Feed the birds...

In the last couple of months I’ve been woken at night by the sound of the dawn chorus, which is a beautiful sound, but strange since I would have thought it was something you would expect to hear in summer. So I was really pleased to have been given a bird feeder for Christmas so that I might be able to attract these birds and see them during the daytime.Despite my initial enthusiasm though I haven’t seen so much as a peck at the tasty peanuts that are hanging in the garden - I wonder if perhaps the birds in Fulham are spoilt for choice when it comes to their winter feeding habits?!So I thought I would look into the best practice for bird feeders and how to best attract the birds to your feeder. Having read all the advice I’m still not sure where I seem to be going wrong, although I should think it takes a while for word to get out that there’s a good source of food here in the back yard - just as it takes time for a good restaurant to get established! I’ll need to be a bit more patient and keep my eyes open...In the meantime, here is some advice, with some help from the RSPB (www.rspb.org.uk) for appealing to our feathered friends:What’s on the menu?Peanuts - great for attracting tits, greenfinches, house sparrows, nuthatches, great spotted woodpeckers and siskinsBlack sunflower seeds - These are an excellent year-round food.The oil content is higher in black than striped ones, and so they are much better. Sunflower hearts (the husked kernels) are a popular no-mess food.Bird seed mixtures - There are different mixes for feeders and for birdtables and ground feeding. The better mixtures contain plenty of flaked maize, sunflower seeds, and peanut granulesBird cake and food bars - Fat balls and other fat-based food bars are excellent winter food. You can make your own bird cake by pouring melted fat (suet or lard) onto a mixture of ingredients such as seeds, nuts, dried fruit, oatmeal, cheese and cake. An empty coconut shell, plastic cup or tit bell makes an ideal bird cake ‘feeder’.How to serve it up?Nut feeders - these are made of steel mesh and are a very safe way of offering nuts to wild birds as they need to hung above ground level. The mesh size needs to be large enough to prevent beak damage and small enough to prevent pieces falling out.Bird tables - a simple tray will suffice as a bird table. Whatever you use should have a raised rim at the side to retain the food, and a gap at each corner to let rainwater drain away.Where’s the best restaurant?Quiet - your bird feeder should be positioned where the birds won’t be disturbed by human traffic. Put it where you can see it though, so that you can enjoy watching the birds when they come.Open and safe - make sure the birds have a good view all the way round so that they won’t be surprised by predators creeping up on them. Cat ambush sites include fences and trees from which cats can jump, and dense bushes where they might hide.Sheltered - somewhere thats sheltered from strong sun and wind.Mounted - Hang or mount your bird feeder 4-6ft high, so that you can reach it and so it’s safe from predators on the ground. Some birds might prefer to feed on the ground though, so you might like to consider multiple feeding sources.Water source - It’s important to feed birds through the winter months when other food sources might be in short supply, but in really cold conditions it’s important to provide a good source of clean water for them to drink and wash in, when other sources may be frozen.To really make sure you attract the birds, a bird-feeder should be part of an overall garden scheme that provides a good habitat and food sources for the birds throughout the year.

Hello,
I've been feeding the birds for a number of years and they are great to watch.
I used to have the various feeding stations in my back garden but it suffered as they do make a mess and various plants grew in the lawn that I diddn't want so moved it all to the front garden where it's a bit more wild and less formal and I watch the birds when I'm in the kitchen washing up!
I've done the RSPB garden birdwatch for the last 3 years...it's nice to put your feet up for an hour and watch their funny antics!
I also put out halved apples and cooked rice-as long as it isn't cooked with salt.
A handy hint to keep squirrls away from the seeds add some chilli powder to the bag and give it a shake to cover the seeds.It doesnt deter the birds but the squirrels hate it! It really does work...BUT be careful if you add it to the feeders if they are above your head...chilli powder gets in your eyes as it floats down!!!

Enjoy your birdwatching.

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Comments

dgeorgea January 30, 2009 at 1:23pm

Hi Charlotte,

It can take a while for birds to catch on to a new food source, it took around 3 months before ours was being used. The patience was well rewarded and we were pleasantly suprised at the vairety it attracts in the middle of London.

Fat balls are easy and great to make, especially for children.

Sadly for the neighbours below us the main visitors to their bird feeder tends to be squirrels.
Vanessa Langford January 30, 2009 at 6:09pm

Hello,
I've been feeding the birds for a number of years and they are great to watch.
I used to have the various feeding stations in my back garden but it suffered as they do make a mess and various plants grew in the lawn that I diddn't want so moved it all to the front garden where it's a bit more wild and less formal and I watch the birds when I'm in the kitchen washing up!
I've done the RSPB garden birdwatch for the last 3 years...it's nice to put your feet up for an hour and watch their funny antics!
I also put out halved apples and cooked rice-as long as it isn't cooked with salt.
A handy hint to keep squirrls away from the seeds add some chilli powder to the bag and give it a shake to cover the seeds.It doesnt deter the birds but the squirrels hate it! It really does work...BUT be careful if you add it to the feeders if they are above your head...chilli powder gets in your eyes as it floats down!!!

Enjoy your birdwatching.
Kerrie John-The garden design Co January 31, 2009 at 7:36pm

Hah, I saw a nifty idea on telly to stop squirrels nicking all the nuts.

Secure a length of fishing line between two points over a 'void' (meaning nothing to climb on to reach the line) and hang the nuts in the middle. The squirrels can't see the line but if they do, it's to thin to negotiate!

It seemed to work on the telly.
Kerrie John-The garden design Co February 2, 2009 at 7:23pm

There is a way to deter squirrels which I saw on the telly.

Secure a length of fishing wire between two points which has a void underneath (ie, nothing to climb upon). Hang the bird food in the middle of the span. The squirrels can't work out why the food is suspended in mid air and can't negotiate the fishing wire even if they work it out.
Charlotte Noar February 3, 2009 at 12:20pm

My dad has informed me that although we can hear lots of birds in the dawn chorus, they are not the same sort of birds who will eat peanuts from a bird feeder..... I need to know my audience!
Dawn Isaac February 6, 2009 at 11:24am

It does take a few days for the birds to get used to a new feeding area - even if they regularly visit your neighbours. Also, different species will feed in different ways - we have a variety of feeders and ingredients and I also make sure I scatter food on the floor beneath as blackbirds, collared doves and woodpigeons are happier eating this way.

As a designer I am always looking for aesthetically pleasing feeders too. I've just made some great pine cone bird feeders with my children which look great and jar far less than plastic. I've added a link to my 'how to make a pine cone feeder' blog post if anyone fancies having a go themself!