to attract them. You're really lucky to have such a smashing variety of visitors.

It's not bad, but not a patch on what I had in my childhood garden, but if I give you the list, I'll get very sad and want to be back there again!

For all who have trouble with peanuts, why I didn't mention this before I don't know, but you could use these in your peanut feeder. I tried the equivalent, from my local garden centre, but my nice peanut feeder the holes are too big, and they kept coming out. Maybe the RSPB ones are bigger, so I'll try again. I still might try again and mix with peanuts, to stop it happening. Actually I'll go now and try it!!

[Ladygardener]

That looks good Madon thank you . I've now put a seed selection which is recommended by BSA and BTO for wild birds at different places in the garden. I'm off for another week so I'll be able to keep an eye and see if any of it's being taken.

[Ladygardener]

Well today I saw a robin and a little tiny bird with lemon on it's chest eating the seeds. ;D The robin hopped down using the plant spiral thingy. They went for the ones I've got in the flowerbeds, one lot in a seed holder and the other in a container. Taking advice (thank you all)I'd put them somewhere where the little birds could shelter too.I put out a saucer of water for them should they want it. I'll have a bird table by Christmas. Everyone in my family seems to be buying bird tables!! My youngest Daughter Jenny told me today that her husband bought one last week and my oldest Daughter Ruth got one as well. What a coincidence both my girls husbands buying them and me looking for one.
Unfortunately the nuts and seeds I had on the path were eaten by pigeons. Won't be putting anything there again.

[Ruthie]

LNG... I hope you've got plenty of room 'cos I think you're gonna get 3 or 4 bird tables for Christmas!!!

[Ladygardener]

;D

[Missredhead]

I had to get rid of my bird table cos the squirrels started chewing on it.....no birds came near it cos the squirrels ate all the food

I have a few seed hangers around the garden but don't use peanuts....squirrels again!!!
They also seem to eat the fat balls too

I put out bits of apple for the blackbirds but don't seem to have had so many birds this year.

[JennyWrenn]

I put my feeders Missy on a piece of string on a very thin branch which will be too light for a squirrel to land on

Seems to work as my tree was full of birds today

Sadly one robin keeps throwing himself against my car windscreen - he sees his reflection and is sending himself off

Whilst in my study on the laptop he threw himself against this window too

I went outside and didnt see anything - very worrying

Silly Robin

[Missredhead]

but I don't have any thin branches in my garden Jen......the trees at the bottom are behind a fence and belong to the big house.

[JennyWrenn]

Oh sorry Missy I didnt read your post properly ;D

Maybe you could plant a small flowering cherry - they dont grow too big and throw out some nice thin brances for the birdies

[Dr Bill]

A goldfinch came to look at our feeders today!!! First ever. What a beautiful bird. Only stayed about 5 seconds and didn't actually feed but maybe now he's found us he will be back

[Ladygardener]

How lovely for you Dr Bill. As you say now that you're on his flight path he most likely will come back. I had another visit today from the little robin, he stopped to eat some seeds. ;D

[Missredhead]

Dec 2, 2008 6:31:15 GMT JennyWrenn said:

Oh sorry Missy I didnt read your post properly ;D

Maybe you could plant a small flowering cherry - they dont grow too big and throw out some nice thin brances for the birdies

How big do they grow height and width Jen?

I saw a few blue tits this morning and a couple of very angry blackbirds stomping on the grass...they couldn't get any worms cos the ground is frozen.
I put out some more bits of apple for them.

[JennyWrenn]

I have two and they are about 10 years old - not too tall and they both flower at different times in the Spring = great for hanging birdie treats on them ;D

I have the lables but they is in the summer house and too cold to go in there now

[madonplants]

Dec 2, 2008 10:14:00 GMT Dr Bill said:

A goldfinch came to look at our feeders today!!! First ever. What a beautiful bird. Only stayed about 5 seconds and didn't actually feed but maybe now he's found us he will be back

Have you got a nyjer feeder, Dr Bill? They might stay if you have one, as they are fairly specialised feeders. Though the House Sparrows use our one, just as well!

[Ladygardener]

That is a great resturant for the birds Madon lots of variety there. I bought some fat balls the other day when I was in the pet shop and have hung them in their cage near the clematis. Hopefully someone will come along and eat from them.

[JennyWrenn]

I was just about to say that Lady - ie Restaurant - bet there is a Menu on the wall somewhere

I am having a bird table for Christmas - a strong heavy one so it wont blow over in the wind like the last one did

[carolann]

We dont see any Gold Finches in the Winter but come Spring there is a huge flock which fly around here but they dont come into the garden to feed, such lovely noisy birds. Will have to get one of those plastic sided seed feeders but also keep the tray one has I have 3 Doves that visit the table.

[Dutchy]

Sometimes you don't need to look far for a bird table.
Remember those concrete seedling trays there used to be?
People were chucking them out but those make perfect feeder places.
I have one on my steel table. Close enough to shrubs to provide the birds with shelter open enough for them to spot cats in time.
I use course Parakeet seeds. Something for almost all wild birds in there.
( And Garden knows why cheaper than those bags you can buy for wild birds )

The fat orb hangs on a thin branch as the magpies will pinch it when they can.

My restaurant is not as well filled as the one above but I think there is choice enough as the neighbours too all have feeders ;D

[Dr Bill]

Dec 4, 2008 13:35:27 GMT madonplants said:

Have you got a nyjer feeder, Dr Bill? They might stay if you have one, as they are fairly specialised feeders. Though the House Sparrows use our one, just as well!

I've had one for ages but it remains untouched. Actually I have just put another one up because I seem to remember reading somewhere that goldfinches were particularly attracted to green coloured feeder (although I notice yours is silver, as is mine)

[madonplants]

Dec 5, 2008 11:10:26 GMT Dr Bill said:

Dec 4, 2008 13:35:27 GMT madonplants said:

Have you got a nyjer feeder, Dr Bill? They might stay if you have one, as they are fairly specialised feeders. Though the House Sparrows use our one, just as well!

I've had one for ages but it remains untouched. Actually I have just put another one up because I seem to remember reading somewhere that goldfinches were particularly attracted to green coloured feeder (although I notice yours is silver, as is mine)

Are you close to the countryside, with loads of teasels, as they may prefer a natural source. I grew some not far from the feeding station and I saw them on them a few times. The most Goldfinches I've seen on the feeders is five, though my wife saw 6 a few days ago, though 2 weren't on the feeder, but on the garage behind.

They don't mind other seeds either, as this young one shows! This one wasn't so shy, as it let me take a few pictures, whereas his brother/sister flew off almost immediately! They are quite skittish birds.

[Dr Bill]

We back onto a cultivated field. No teasels, but I am planning to grow some. Also cardoons, which I thought may attract them.

[madonplants]

Nov 27, 2008 10:20:07 GMT madonplants said:

Nov 26, 2008 18:09:21 GMT Ladygardener said:

Thanks to you all for such useful advice and support. ;D Blod I'll try out that site too. Chuckles those little guys are lovely I'd love to see them come visit me. Tig there is an argos near me and they do delivery too so I'll be checking that out, had'nt even thought of them . Madon it seems like I'd be best to try a variety of things to attract them. You're really lucky to have such a smashing variety of visitors.

It's not bad, but not a patch on what I had in my childhood garden, but if I give you the list, I'll get very sad and want to be back there again!

For all who have trouble with peanuts, why I didn't mention this before I don't know, but you could use these in your peanut feeder. I tried the equivalent, from my local garden centre, but my nice peanut feeder the holes are too big, and they kept coming out. Maybe the RSPB ones are bigger, so I'll try again. I still might try again and mix with peanuts, to stop it happening. Actually I'll go now and try it!!

It's working, as I've had a Blue Tit on the mixed nut and 'fruity nibbles' feeder this morning. I'll check later to see what was getting pecked at.

[Missredhead]

I've asked 'Santa' for one of those bird stations ;D