New feeder but no birds

[Flytrap]

Decided to start to feed the wild birds in my back garden. Got a plastic bird feeder full of different seeds. Hung it up about a week ago, well away from cats. But I haven't seen a single bird there all week. I can hear birds chirping in the surrounding trees but not in my garden.
Does it take a long time for them to find a new feeder or are they finding sufficient wild food at the moment to bother with mine?

Flytrap

[shirlthegirl43]

I find it takes them a few days to start visiting when the food first goes up. This is also a good time of year for them to find berries etc in the wild so they will take longer to visit your feeder.

[SueA]

It might take them a while to spot it, when I first put one up years ago it took about a month before anything went near it. Also can they see it & is it near somewhere they can perch safely before landing on it? The most popular things in my garden are the half coconuts filled with fat & seed which the starlings are always fighting over, we have quite a lot of starlings & fewer of the 'pretty little ones' so it also depends on which birds are in your area too.

[Flytrap]

It is in the open but there is somewhere for them to perch and hide to sus it out before landing on the actual feeder.
I guess I'll have to just watch and wait.
Thanks for the input.

Flytrap.

[Two_Sheds]

It needs to be within about 5 feet of cover ... a bush or something. The birds need to feel safe as they dart to and from your feeder.

[Flytrap]

It needs to be within about 5 feet of cover ... a bush or something. The birds need to feel safe as they dart to and from your feeder.

That'sOk it's well within that range for some good cover.

[Flummery]

At this time of year the hedgerows and fields are full of stuff for them to eat so they don't need garden feeders so much. Even in a town, civic plantings often incude berried shrubs and any wild bit will have seedheads aplenty. When the weather gets harder they'll be really glad of your seeds!

[piskieinboots]

I agree - be patient, as in the line of that classic film ....if you build it he will come

I have approx 5 different feeder type containers/platforms in my garden (yes, it costs all my wages!) and despite having a couple cats visit the garden from next door they still come and feed - I guess they feel safe because, as is said above, the stations are next to bushes.

[Stacey Steve]

Once a couple of birds find your seed, they will send out the invitations for you and you will get regular customers.

We find that the birds seem to call at specific times of day, so I suppose they do the rounds of places that food is available.

Some days they are queing along the fence and in the pyracantha.

I bit like Macky Ds on a busy Saturday.

[Headfry]

Just wait 'till the weather turns bad! they will come!
I have NO birds at the moment, still keep feeders topped up, and the WATER bowls fresh and full!

[piskieinboots]

good point HF - water is very important to them, I change the bath daily unless it has rained

[Two_Sheds]

Remember that blackbirds are ground feeders, so scatter some raisins on the ground for them ... mine are getting through 3 packets a week

[Flummery]

My blackbirds are doorstep feeders! If there's nothing there yet, they knock!

[smallblueplanet]

(Ignore spam)
How's your feeder now?