Bird feeder in garden.

[trt]

I was bought a bird feeder for my b/day.
It is your usual type with a roof and open on 4 sides about 6ft high and has seeds, and fat balls but its been on my lawn for over 10 days and no birds have used it. What am I doing wrong?

[janbee]

do you have lots of cats in your area?

[Wak]

You could try to place it 4 or 5 feet from a small tree or bush so that they will have something to fly into if a cat does appear. They like an escape route!!
You could also take the roof off as they don't like to be covered and try some wet bread.
Good luck with it, and persevere.

[trt]

Not many cats about janbee and when I put scraps or bread on the lawn the birds are there in a few minutes but mostly pigeons and one of them is a real bully, chasing off the others.
If I take the roof off Wak, it would look odd and spoil its looks, but thanks anyway.

[smurfchops]

It is something new and the birds could be wary. Make sure when they do start using it, that you keep it scrupulously clean. I read in the paper this week about how thousands of birds are dying due to infections picked up off droppings left on bird tables. Lovely to watch them eating though !

[spudqueen]

It does always take a long time for birds to come to a new feeder. Mine had been down a while and I put it back up in January. There were birds on there immediately (it was during all the snow), but it took a long time for a variety of birds to use it. Don't be disheartened. Persevere with it, and you will be rewarded by seeing birds on it, even if you have to throw away the first lot of food as it has gone off.

[carlton23]

I moved a bird feeder from hanging on a tree because a squirrel kept knicking the sunflower seeds to a rotary line and it took about two weeks for them to become accustomed to the move. At least I`ve outsmarted the squirrel,.....so far, but he sits on the shed....and thinks!!!! He can`t climb the pole because I`ve greased it, heh, heh.

[prendi]

my husband has just made a new bird table,without any roof on ,to replace our old one.The birds were on it before the paint had time to dry,we have blue tits,doves,chaffinches,robins,blackbirds,all sorts really.Do put out sunflower seeds,the hearts are good too and peanuts,good luck .And yes the roofless ones are the best.