Attracting small birds...?

[Squidders]

Ok, This is a little out of wack but I may have a shot here...

I have a nice back garden with some nice bushes, an old apple tree and resident red squirrel... and about 8 lousy wood pigeons. I also have one solitary robin and no other birds. no sparrows, starlings, finches, blue/great tits and they're around in the neighborhood but just not my back garden.

We don't have a cat and put food out, small seed and peanuts mostly.

Any thoughts on how to attract the small birds and annoy the pigeons? :?:

Help would be greatly appreciated!

Joe

 

[Brynglas]

As far as discouraging the wood pigeons is concerned I'm not sure that I can offer any advice other than an airgun, they cook up a treat.

With regards to attracting a variety of birds to the garden, try a vatiety of seeds such as sunflower seeds, niger seeds and nuts. This will attract a variety of birds which find it easier to cope with some types of food than others.

I've built a bird table with a wire mesh surround, this mesh is about 2" square whioch allows smaller birds to get at the food and keeps larger birds such as pigeons and crows out. A separate table takes care of feeding them.

I also put out bits of fruit bacon or cheese rind on my tables and I get a great variety of finches, tits, treecreepers, nuthatches etc. As I live in a heavily wooded area I get Jays to the table also.

I hope that this helps

 

[Realgar]

Meal worms, wax worms and earthworms will get you a good variety of birds into the garden- even woodpeckers will come to the table for them, try hanging up a cooked chicken carcass as well you get all manner of things picking at the meat.

Realgar

 

[tomtom]

the rspb do a good range of bird foods we use the "high energy no mess" ones and we have about a billlllliiiooonn sparrows as well as a good selection of titts *snigger* and some black birds and robins

 

[Lurch]

Alcopops?
Make sure you check their ages though...

What? Oh, wrong kind of bird.
I'll get me coat.

 

[Roving Rich]

A variety of foods and some patience, it takes a little time for the word to get around, but they seem to see each other feeding and flock in.
Great to watch, Hope your successful
rich

 

[Ed]

Yep. As you have increased the food supply the population of local birds will get bigger and you will have more visitors to the garden. Please remember though.... if you go away, you will need someone to feed the birds... suddenly cutting off their main food supply for a couple of weeks will devistate their population.

Ed

 

[jamesdevine]

They seem to have some sort of scout system. I have often watch after putting out food that one sparrow will come in go around the garden nibbling here and there then fly off. A few minutes later he will be back with 20 of his mates and it's parttime in the Devine backyard.

Also this time of year is a bit slack as there is alot about for them so they may not interested in your garden yet but give it time come winter you'll have ton of them.

They are not very tidy do.

James

 

[Chopper]

I have found that a fast car, box of chocolates and a bunch of flowers works well

 

[Squidders]

Thankyou to everyone... except Chopper and Lurch

p.s. I used to have a 1972 AC Cobra and it was useless for sparrows

 

[Lurch]

Yeah well, if you had the chocs flowers and alcopops - you'd have been in business!