I've finally gotten around to putting a bird table up in my own garden. I have been putting food out for the birds in this snowy weather, but it's tricky finding places to put it down that aren't covered in snow and where the birds will not have to worry about my cat Elsa creeping up on them.I don't expect any birds will come to it for a while as they do seem to be initially suspicious of such things, but hopefully a few will investigate it soon - perhaps in the early mornings when they are looking for food.
However, most of the birds that I've seen in the garden recently have been blackbirds, and I doubt they'd come up onto a table such as this. They seem happier eating from the ground. The only other bird I've seen in the garden within the last few days was a pied wagtail, which is another bird I think of as feeding on the ground. I'll go on putting seed on the ground beneath the hedge and outside the front of the house for these "bottom feeders".
To be quite frank, it's not the best bird table in the world. It was a £9.99 job from Robert Dyas, and the legs didn't go on too well - the screws were obviously very cheap and a couple of the heads actually snapped off whilst I was tightening them. I may take it apart again and reassemble using decent quality screws.
If it turns out to be a hit with the birds, I may replace it with a posher and sturdier bird table. I suppose this one is an experiment to see if they are actually going to use it.
I've just had a thought. Perhaps I should call it the "bird feeding station" so as to be in keeping with the hedgehog feeding station.
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Great to see the bird table and a very good price too. I think the Blackbirds will use it. I had a couple trying to get through the mesh which keeps them off mine. Nice to see you have a Pied Wagtail. I have only seen one once in my garden though there plenty not far away.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 bird tables (front and back garden)- the front doesn't have a 'roof' and is the more popular table...the first ever bird table we had, had a roof and the birds didn't want to know then a friend suggested removing the roof just leaving a table and then I couldn't keep them off!
ReplyDeleteThe rear table does have a roof which keeps the seagulls from pinching everything.The pigeons like it especially when it's raining.Smaller birds aren't very bothered.
I'm sure bird suet and mealworms will attract some feathery visitors.
You mean you have bought a squirrel feeder :-)
ReplyDeleteOurs try to monopolise our "bird" table; the birds try to sneak in between them...
Nah, no squirrels round these parts.
ReplyDeleteGreat to read about your bird table. We got a similar one last year from Lidl. Only problem was that we found it rather unstable in high winds as it blew over and smashed the lid on the hedgehog feeding station. Before Christmas, we noticed that the feet had sunk into the water-logged lawn and it now seems quite secure, even with the 8 inches of snow on top.
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