Bird's Not Coming To Feed

[needawin]

I have always fed the birds and was rewarded with a great number of them in the garden.
Lately however they have stopped coming. During the harsh weather lately there was a solitary robin. Normally there would have been lots of pigeons and magpies. Lots of seagulls about also.
If I threw bread out it would be gone in minutes.
Now it just lies in the back garden and I need to lift it in case it attracts vermin.
The peanuts hanging in the front garden are untouched.
Any suggestions?

[dannyk13]

Got the same problem, seeds and mealworms untouched in feeder.

[vulcan42]

I have the same problem too. Friends have suggested it's cats but none of my neighbours own one and I certainly haven't seen any.

[jennyjoan]

I am the same - first year I have started to TRY to feed the birds LOl - they haven't been here at all. And I do have a massive bag of seed. I did try putting on to a little table I have and no nothing has been disturbed.

[woofgang]

could there be a cat or a fox around?

[rowanwitch]

Someone else locally is feeding higher grade food, or more likely you have a sparrowhawk in the area, as the small birds have gone it should move away and they will come back

[woofgang]

got to say my birds are very picky. They come for the kind of food that is pellets of ground up suet with fruit and insects in it but of I offer seed or peanuts they turn up their noses. Once there are sufficient insects they stop coming and same in autumn while there are still berries.

[dannyk13]

Be a big coincidence if that was the reason at all our localities.

[woofgang]

jj if it's your first time, you will need to be patient. Birds do take a while to decide its safe to come and feed.

[jennyjoan]

Sorry Woof - maybe first time but I have had the seed out about 3 months now and I also can say first time there are hardly any cats about now too,

They came about 3 months ago but they mustn't like the menu and the never came back. I bought the big bag that Waterboatman uses

[bluemoon1]

In winter birds travel less to conserve energy, the pigeons and magpies will stay in wooded areas and the seagulls at the coast. The smaller birds may have feeding areas closer to where they stay.

[ubasses]

I think they have all migrated to our garden. We are being eaten out of house and home, stocking up with seed, fat balls, nuts and mealworms roughly every 10 days.

[bluemoon1]

Lucky you ubasses, they must be happy there.

[ubasses]

It is fairly ideal for them here, quiet village, open farmland behind back garden. Also got a large silver birch and big conifer hedge the length of the garden where quite a few nest.
A small fountain which they sit on to drink, one is a lovely 'tame' robin who will come right up to us, when Mr U was a bit late with the food yesterday he followed him up the garden chirping away as if giving him a good telling off.

[burlyshirley]

This happens to me every year at this time. They tail off as they are looking for nesting sites and getting ready to breed. Rest assured they will be back in force when nesting gets seriously under way and they need help with feeding again !

[needawin]

Thanks to all who replied.

[Chipchopper]

I've noticed bird numbers going up and down, from one extreme to another. I think its down to a combination of birds pairing up, predators, such as sparrowhawks and smaller birds feeling more vulnerable with lack of leaves on the trees, to hide among.

I would suggest moving the feeders to an area where they can escape quickly into cover, that's a possibility.

[Smowball]

First year I was thinking about buying a bird table actually....

[Chipchopper]

^^if thats

[novalis]

The same here - outskirts of Oldham - but I have also been putting seed in secluded places during my daily walk (last week in particular when it was really cold) and that has always disappeared. All I have coming into the garden at the moment are a robin, a hen blackbird, two great tits and a wood pigeon.

[MynameisLuca]

I put seeds and scraps on the windowsill for the birds, they swoop down within 5 minutes, it's usually seagulls.