Topic: Bird Tables

[Garden Manager]

Can anyone advise me a) as to the best location for a table and b) the best food to put on it.

I have previously used feeders for seed and peanuts. Recently though I have got a 'hanging' bird table, fixed to a tree in my garden. The feeders are quite near a hedge and is well used. The table is further away and isnt used much. I curently put the same food on the table as in the feeders.

I need putting on the right track here I think.

[rosebud]

Richard if you have only just put the table out the birds will take a week or so before they use it, i have found this happens when i put anything different out.  Hope this helps , as for food i buy mixed seed and make my own bird pies with white lard and any leftovers , a few currants any stale cake etc etc melt the fat mix everything up leave in the fridge or somwhere very cold, i also save a couple of yougart pots and fill them up and stick a couple of twigs in and when they are set hang them from the bird table or tree or as i do put them in the hedge the birds love them. Rosebud.

[aquilegia]

My mum got a new bird table a few months back. It took the birds a couple of weeks to get used to it, but now they are visiting it regularly. She feeds them seed and fat balls.

You need to position them well away from anything that might give cats access (such as walls, trees etc). Hanging ones need to go on quite thin branches, which cats would be too heavy to climb on.

I'm still working on scavenging the wood to make mine. Almost there. Then I'll have to get around to nailing the thing together.

[Garden Manager]

Thanks for replies. :)

Trouble is the trees are pines which do not have lower branches. the table (and the feeders on other trees), are attached to the trunk using haging basket brackets. I can see it is possible for an agile cat (and we have a couple around like this), could climb up to the level of the table quite easily.

Th other option was to fix the table to the top of the stump of a tree we cut down, however in the end it proved easier to hang the table than fix it to the stump (it came with chains attached). Not quite sure whats the best thing to do really  ???

[viv]

Do you not have a wall you can fix a bracket to?  This is what I have done with my hanging table (due to cats!!) and it is cleared every day, mainly by starlings admittedly but the others go on when it is quiet.

[budgiebreeder]

Please, please, please ,dont forget to scrub your birdtables regularly with milton or some other safe steriliser.It is vitally important for the health of the birds.

[Carol]

Whatever you do Richard, place the table near bushes or trees so that the feeding birds can have a quick getaway place to go to when the Sparrowhawk strikes!!!I usually put allsorts of food on the bird table, bird seed, left over bread, grated cheese and raisons for the blackbirds or thrushes.  As Budgiebreeder says though, please keep the feeding areas scrupulously clean cos if there is a build of of faeces some birds especially the chaffinches and greenfinches are prone to contacting
salmonella.  Good luck.

[Garden Manager]

Thanks to all those who have relpied since my last post. All advice will be considered.

I have now moved the table so that it is closer to the hedge which the birds (especialy the sparrows) like to sit in. Clearly it was too much in the open where it was. Unfortunately i have had to move a peanut feeder to free up a bracket.

So far it has received only one visitor, on of the local collared doves, which with a great flapping of wings managed to perch itself on the table and try some of the food. None of the smaller birds seem to have found it yet.

[rosebud]

Hi Richard  the birds will use your table don`t worry to much they like to suss the area first, as i said before it could be 2wks its something new which they are very wary of ok. :).just put very small amounts of food out untill they start to use the table.  We hang peanuts on the summer hanging basket brackets out the back so while they are using those they will soon see any new food. Just be a little patient and dont worry.
Let us know when it all happens   Rosebud :) ;) :D