birds

I am sorta working in the dark cause I'm in the US but here goes, the main reasons that people have poor show with bird feeding are:

1 not attractive seeds, a cheap seed mix sometimes just does not have enough of the most desirable seeds
2 cleanliness, esp. if you are having a lot of rain the seed could be developing rot very quickly.
3 predators, with cats around some birds just find it safer not to come, esp. if food is available nearby that they consider safer.

The ways you might solve these problems are to find a specialty store for birders and buy what they recommend as a good seed mix for your area.
Clean your bird feeders and tables with a bleach solution and allow to dry well before reusing
Put a bell on your cat and suggest it to your neighbors and as you say put it up higher, also remove any overhanging tree branches so that the birds can see any predator coming.
None of these is a cure all but I have found the most important is to have the right kind of seed and that it be fresh and clean.
There are other ways to attract some birds but are more involved. Certain types of trees, water for bathing, and brush piles for hiding and nesting in will bring in some birds that are very shy.
Hope this is helpful, but if you are having the same problem of too much rain like so many in UK, that may be the cause also!

Hi. I have this problem in my garden, with the starlings chasing away smaller birds.

Only yesterday I fixed up two squirrel-proof feeders. These are globe-shaped cages with tubular feeders up the centre.

This means the small birds can go inside the caged part, but starlings, other large birds and squirrels can't get near the food. I have one designed to hold seeds and another for peanuts.

I think it will take a while for birds to become accustomed to these feeders, but I'll be reporting back, either on my blog or in the questions section.

These globe-shaped feeders are quite expensive. I was lucky in that two friends each bought me one as early Christmas gifts. Well, why not ? This wintry weather certainly makes it seem like December !

The feeders seem very sturdy, so should last a long time and be easy to clean.

That is good and you are correct it does sometimes take awhile for the birds to feel safe entering one of these feeders, but they are the only way to exclude the larger birds

I agree it does take time for them to find you! Also I found putting a little house on the top of the bird table stopped the pidgeons from eating all the food and the smaller blue tits and sparrows can get in and out easily.

We have a wide variety of birds visit our garden and noticed that pigeons and larger birds often prefer the corn based bird mix.Although more expensive try the feed specifically for smaller birds.You can also purchase feeders that only small birds can negotiate.Niger seed feeders will attract goldfinches and visiting migrants in the winter .As for starlings have you seen those amazing roosting displays where hundreds of thousands of them swoop and swirl in unison? Think they deserve a bit of food for that!

Genuisscuffy is right about those bird tables with a sort of house on top. I have one of these and sometimes the little birds even use it for sheltering from bad weather.

Yes, Bonkersbon. Starlings do have their appeal ! When lots of starlings land in my birdbath, they look very comical flapping about, and the sparrows sit around the edge, taking advantage of a free shower.

It's been an odd day. Here I am answering a bird question on the gardening forum, and just now I was commenting about gardens on a birding forum.

I have magpies pigeons and seagulls in the garden but they dont come to table because it has a roof. I think they cant land. I put out mostly sunflower seeds and attract tits finches and robins. (And we have a cat) It brightens my winter days to see them. In the summer i put the table away and in the winter when im not using garden so much i place it right in front of our sitting room so we can watch them from the sofa. (but not too near the window incase they crash into it).

Ditto all the above, but I would just add: at this time of year there is quite a lot of 'natural' food about - loads of insect life and plants producing seed, not to mention trees bearing fruit. Maybe your birds don't need supplemental feed just yet? I bet they will come in droves once winter sets in :-)

Hi,

I know this is going to sound a bit silly but you have to try and put yourself in the birds shoes (so to speak). Try placing your bird table in an open position, away from any ambush points, fences etc. Give the birds a 360 degree field of vision and room to react to any danger and you should see good results. Just to test, place it right in the middle of your lawn and they should start to visit very quickly. Then keep moving it nearer to where you actually want it, they will let you know with their absence, when they feel unsafe.

I know this because in my past life, I was a Goldfinch!