Where are the birds?

[The Bear]

I hung a bird feeder and filled it with peanuts over a week ago and so far it doesn't look like any have been eaten! Is there anything else I can do to encourage birds into my garden? BTW we don't have a cat or dog that might scare them!

[binley100]

Sometimes things have to be there a while so that the birds can check them out and make sure they're safe to approach .

[rustylady]

Where is your bird feeder. Do you have any trees or bushes nearby?

[The Bear]

I've got it hanging on a branch of my Bay tree about 150 cms off the ground. It's about 50 cm from the external fence maybe that's putting them off? I haven't been in the house long (1 month) and the previous owner left this feeder on the tree so I just filled it up. Maybe in time they will start to come...

[Nicos]

Same here!

There have been quite a few insects and seeds/berries around- so maybe they're just not desperate enough to try a more 'at risk' place?

[pauco]

Depends on the area you live in as to when & what will visit. Most migrants are now back home, but with the mild weather there is still a good supply of natural food about for them.
But just wait for that 1st cold snap! and your garden will be busy again
Our Blackbirds have only started to increas in numbers this last week, and the Robin
has just put in an apearence yesterday.

paul.

[Two_Sheds]

It's mild and there's still plenty of wild food to be found. They'll be along once there's snow on the ground

Also, it depends what birds you have: eg. blackbirds are ground feeders and wouldn't eat from a peanut feeder even if they were starving (they like soaked raisins, chucked on the ground)

Peanuts will attract tits & sparrows, if you have them nearby

[Glutton4...]

My In-Laws put a feeder out this spring, and it has never been visited. They moved it - nothing. They moved it again - nothing. They have a small, very secluded garden, and I'm wondering if the Birds find it claustrophobic! They've given up with it now, I think. It's a shame really, as they have a wide variety of shrubs and climbers that you would think the Birds would like.

[dogsbody]

Birds are very fickle, they will also take the easy stuff first. For example I have an open bird table with 4 feeders, 1 suet block and a filled coconut on it near a mixed native hedge. The table gets cleared every day the seed feeder and sunflower hearts are emptied twice a week, the suet block weekly, the coconut about once every 2 - 3 weeks, but the thistle and peanut feeders are hardly touched. The latter possibly because there are free peanuts on the table every day.

My advice, just keep trying different things......

[dogsbody]

I forgot to mention the other 4 feeders, 1 coconut, 3 tables (1 a ground feeder) also in my gardens - and the three cats that live here - 2 of which can sit on the above main table if they want to......

[pauco]

My In-Laws put a feeder out this spring, and it has never been visited. They moved it - nothing. They moved it again - nothing. They have a small, very secluded garden, and I'm wondering if the Birds find it claustrophobic! They've given up with it now, I think. It's a shame really, as they have a wide variety of shrubs and climbers that you would think the Birds would like.

You need a lot of patieence as it takes birds a long time to get to trust a new feeding ground.
They will come to feed, just give them time.
Try putting a small amount of food on the ground 1st, enough for them to clear in a short time.
Ground feeders like Blackbirds will love you for Sultanas, apples you would throw out leave whole on the lawn, or near some cover. Good luck .

paul.

[Maccabee]

They're in my garden at least the robins, blackbirds and tree sparrows (i think?) are. I refilled the hanger i'd had up and empty since spring and they were flapping about it the next morning. But there isn't much else in the way of berries around here so maybe they're less desperate in your area as someone said?

[Aberdeenplotter]

My next door neighbour has a bird feeder up about 10 feet from my back door. Every time we go outside, there is an eruption as dozens of pigeons take to the air. Bit silly in my humble to feed the birds in mild weather when there is still plenty for them to forage on naturally. I'm maybe just an old humbug though.

[Two_Sheds]

an eruption as dozens of pigeons take to the air.

That's one species I don't want to see being fed. You can buy wheat-free mix to keep them off the feeders (they mainly go for wheat, apparently, but it's a cheap filling ingredient)

[Butterfly19]

This year hubby and i are very pleased with the birds in our garden.We have lived here for 30+ years and we never get gold finches or bluetits.But we have started buying suet pellets,which come in quite a few different flavours,and we are getting loads of birds,including the finches and bluetits.