Attract birds garden? UK.

I'm looking to use my Canon 70-200 f/4L attached to a tripod outside in my garden to do some bird shooting, only issue is, no birds seem to want to fly down into my garden! All i get are squirrels taking the nuts in the feeders.

Anyone have any advice? I wasn't sure if this was the right section to put this in or not.

not sure your doing anything wrong just stick at it

It tends to take them a couple of weeks to find the food sources. It's not the best time of year to try and get them as they tend to stick to known sources in harsher conditions. When the eggs hatch in March/April/May there should be a ton of birds around looking for stuff.

Try and put the food in good places for the birds. This sounds a bit obvious but they don't like it in places where they could be ambushed or scared by movement. There are some UK garden wildlife sites/forums dotted around the web if you want more suggestions.

Hi,

It can take a little while before birds get to know there is food out for them. So don't get discouraged too soon.

What foods are you putting out? Birds can be fussy sometimes, and often in odd ways. Back when I lived in Southport, birds would hardly touch peanuts or fat balls (with the exception of jays that came in when the snow was down, and went for whole peanuts). Where I am now, peanuts are popular with many of the same species that ignored them at my old address.

Foods which seem to be universally popular are sunflower hearts and suet treats, both in slab form and the "mince" type (where it is extruded through something akin to a mincing machine) but don't get the really dry ones as (in my garden) they were ignored by the birds that previously would empty a full hopper in a very short time, with the regular type. I can highly recommend the "Suet to Go" and "Mayfield" brands. The sunflower hearts are a VERY popular staple for most small birds. The squirrels will love the sunflower hearts too, so don't get a cheap plastic feeder as the squirrels will just chew their way into it.

Goldfinches are particularly fond of nyjer (thistle) seed, but most other birds will leave those alone. If there are goldies in the area, they will still be attracted to the sunflower hearts.

Do you want to keep the squirrels, or dissuade them from using the feeders? There are some products available for spraying / sprinkling on the food that are based on hot chilli type peppers. Squirrels, apparently, will take a mouthful and dash off looking for a nice cold drink. They soon learn that your food isn't palatable then you can stop adding it. The birds cannot taste the stuff so it won't bother them in the least. I have never tried the stuff myself however, as I don't have a lot of squirrels, only 2 come regularly, so I am quite happy to see them. In addition, I have a badger or two that come around in an evening to snuffle up any food that has been dropped on the ground (again, they love sunflower hearts) and I certainly don't want to put them off.

So, it may be slow to get started, but putting out sunflower hearts and suet treats will help. You will likely find that customers will build up over time. Every now and again you will spot a new bird species using it, and they will likely then start coming regularly. As winter comes on and food becomes scarce, the number using it will increase significantly.

Oh, location can be a factor too. If it is quite exposed they don't feel as safe as if they have a nice hedge close by that they can dash into when a predator appears. I have had sparrowhawks attack the feeders quite often, but never seen them catch anything yet (although I suspect they do sometimes, just not when I am around). There is usually a quick flurry of birds into the safety of the hedge and the hawk will frequently land on top of the hedge, or on the rail around my sundeck, just a couple of feet from the birds who just sit there, knowing it can't reach them, while the hawk glares at them daring them to make a run for it.

It is often not recommended to be too close to the house, but both here and at my last address my feeding station was quite close to the house and it didn't put them off. In fact my current feeders are VERY close to the window I tend to sit by when working and I still have large numbers of birds using it (there is also a window feeder stuck on the glass right by where I sit and that gets a lot of activity, even when I sit right by it). The only issue is that some of the more skittish species will come to the feeders while I am sat there, but fly off if I make any obvious moves. This is particularly the case with the woodpeckers and jays but, so long as I see them arrive and sit still, I can watch them for an extended period. The various tits, finches etc. really aren't bothered by my moving around.

It probably won't be long before you are moaning about the amount of birds you have coming and how much you are spending on bird foods

Great post Sandpiper !
Cheers bud

Very detailed post Sandpiper! Much appreciated!

In response, i use fat balls, peanuts, black sunflower seeds, and a hi-energy food mix. All in different locations in my garden. I have a stand that has several arms hanging out of it which holds some hanging feeders and a water bowl, then i have some seed mix in a different spot. The main hanging stand is located right next to some large bushy trees we have in the garden, so should be secure for them, only things is the trees then back onto about 15 meters worth of grass then on to a fairly busy main road.

In regards to the squirrels, i like them and wouldn't mind taking some shots of them but due to the fact their are about 5 of them in a group on my area i think they could be scaring off the small birds. I'm probably best getting some shots of them first, then using a spray to keep them off.

Also i don't know if this could be a problem, but i have a fair size pond with koi carp in, my dads pride and joy. And around the edge he has a detailed statue of a hawk (to keep the herons away), stupid question, but would that scare the smaller birds away too?

On subject of Squirrels, I have tried using chillis mixed in with the nuts and rubbed over the feeders but the pesky squirrels still come and nosh on everything, if neat chilli doesn't do the job then I cannot see how commercial sprays/additives will work......another troubleseome one in the southeast is the Ring Necked parakeets they tend to come down in 3s and 4s sometimes a lot more and they can get through the nuts quicker than the squirrels leaving nothing for the main quarry of tits and woodpeckers etc.

birderman wrote in post #15465220
On subject of Squirrels, I have tried using chillis mixed in with the nuts and rubbed over the feeders but the pesky squirrels still come and nosh on everything, if neat chilli doesn't do the job then I cannot see how commercial sprays/additives will work......another troubleseome one in the southeast is the Ring Necked parakeets they tend to come down in 3s and 4s sometimes a lot more and they can get through the nuts quicker than the squirrels leaving nothing for the main quarry of tits and woodpeckers etc.

Hmmm, back to the drawing board for the squirrels then! I also have an issue with bloody pigeons too. I have a very big oak tree just behind my bushes the seems to be a marker for pigeons flying by, so they tend to land in there, look down, and see all the seed!

bboysmax wrote in post #15464566
In response, i use fat balls, peanuts, black sunflower seeds, and a hi-energy food mix. All in different locations in my garden. I have a stand that has several arms hanging out of it which holds some hanging feeders and a water bowl, then i have some seed mix in a different spot. The main hanging stand is located right next to some large bushy trees we have in the garden, so should be secure for them, only things is the trees then back onto about 15 meters worth of grass then on to a fairly busy main road.

Sounds like a reasonable mix of foods, but I would definitely throw up a feeder of sunflower hearts as well, plus a suet block or treats. There are two other feeding stations near me, and I never see any birds on them, they all come to mine. I think they like the variety as they treat it like a buffet, hopping around having a bit of this, a bit of that. The more variety of food, I find, the more birds a feeding station will attract.

The bushy trees next to the feeder sounds ideal, it gives them a secure "base of operation". Don't worry about the open ground on the other side, I am the same, as the hedge that my feeder is close to just has a farm field on the other side. They usually approach from the hedge down the side of the field (about 15-25 metres across the open field, depending where they start from) or, if coming from the wooded hillside at the back, they have to cross about 5 or 6 metres of open ground then over, or around, my static caravan.

bboysmax wrote in post #15464566
In regards to the squirrels, i like them and wouldn't mind taking some shots of them but due to the fact their are about 5 of them in a group on my area i think they could be scaring off the small birds. I'm probably best getting some shots of them first, then using a spray to keep them off.

I doubt that they would scare the birds away. They probably won't want to sit on the same feeding table, at the same time, but would probably just sit in the tree until they get their turn. My birds aren't bothered by the squirrels, and most will happily use the hanging feeders while a squirrel is on the table top. Some just wait in the hedge until there is less activity, then move in, but that can happen as easily just because there are a lot of birds on the food. Some species are naturally less confident shoving in to the crowd, and some birds will instinctively chase off others even when there is plenty of food for all (I find the nuthatches are the worst offenders here).

bboysmax wrote in post #15464566
Also i don't know if this could be a problem, but i have a fair size pond with koi carp in, my dads pride and joy. And around the edge he has a detailed statue of a hawk (to keep the herons away), stupid question, but would that scare the smaller birds away too?

Aah. That's not a stupid question at all, those things are designed to scare birds away. It is possible that birds hanging around the area will quite quickly come to realise that it is a permanent fixture, not a real hawk, but you would need the birds to hang around enough to figure that out. They are VERY quick to spot a hawk shape and simply stay well clear, or dive into cover as one approaches. Mine are all amazingly quick to spot flying hawks and falcons in the vicinity, and duck into the hedge for cover. Interestingly, they seem to largely ignore the buzzards so they are well aware of which raptors are the greatest threat.

bboysmax wrote in post #15465296
Hmmm, back to the drawing board for the squirrels then! I also have an issue with bloody pigeons too. I have a very big oak tree just behind my bushes the seems to be a marker for pigeons flying by, so they tend to land in there, look down, and see all the seed!

Yeah, pigeons can be a PITA. I had a skyrat problem back in Southport. Loads of feral pigeons locally, some of which nested in the roof spaces of my neighbours and were a real nuisance. Apart from the sheer amount of expensive seed they can put away, my neighbours weren't going to be happy about me encouraging them with food. They can't manage hanging feeders, so long as they can't perch close enough to just lean over, so it is mainly table tops that are the issue. I stopped using the round mesh one on the feeding station, as it was impractical to "anti-pigeon", and removed it all together, so they couldn't use it as a perch to feed from the hangers. I also had a wooden freestanding bird table, the traditional type with a roof, so stuck loads of cup hooks around the top and bottome and ran a lattice of strings between them. It allowed the smaller birds access and stopped (most of) the pigeons - there were a couple that figured out how to wriggle through it eventually, but it did eliminate most of the problem.

Fortunately, where I am now, I don't have a pigeon problem as there are no feral ones around here. There is a pair of collared doves and a pair of wood pigeons, but they don't come to the feeder often, and as they are genuine wild birds I have no great objection to them anyway.

Ahh, well, I had better get out and top up the feeders yet again. The sunflower hearts ran out about an hour ago and I am getting the evil eye from my diners. Some of them are flying up to the window and hovering there to get my attention, I had better get out there and stock up before it turns into a Hitchcock movie.

sandpiper wrote in post #15465716
Sounds like a reasonable mix of foods, but I would definitely throw up a feeder of sunflower hearts as well, plus a suet block or treats. There are two other feeding stations near me, and I never see any birds on them, they all come to mine. I think they like the variety as they treat it like a buffet, hopping around having a bit of this, a bit of that. The more variety of food, I find, the more birds a feeding station will attract.

The bushy trees next to the feeder sounds ideal, it gives them a secure "base of operation". Don't worry about the open ground on the other side, I am the same, as the hedge that my feeder is close to just has a farm field on the other side. They usually approach from the hedge down the side of the field (about 15-25 metres across the open field, depending where they start from) or, if coming from the wooded hillside at the back, they have to cross about 5 or 6 metres of open ground then over, or around, my static caravan.

I doubt that they would scare the birds away. They probably won't want to sit on the same feeding table, at the same time, but would probably just sit in the tree until they get their turn. My birds aren't bothered by the squirrels, and most will happily use the hanging feeders while a squirrel is on the table top. Some just wait in the hedge until there is less activity, then move in, but that can happen as easily just because there are a lot of birds on the food. Some species are naturally less confident shoving in to the crowd, and some birds will instinctively chase off others even when there is plenty of food for all (I find the nuthatches are the worst offenders here).

Aah. That's not a stupid question at all, those things are designed to scare birds away. It is possible that birds hanging around the area will quite quickly come to realise that it is a permanent fixture, not a real hawk, but you would need the birds to hang around enough to figure that out. They are VERY quick to spot a hawk shape and simply stay well clear, or dive into cover as one approaches. Mine are all amazingly quick to spot flying hawks and falcons in the vicinity, and duck into the hedge for cover. Interestingly, they seem to largely ignore the buzzards so they are well aware of which raptors are the greatest threat.

Yeah, pigeons can be a PITA. I had a skyrat problem back in Southport. Loads of feral pigeons locally, some of which nested in the roof spaces of my neighbours and were a real nuisance. Apart from the sheer amount of expensive seed they can put away, my neighbours weren't going to be happy about me encouraging them with food. They can't manage hanging feeders, so long as they can't perch close enough to just lean over, so it is mainly table tops that are the issue. I stopped using the round mesh one on the feeding station, as it was impractical to "anti-pigeon", and removed it all together, so they couldn't use it as a perch to feed from the hangers. I also had a wooden freestanding bird table, the traditional type with a roof, so stuck loads of cup hooks around the top and bottome and ran a lattice of strings between them. It allowed the smaller birds access and stopped (most of) the pigeons - there were a couple that figured out how to wriggle through it eventually, but it did eliminate most of the problem.

Fortunately, where I am now, I don't have a pigeon problem as there are no feral ones around here. There is a pair of collared doves and a pair of wood pigeons, but they don't come to the feeder often, and as they are genuine wild birds I have no great objection to them anyway.

Ahh, well, I had better get out and top up the feeders yet again. The sunflower hearts ran out about an hour ago and I am getting the evil eye from my diners. Some of them are flying up to the window and hovering there to get my attention, I had better get out there and stock up before it turns into a Hitchcock movie.

Ah yes, i may need to experiment a little with the hangers and any kind of perches to stop the pesky pigeons. I use to go pigeon shooting with my dad, two shotguns and a silenced air rifle. So when the neighbors were not in we would silently take out the odd pigeon that was stealing all the food, but we no longer have any rifles of any sort, plus is was risky business.

I'll have to nip down to the nearest pet store and stock up on some seed, luckily i use to work at Pets At Home, and my girlfriend still does so i can get some discount on that expensive seed

Go! You don't want to keep the diners waiting, they could easily mess up a nice clean window within minutes

I use a bird feeder pole with a baffle:
http://www.backyardwil​dbirds.com …ole-System-E3_p_2559.html

also along with the pole I use all squirrel proof feeders:

http://www.rollerfeede​r.com …N26pZXb27QCFahQ​Ogod_BgAwA

http://www.heritagefar​ms.biz/birdfeeders/sp/

http://bromebirdcare.c​om/products/plus/

These 3 feeders on a pole system with a baffle and I have no squirrel or pigeon problems.

I like feeding nyjer 5-6 socks hanging inside the thick branches in the backyard crabapple tree and a feeder with safflower. The squirrels are still disturbing the birds but don't eat this seeds; I use the tree because i have a sharp shinned hawk lurking around and my feeding platform(a 6x6 cedar poll with arms for hanging feeders and squirrels buffer); I was watching the hawk catching finches easy from open feeding station, but can't get them through think branches. I can't feed suet, horde of 40-50 noisy starlings are waking up the neighbours and defecating all over my backyard .