How to attract birds?

[superpippo]

We have a small front garden with a single weeping cherry tree, a front hedge and side vegetation in our neighbour's plot.
We have feeders on the tree and a small water bath. Usually daily, we get a large group of sparrows, a dunnock, blackbirds (m&f), blue and great tit and robin now and again, collared doves and starlings. The street has a fair amount of hedges, trees etc and the birds flit from one to another all day.
Whilst the tree is only 2 metres from the window we get great views of what is going on but every shot has to be taken through glass.
Conversely we have a rear yard, rather larger, which is paved, as are many of our neighbours'. It backs onto a service road. There is little vegetation in any of the tards, tending to be pot /container plants.
We have a couple of feeders.

Last year we had some starlings fighting over the peanut butter and the year before a couple of jackdaws stole most of the hanging basket liners for nest material.
Apart from that we get no birds.
This would be an ideal place if we could get birds as the rear door is a good place to sit, possibly behind a curtain to get some clearer shots.
So frustrating.

So we have to go to the local graveyard.

Robin-2270452 by Superpippo0547, on Flickr


Robin-2270456 by Superpippo0547, on Flickr

 

[gramps]

Birds love cover to be able to seek refuge, some trees, hedges, or as with the top of my garden loads of large cuttings from the apple trees which were pruned last year.
They don't generally like large open and sterile areas as they can't quickly find security in cover, so that's your first challenge - after that they absolutley love mealworms.

 

[Vintage Racer]

Graveyards are very popular places..............people always dying to get in!

 

[Nod]

A couple of big bushes or smallish trees in large containers might tempt some birds over the roof.

 

[Deleted member 34016]

A varied food source is as important to all of the above- right food to attract the right birds, just my 10p's worth


Les

 

[Dale.]

Cover and food......... and time. It might be a few weeks before any birds recognise the new foods. Bear in mind too, the likes of goldfinches, redpolls etc will soon be busy nesting, so they may be away in the woods for a while. Happens here every year, from about April to September, all I get is house sparrows

Get the sunflower hearts and nyger seed out, as well as mentioned mealworms, fat balls often attract woodpecker etc. Fatballs though can attract crows, jackdaws, pigeons etc, which you might not want.

I also only use feeders that small birds with small beaks can use, my nyger seed feeder for instance has two, 4mm apertures, that's it. This tends to keep the bigger brids away.