Whatbird.com

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on what I could do to make more birds come to my feeding station. I have had my feeders up all year I usually get siskins and Goldfinches in the summer but in the last few months I have been getting little visitors to my feeders. Anyway here is a picture of my feeding station.

---

~§~ Gone to the Birds ~§~
My Blog:
Bird & Nest Watch

Recent Birds: Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Snow Bunting, American Robin

I am a bit disappointed that the other forums on this site are not regularly visited and/or responded to by the heavy weights on this site.  Your posting of this question on the ID forum and getting the amount of responses that you are now getting pretty much says something about how this site actually is used by the community.

A comment was made by one of the heavies that I would like to object to a little.  I don't want to ruffle any feathers so went to this thread.

My ground feeding suggestion was not regarded as a good idea.  Here is my list of ground feeders...

Curve-billed Thrasher, Mourning Dove, Great-tailed Grackle, Gambel's Quail, Mallard, Abert's Towhee, Gila Woodpecker, Eurasian Collared-dove, Cactus Wren, Green-tailed Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, White-winged Dove, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, Bronzed Cowbird, Inca Dove, House Sparrow, and Ruddy Ground-dove.  

I have never seen a Ruddy Ground-dove, a Bronzed Cowbird, and until just recently a Green-tailed Towhee anywhere else but at my ground feeder in my backyard.  

I have a lot of activity in my backyard and have not noticed any of these birds scaring away others.  What I have observed is that there is a pecking order, with the little ones waiting patiently till the aggressive ones leave.  

With the complete absence of birds, I would assume that you want anything to come and visit.  I don't know if you are a bird lover or a birder, but if the latter, putting food on the ground will give you an opportunity to see a totally different population than what the hanging feeders will provide.  Two other observations, you can put the ground feeder in the opposite corner of your property and cut back on the feeding if you find it not to your liking.

I am up to 53 backyard birds, so my ground feeding hasn't seemed to put a crimp on that number. 

 

  

 

---

Latest Birds: Sage Thrasher, Ferruginous Hawk, Common Goldeneye

i went to my window just now to get a photo of the birds eating from the stumps. they quickly adapted from eating on the ground when it is wet or muddy.

they seem to take the pine rounds as natural and they can watch for predaters such as the neighbors cat that showed up and they were gone before it

could get close. I spread anything from peanut butter to nuts and raisens to mixed seed to crumbled corn bread on them and have a steady supply of birds.

---

dklucius

I do ground feed and have had great successes with flocks of juncos up to thirty but since their migration nothing has come to my feeding station accept for a downy occasionally to my suet and black oil bell. But thanks for the suggestion.

---

~§~ Gone to the Birds ~§~
My Blog:
Bird & Nest Watch

Recent Birds: Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Snow Bunting, American Robin

Well, that depends on a large number of factors.

1. Location

Your feeder appears to be out in the open. Birds hate this because it leave them open to being prey on by hawks. If you can move your feeder to be near some trees, bushes, or tall grass or grow some near the feeder. If you observe birds, you'll notice that they often live to disappear into vegetation.

I like to place the feeder about 5 feet from vegetation. The reason is that it will prevent cats from hiding in the vegetation and then jumping the birds. 

 

2. Type of food.

What kind of birds are in your area and what do they eat? If you can figure out what birds in your area and offer them your favorite food, then they will come.

If you have chickadee's in your area, try to offer them their favorite food. The reasoning is that Chickadee seems to be faster at locating food than other birds. if you offer what the chickadee want, other birds may come and investigate what the chickadees are eating.

In addition, birds can't smell the food, they have to see it. In general, unless they have been eating from feeders before, they will not see a tube are food sources. If you can scatter the bird food nearby so birds can see it as they fly by and hope that they see it before the squirrels do.

The freshness of the food matters, too. Birds won't come to feeders with rotten seeds.

 

3. Water 

Birds like moving water, so installing a bird bath with moving water is also an attraction. On the plus side, it's a visual item that's not going to be consumed by the nearby squirrels.

 

Paul