Is there any point?

[HeyWayne]

In me installing bird feeders in my garden?

We have a "woodland" area (as was somewhat over-zealoulsy described in the house marketing info when we bought the house) to the side of our house with plenty of trees and bushes where the birds nest etc, so there's no shortage of roosts/nesting places.

My reason for the hesitance in using feeders is that we also have a large number of pigeons that dwell in the oak tree at the the bottom of the garden, along with several squirrels - both of which will devour the food I'm sure.

One sees "squirrel proof" feeders advertised and promoted all over, but do any of them work, and by supplying food am I encouraging the squirrels into the garden.

Oh and we have visiting cats too who like to hide behind the shed.

[Capsid]

The squirrel defenders do work, so I recommend them. I have today seen a pair of bullfinches on the feeders and for that alone I think it is worth putting out food. The birds can probably survive without the supplied seed but then you won't see the birds.

[Eyren]

Deffo worth it, despite the pests!

1. Mix chilli powder in with your bird seed - birds can't taste it, apparently, but squirrels sure can!

2. Pigeons will struggle to use a hanging feeder - we have loads of collared doves but they mostly just scavenge the chickens' leavings

3. Make sure your bird feeders are out in the open, well out of pouncing range of hidden cats

4. Enjoy your birdies!

[Alice]

I don't thik the pigeons will be any problem Wayne but the squirrels might. I would go for the feeders because that way you get to see the birds and get the squirrel proof types. They're not actually proof but they do help, otherwise all the food will be instantly.

[snuffer]

Don't worry to much about visiting cats. We have four cats and we feed the birds. The feeders atract large numbers of birds into the garden. If one bird sees a cat it gives the alarm and the rest of them dash for cover into the hedges. I am not pretending that the cats never catch a bird but it is a rarity that must be balanced against the countless number of birds we help survive the winter.

Get yourself some feeders HeyWayne and set up two or three feeding stations. I'm sure you won't regret it. It is so good just to sit and watch the birds going about their business.

[Beanie]

I have put a squirrel-proof feeder in the hedge outside my window at work (told the boss it was my contribution to our Corporate Social Responsibility), & although the squirrels do pay it attention, they can only get a few seeds at a time & usually give up after a short while.
I did find that I then had a robin trying to do a humming-bird impersonation to get at the food, so I took pity on it & put up a flat bird table suspended from a tree branch. I nailed a sturdy wire feeder to it horizontally, & it seems to work in that the robin can perch on the board & get some food, but the squirrel can't nick it all in one go.

My office hedge divides the carpark from the M3, so not exactly a nature reserve, but there are still LOADS of birds on it, & they're so lovely to watch (I just have to remember to get on with some work occasionally!). So it's well worth doing in your garden: if you're worried about the visiting cats then place your feeders well away from any bushes & shrubs, so that the birds can see there's nothing creeping up on them.

[janeyo]

It would be nice to see them in your garden proper and not in the overzealous woodland bit

[Flummery]

So the concensus is, YES!

[smallblueplanet]

For more info

The RSPB: Advice on feeding birds

[HeyWayne]

Coowl, cheers for the link Manda.

Looks like I'll be off down the garden centre to get some feeders over the next week or so.

I'll be tryng to do the same thing on the plot - with view to the birds being a bit of a helping hand come bug time.