Topic: why do no birds come to my mums garden

[alit]

My mum lives in Paignton, Devon.  She has a small garden on a 6 year old "new" estate.  She puts out food for the birds in various different ways.  Has a bird table and next boxes.

No-one even comes to have a nibble at the food.

Can anyone shed any light on this and what she can do to encourage birds.

[Tulipa]

It could be for a number of reasons. 
Do you have many cats nearby? 
Is the table away from bushes so the birds can fly to the bushes, make sure it is safe then fly on to the table. 
Sunflower seeds and especially the hearts are the most popular food in our garden.  Also the berry flavoured suet things.
I am sure other people can add to this list.  I would concentrate on the feeding as once the birds are happy feeding they might investigate the nesting boxes.

[Hyacinth]

Your mum lives in a lovely part of the country. Strange, tho, when I stayed with a friend in St. Marychurch (not too far away is it?) I really missed birds, even though her garden was certainly very bird-friendly.....just sea gulls. I really missed bird song in the mornings, too. Tulippa's given all the good advice - spect perseverence might do it. Don't forget that birds like fruit, too. My birds love pears.

All the best. Lishka

[lorna]

alit. I know the feeling. After taking advice on here I am now getting blackbirds, sparrows,greenfinch,collared doves,also recently a thrush. I think it is a waiting game
I have an open invitation to visit Paignton, my late husbands nephew moved there about three years ago. He has been working in the graphics dept of Paignton Zoo.
Hope you Mum has some luck with the birds.
Lorna

[Lady Cosmos]

A friend of mine lived in a "new" estate ( 8-10 years old) She did not get any birds in her garden 10X0 meter. Now she moved to the edge of a town with only a terras 4X5 meter and has a lot of birds. ??? ???
I think it was because there were hardly any trees in those new estates. The council put in the streets only those trees with a bare trunk and a phuff at the top. You never see birds in those trees. In older parts of towns and villages are big (ger) trees.
May be that can be the reason???

[Hyacinth]

So if Lady Cosmos is right and there are few trees around, she could plant some fast-growing things.....lavatera and hypericum and buddleia spring to mind...just to get them in? They'd all put on growth this season. All easy to replace in time, too, if she wanted.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Small birds won't go far from cover, except in very large flocks; they need bushes and trees to hide from predators.

[lorna]

Robert that is probably the reason I am getting visitors. I have a high conifer hedge down one side of my garden I keep telling myself I will have it all removed but maybe I will leave it now. I so enjoy the birds,
Lorna

[Robert_Brenchley]

I have hedges and trees alkl round my plot, and I'm sure that's why I have an army of tits available to deal with aphids!

[alit]

Thanks everyone.  i think the lack of established trees on new estate (even though she can hear the lions from Paignton zoo) no birds.  Also maybe the sea gulls.  I will tell her about the little birds not straying far from established bushes and trees unless in a flock.  And yes, there are a few cats around - one keeps stealing fish from her pond.  She has had to put ugly mesh over it and they have the cheek to sit on it!!!

Alit :)

[MrsKP]

get one of those sonic scarer things for the girl thingies.   i get plenty of birds due to my extremely high and plentiful box hedges, but have spotted a couple of felines creeping through early in the morning.

my birds are very jumpy - probably with good cause.

good luck and perservere, they are SOOOOOO worth the effort and patience.

 ;D

[nippie]

alit, I'm just down the road, I will direct a few her way  ;)  :)

[MollyBloom]

Birds can be fickle. Even in my garden, where I've counted 34 different types of bird so far (sorry to rub it in!), they are not consistent in their feeding behaviour. Sometimes my offerings will be gone within half an hour, other times the same stuff will lie ignored for days on end. I have seen buzzards overhead, and a sparrowhawk did his dastardly deed on the lawn one day, so I think a lot depends on what kind of predators are about. And thinking about it, maybe the birds near your mother's place don't like the sound of lions!  :o

[honeybee]

Alit, I had exactly the same problem when i moved to this house which was brand new in 1991.

The silence was awful and you just never saw a bird.

Now 15 years on you cant sleep at night for the racket. ;D

As has been suggested once the large conifers and various trees become established it will soon bring the birds back i expect.

I went on a mission to plant a couple of trees myself, the berries on my honeysuckle and greenfly on the clematis drew the bluetits in.

Now we have a huge variety, sparrows, collared doves, starlings, wrens, robin,blackbirds, heron, and then suddenly last year i noticed a new very small bird flying over, i couldnt identify them at first but eventually after researching their song i realised we had greenfinches, so i got some sunflower seeds and now they spend almost all day in my garden which costs me a fortune but still, i enjoy them being there :)

With time and patience and a bit of forward planning your Mum will get there, goo luck.

[alit]

Great news then.  that as peoples conifers and trees get bigger the birds will start to come back.

Nippie, I take it you have a greyhound.  Mum mum has just rescued one.  Lovely dog!!  Thanks for advice.  You'll probably meet on the beach or in the woods one day.

I have come to the conclusion that it is "new estate syndrome"  Thre is hope!!

 :D