The Birds Are Not Taking The Bird Feed?
Discussion
I have had a bird feeder in the garden for several years. Supplied with Tesco Wild Bird Food.
The birds are not as numerous, nor taking as much food as they used to.
The numbers on the feeder have been down for a month or more, there used to be several birds competing for the bird food at any one time, not now.
What has happened? No new neighbours, cats or dogs, competing birds - hawks or similar, or garden noises.
Any ideas?
The birds are not as numerous, nor taking as much food as they used to.
The numbers on the feeder have been down for a month or more, there used to be several birds competing for the bird food at any one time, not now.
What has happened? No new neighbours, cats or dogs, competing birds - hawks or similar, or garden noises.
Any ideas?
There was (is?) a big reduction in insects the last few summers and that will directly influence how many birds there are.
I've found in some places I live that there were no birds to be seen at all then after putting feeders with a variety of feed in I got huge amounts of all sorts from wrens to corvids... maybe you have a neighbour providing better quality feeds and they are going there?
Maybe swap from Tesco feed to Waitrose ? ;-)
Maybe this summer the birds are finding plenty to eat elsewhere and will be back in the winter?
Maybe there are birds of prey overhead.
TLDR: I have no idea!
I've found in some places I live that there were no birds to be seen at all then after putting feeders with a variety of feed in I got huge amounts of all sorts from wrens to corvids... maybe you have a neighbour providing better quality feeds and they are going there?
Maybe swap from Tesco feed to Waitrose ? ;-)
Maybe this summer the birds are finding plenty to eat elsewhere and will be back in the winter?
Maybe there are birds of prey overhead.
TLDR: I have no idea!
It's normal this time of year. The birds are recovering after the breeding season so there aren't lots of chicks to feed & they are just taking it easy trying to get their feathers back in to top condition before winter. There's lots of alternative food sources around at the moment but they'll be back once the weather turns.
I feed heavily with sunflower hearts only.
Have had 2/3 broods of most of the small birds.
Sparrows, finches tits etc.
The feeders are getting used, not to the level they were a month back .
As said above, this is the easiest time for the birds, weather is ok and natural food about and no kids to feed
Have had 2/3 broods of most of the small birds.
Sparrows, finches tits etc.
The feeders are getting used, not to the level they were a month back .
As said above, this is the easiest time for the birds, weather is ok and natural food about and no kids to feed
I don't feed in the summer, start around October and carry on until spring really breaks and the insects are in abundance and the first fledglings starting to fly off.
Be careful buying bird seed, the cheaper stuff has too much wheat and other cheap seeds, ok if you want pigeons by the score but songbirds want other seeds.
I buy good quality mixed seed by the 25kg bag, fat balls and peanuts, and keep a couple of sturdy bird baths refilled every day.
Sorry to bring up the subject but do you have a large number of magpies and crows in the vicinity, if you do they'll knock hell out of the egg and chick numbers, up to you what you do about them, but until you get the magpie numbers down you'll be fighting a losing battle maintaining sognbird numbers.
Be careful buying bird seed, the cheaper stuff has too much wheat and other cheap seeds, ok if you want pigeons by the score but songbirds want other seeds.
I buy good quality mixed seed by the 25kg bag, fat balls and peanuts, and keep a couple of sturdy bird baths refilled every day.
Sorry to bring up the subject but do you have a large number of magpies and crows in the vicinity, if you do they'll knock hell out of the egg and chick numbers, up to you what you do about them, but until you get the magpie numbers down you'll be fighting a losing battle maintaining sognbird numbers.
Smint said:
I don't feed in the summer, start around October and carry on until spring really breaks and the insects are in abundance and the first fledglings starting to fly off.
Be careful buying bird seed, the cheaper stuff has too much wheat and other cheap seeds, ok if you want pigeons by the score but songbirds want other seeds.
I buy good quality mixed seed by the 25kg bag, fat balls and peanuts, and keep a couple of sturdy bird baths refilled every day.
Sorry to bring up the subject but do you have a large number of magpies and crows in the vicinity, if you do they'll knock hell out of the egg and chick numbers, up to you what you do about them, but until you get the magpie numbers down you'll be fighting a losing battle maintaining sognbird numbers.
How do you get Magpie numbers down? When I put feeders out they get mobbed by crowds of corvids.Be careful buying bird seed, the cheaper stuff has too much wheat and other cheap seeds, ok if you want pigeons by the score but songbirds want other seeds.
I buy good quality mixed seed by the 25kg bag, fat balls and peanuts, and keep a couple of sturdy bird baths refilled every day.
Sorry to bring up the subject but do you have a large number of magpies and crows in the vicinity, if you do they'll knock hell out of the egg and chick numbers, up to you what you do about them, but until you get the magpie numbers down you'll be fighting a losing battle maintaining sognbird numbers.
Scarletpimpofnel said:
Smint said:
I don't feed in the summer, start around October and carry on until spring really breaks and the insects are in abundance and the first fledglings starting to fly off.
Be careful buying bird seed, the cheaper stuff has too much wheat and other cheap seeds, ok if you want pigeons by the score but songbirds want other seeds.
I buy good quality mixed seed by the 25kg bag, fat balls and peanuts, and keep a couple of sturdy bird baths refilled every day.
Sorry to bring up the subject but do you have a large number of magpies and crows in the vicinity, if you do they'll knock hell out of the egg and chick numbers, up to you what you do about them, but until you get the magpie numbers down you'll be fighting a losing battle maintaining sognbird numbers.
How do you get Magpie numbers down? When I put feeders out they get mobbed by crowds of corvids.Be careful buying bird seed, the cheaper stuff has too much wheat and other cheap seeds, ok if you want pigeons by the score but songbirds want other seeds.
I buy good quality mixed seed by the 25kg bag, fat balls and peanuts, and keep a couple of sturdy bird baths refilled every day.
Sorry to bring up the subject but do you have a large number of magpies and crows in the vicinity, if you do they'll knock hell out of the egg and chick numbers, up to you what you do about them, but until you get the magpie numbers down you'll be fighting a losing battle maintaining sognbird numbers.
lancslad58 said:
It's the squirrels that annoy me, and no I'm not going to kill the, I've yet to find a true squirrel proof feeder why
can't they just clear off else where and not treat me like a food cupboard!
If you can place a feeder 8 feet away from anything a Squirrel can get up, add a squirrel baffle, that actually does defeat them.can't they just clear off else where and not treat me like a food cupboard!
lancslad58 said:
It's the squirrels that annoy me, and no I'm not going to kill the, I've yet to find a true squirrel proof feeder why
can't they just clear off else where and not treat me like a food cupboard!
They grey ones are fair game, that's why our red ones are on the decline. can't they just clear off else where and not treat me like a food cupboard!
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 6th September 19:31
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