Why won't the birds come to our bird feeder?

[ktgrok]

I'm in Central Florida. We put up a bird feeder on a pole in between the house and a fence. We want it there so we can see it from the big kitchen window. There is an orange tree nearby, on the neighbor's property. No other cover. It IS fairly near (6 feet maybe or less) the outside air conditioner unit, maybe that is scaring them away? It has safflower and black oil sunflower seeds in it, as I was reading that birds in florida like those. We have had a squirrel show up twice, but no birds. 

 

Oh, the kids MIGHT have seen a cardinal on the fence near the feeder, but they started yelling at me to come see and the window was open so maybe the scared it away. When I got there it was gone. 

[almondbutterandjelly]

How long have you had it up?  Sometimes it takes a couple weeks.

 

 

[Aspasia]

How long has it been up? Sometimes it can take some time for the birds to find it and spread the word to their bird friends. Our feeder is on our deck rail and really close to both our kitchen slider and our family room window, which means it's always noisy! But they've honestly gotten used to our normal noises and they hang around right there for us to watch them. 

[Lawana]

Give it a bit more time. Or move it closer to the tree cover until the word gets out and the birds feel safe. Then try moving it back closer to the window.

 

We have a dogwood tree right outside our kitchen windows, and the leaves and branches are at window level. Perfect for hanging bird feeders and observing all kinds of birds! If I remember correctly, the cardinals frequent the area, but don't use the bird feeders. We get American goldfinches, house finches, chickadees, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers. Along with the squirrels, of course!

[ktgrok]

Okay, I'll give it longer. Today is day three, and it's been windy and yucky out today. 

[8circles]

Okay, I'll give it longer. Today is day three, and it's been windy and yucky out today. 

 

Yeah, it can take a few weeks.  Give it time.

[Tanaqui]

My guess is like everybody else's - it's just taking them a while!

 

But if you still don't get any feathered friends after some reasonable amount of time (not sure what that time is - I have cats, and no desire to lure birds to their doom), you might consider altering the offerings somewhat. Probably locals can tell you what's most attractive to your birds.

That's probably not it, though, it's probably the time thing.

[8circles]

Birds can be funny.

 

A couple years ago when we started putting out birdfeeders, we had a bunch of goldfinches that would come daily.  Now we don't get any, but we get house finches, dark-eyed juncos, mourning doves, and some sparrows.  We had chickadees one day last week and haven't seen them since.

 

Don't give up.

[paulasue]

It will take awhile.  We put up bird feeders at our last house and our current house.  I'd say at least 2-3 weeks to get any birds.  Then it takes quite a while for all the birds to find it.  DH and I were talking about this awhile back.  We were talking about both houses and felt like it took a go 2 years to get the bird feeder really busy.  We've had our current one up about 3 years.  We joke they are like another pet.  We go through about 10lbs of bird seed a week.  If our bird feeder goes empty, you can forget about them coming around.

 

[Calm37]

We put out sunflower black oil seed for years and have had so many varieties of birds. My husband bought some cheaper seed this winter and we rarely get a visit. They are mad at him! Whenever we put out a new feeder, the birds would disappear for a week or more. Skeptical little creatures. :) 

 

 

[Lady Florida.]

As others said, it takes a while. We used to keep our bird feeder stocked and had so many birds of different varieties. As you know I'm also in Central Florida. The orange tree is probably a good one for cover. They do like to be able to get away quickly if they feel threatened.

 

As far as the type of feed, I too read how they all love black oil sunflower, but never had any luck with it. I use one called Nut & Berry. It's inexpensive and you can get it at Walmart, Target, Lowe's and I think Home Depot. When we used it before we saw cardinals, woodpeckers, butter butts (yellow-rumped warblers), some kind of little wren, and blue jays. Occasionally we would even get a catbird.

 

I've only started feeding them again about a month ago, and they're just discovering it. I've seen mostly cardinals (they can always be counted on) and am starting to see woodpeckers. I hope we can get back the variety we once had.

 

Stay away from the cheap seed that has little round pellets. Like this. Even the squirrels don't like that kind, and they'll eat just about anything. Also forget any kind of suet blocks. They will get nasty and moldy in our heat and humidity and get even more disgusting once the summer rain starts..

 

Good luck. It's an enjoyable pastime to see birds coming to your feeders.

[Tanaqui]

Those "little round pellets" are millet, aren't they?

[Lady Florida.]

Those "little round pellets" are millet, aren't they?

 

I don't know. I just know they were a waste of money even though they were cheap. And a waste of time as we waited for the birds that never came to eat the stuff.

[Cinder]

Agreeing with others. Our feeder is suction-cupped to our window--like this. It took a couple weeks at first but now, a couple years later, the birds are regular visitors--even with our cat constantly jumping at the window trying to catch them. We use black sunflower and/or safflower. Our feeder is far enough from railings that squirrels can't reach it and small enough that the big bully birds--blue jays, mockingbirds--can't fit. We have been surprised to see the rare mourning doves and woodpeckers at the feeder--they're pretty bendy! But mostly we get the songbirds here in north GA--house finches, cardinals,tufted titmice, chickadees, nuthatches; we've also seen bluebirds and goldfinches but they're not regulars. Also rarely we get a towhee trying to clean up the fallen seed on the deck; they don't fly up to the feeder.

 

Be patient--hopefully they'll show up soon!

[ktgrok]

Thanks for the tips, Lady Florida! The pole I bought to hang it has space to hang two feeders, I'll pick up another one and put the Nut and Berry mix in it. Can't hurt! 

 

And I did read that millet wasn't very useful around here, no idea why. 

[Spryte]

Are you cleaning guns within sight of the feeders?

 

[ducking and running... :D)

 

I agree about trying different mixes. Sometimes it takes some time for them to find it, too.

 

Good luck! We love our birds.

[marbel]

Those "little round pellets" are millet, aren't they?

 

I think so. There is a little bit in the mix we buy from Costco. There are some birds that like it.  I found this article about birdseed which might be of interest/help.  Now I'm in the mood to buy some more birdfeeders for our yard.  We just have one, and it's popular. 

 

Agreeing with others that it can take time.  If we leave our feeder empty for a time (yes, bad on  us), it can take some time for them to come back. 

Edited April 17, 2016 by marbel

[ktgrok]

Are you cleaning guns within sight of the feeders?

 

[ducking and running... :D)

 

I agree about trying different mixes. Sometimes it takes some time for them to find it, too.

 

Good luck! We love our birds.

 

Ha!  No....no one has had the guns out :)

 

We do have cats that sit at that window though....I hadn't even thought of that. 

 

[Murphy101]

The trick to any wildlife attraction is always water. You put a bird bath, or an itty "pond" about 3-5 ft from the tree and feeder and I bet you'll have all kinds of critters, including birds, within a week tops. If it's a bath container, just clean it out every day or two, to avoid mosquitos. If it's a bit bigger, an itty fountain for water filtration and a few .17 roses reds will take care of the mosquitos for you.

 

ETA: I have cats and dogs. They don't care if I have drinkable water and food. They are smart enough to know the cat is behind glass fairly quickly. In fact, I have some finches and a squirrel that will come right to the window the cats are freaking out at and tease them.

Edited April 17, 2016 by Murphy101

[gardenmom5]

as others have said, give them time.  I've had feeders for at least 15 years.

 

I just refilled my feeders after they'd sat empty for a few weeks.  they hang from beams above a 2nd story deck where we can watch them from large windows.  I've hardly seen any birds, but the seed is going down.  (I now have two feeders steller Jays can't access.  the little pigs. irony is - two days after I hung the first restrictive feeder, I had squirrels.   I had NEVER in the 30 years of living here had squirrels on a deck they had to climb the side of the house to reach,  despite many previous feeders.  I did have one feeder crows broke open.)

 

anyway - I only caught a few scant glimpses of birds - but the seed is going down.  when they are all aware the feeders are full - they're both empty within two - three days.  and after buying 'expensive' seed - they only want the black oil sunflower seeds.  even the finches will eat that before the thistle/nijer seed.

 

also - I've noticed during this time of year, there are more seeds available from plants, and they don't look as hard for feeders.

Edited April 17, 2016 by gardenmom5

[ktgrok]

Ok, I bought some of the Nut N Berry mix as advised by Florida Lady, and I attached a strip of tin foil to the top as advised by the inter webs. It seems the shiny reflection can help catch the birds' eye so they give the feeder a second glance. We shall see!

[callapidder]

We just started feeding birds this past winter. I put up a number of feeders in December and we didn't have a single bird until they were up for almost two weeks. Once they found the feeders, we had more and more every week and now have a lovely variety each day.

 

I was ready to move all the feeders to a different location after the first week, but my husband convinced me to give it another week, and he was right.

 

We're in Pennsylvania, but our birds' favorites are black oil sunflower seeds and peanuts (not in the shell). 

[Happy]

You know how it is....a new restaurant opens. You and your friends notice and talk about going, but everyone is busy and stressed. You KNOW you'll get a great meal at the diner down the way so you go there. Your friends go there and it's fun to meet everyone. Once a review or two comes out on Yelp or in the paper, you'll get a few brave souls who will give your place a try. Once they start coming, your feeder will be the hit of the block.

:)

 

 

[ktgrok]

We had a bird!!!!

 

I was standing by the window, telling the kids that it could be weeks before the birds find it, when as I was talking a Tufted Titmouse flew down and helped himself to a seed!!! (had to look it up, but hey, that's why we homeschool, right?)

 

We also have a daily squirrel visitor that my 3 year old gets to scare off. Finally his volume control issues have a benefit. I just opened the window and let him make weird noises :)

[Lady Florida.]

We had a bird!!!!

 

I was standing by the window, telling the kids that it could be weeks before the birds find it, when as I was talking a Tufted Titmouse flew down and helped himself to a seed!!! (had to look it up, but hey, that's why we homeschool, right?)

 

We also have a daily squirrel visitor that my 3 year old gets to scare off. Finally his volume control issues have a benefit. I just opened the window and let him make weird noises :)

 

 

Yay! We've had those rarely. Consider yourself lucky.

 

The very first homeschool activity we ever did was keep track of the birds at our feeder. I made a simple chart on poster board with pictures of our 3 most common birds at the time - cardinals, blue jays, and mourning doves. I divided it into three times of day - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Ds put a colored sticker for each bird we saw at the different times. I loved those early days of homeschooling. Sigh.

 

The squirrels will come and they will find all kinds of ways to get into squirrel proof feeders. Fortunately you have a squirrel master. :D

 

I also wanted to tell you - when the rainy season starts don't fill the feeder up too much unless the seed is protected from getting wet. It clumps together and starts to mold. In the summer I keep the feeder low and add bird seed more often. Sometimes I have to remove clumped up seed and replace it completely.

 

Also, I don't know what the ground is like under your feeder or what you do regarding your lawn, but don't be surprised if you get a volunteer sunflower or two. Some people consider them annoying weeds. I always think of them as a bonus.

Edited April 18, 2016 by Lady Florida.

[Happy]

We had a bird!!!!

 

I was standing by the window, telling the kids that it could be weeks before the birds find it, when as I was talking a Tufted Titmouse flew down and helped himself to a seed!!! (had to look it up, but hey, that's why we homeschool, right?)

 

We also have a daily squirrel visitor that my 3 year old gets to scare off. Finally his volume control issues have a benefit. I just opened the window and let him make weird noises :)

I keep a good bird book handy for IDing the less frequent visitors. I was amazed a few years ago when I realized how many different kinds of sparrows were dropping in for a bite. We also had a chart on a nearby wall for listing all the birds we saw.

Having an active feeder helps develop your powers of observation.

 

To that end, I just bought a new pair of binoculars to replace the garage sale pair I've been using for years. It is fun to truly get up close and personal.

[ktgrok]

I'm definitely going to be getting a good book, but I found a website with Central Florida birds and it lists them by color, and that worked great today! http://www.blog.catandturtle.net/backyard-bird-identification/

[Cinder]

We had a bird!!!!

 

I was standing by the window, telling the kids that it could be weeks before the birds find it, when as I was talking a Tufted Titmouse flew down and helped himself to a seed!!! (had to look it up, but hey, that's why we homeschool, right?)

 

We also have a daily squirrel visitor that my 3 year old gets to scare off. Finally his volume control issues have a benefit. I just opened the window and let him make weird noises :)

 

Yay--your first bird! Funny about your squirrels--ours aren't afraid of anything. Not even our cats. Which is why we have a couple of torn up window screens. :glare:

 

[Lanny]

If you do not use Insecticides, they will (hopefully) discover your Feeder, eventually.  Do you have Butterflies visiting your yard? If so, that's a good sign of the good health of your yard. If not, try to make your yard more attractive to the birds. I'm not sure how you do that, but my wife tries to make our lot especially attractive for Butterflies. We live in a Tropical Valley where there are many kinds of birds, but if you are in FL, you should also have a lot of visitors to your Feeder, in the near future.  

[ktgrok]

We do get butterflies...the kids were chasing one the other day (Common Buckeye). I would like to plant some more stuff over near the feeder, particularly butterfly friendly plants, so that we can watch them from the window. As for our yard...it's uh...a mess. At least from a human point of view. Lots of weeds. Probably why we have butterflies :)

[Lady Florida.]

I'm definitely going to be getting a good book, but I found a website with Central Florida birds and it lists them by color, and that worked great today! http://www.blog.catandturtle.net/backyard-bird-identification/

 

Great site. Thanks for the link.

 

I have this bird book and love it. Ours is well used. I like that the birds are grouped by color so you can easily look them up. There's also a range map on each bird so if you aren't quite sure if that's the bird you saw, you can look at the map and see if it even comes to your area (and if so, what time of year). I also have an Audubon app but I always forget to use it for back yard birds. 

[ktgrok]

Great site. Thanks for the link.

 

I have this bird book and love it. Ours is well used. I like that the birds are grouped by color so you can easily look them up. There's also a range map on each bird so if you aren't quite sure if that's the bird you saw, you can look at the map and see if it even comes to your area (and if so, what time of year). I also have an Audubon app but I always forget to use it for back yard birds. 

 

Thank you! By color is perfect! I just ordered it. 

 

And instead of having the kids draw pictures of what we see, because lets face it, when you are 5 yr and 3 yr all the bird pictures would look alike, I found coloring pages. So I printed the three things we've seen, a Tufted Timouse, a Northern Cardinal, and a squirrel, and they are coloring them in. I'll put them in a binder or folder, and make a book out of them :)

[ktgrok]

Small update...we've had a cardinal almost every day, and once his lady friend stopped by too. (she stayed in the tree...it seems the men feed the ladies in courting season). But that's it. And the darned squirrels are dumping seed everywhere. They pick through it to find what they want and dump the rest on the ground!!!! I don't think I'd mind if they weren't being so darned messy. 

 

I got a baffle for $5, we will see if that helps. I tried putting in only safflower seeds (which the cardinal likes but squirrels don't) but the bag has a few random sunflower seeds in it and the squirrels are more than wiling to just scoop out the safflower to find the random sunflower seeds. GRRR! 

 

I looked at the feeders with the weighted springs, that snap shut if a squirrel lands on them, but one reviewer said that a cardinal got decapitated by the thing, when it was feeding and another bird landed on the perch next to him. NOT what I want at my window!

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

If the baffle doesn't help, I can recommend one that has worked for us. Also, have you tried a window feeder? We have this one, and we really love seeing the birds up close. It's also almost impossible for squirrels to get to (our living room is on an upper level), so we never have an issue there. I don't mind feeding the squirrels either, but I very much mind feeding ONLY the stupid squirrels! We have a teardrop-shaped glass feeder in the yard, and until I put the baffle on, it wasn't at all unusual to look out and see the feeder with only a long squirrel tail hanging out of it. Apparently the inside fits one squirrel just right  :glare:

Edited April 27, 2016 by ILiveInFlipFlops

[ktgrok]

Thanks. I just put the baffle on. I'd been waiting for my husband to do it but watching so much seed spill on the ground lit a fire under my butt and I did it myself. Hoping it works. If they climb the pole rather than come from above I may need a second one. 

 

I'm not sure the birds would find one on the window. There is a fence a few feet from the window, so it's a narrow corridor and if the feeder was on the window and under the eaves I don't know that they would see it. 

[Happy]

We do get butterflies...the kids were chasing one the other day (Common Buckeye). I would like to plant some more stuff over near the feeder, particularly butterfly friendly plants, so that we can watch them from the window. As for our yard...it's uh...a mess. At least from a human point of view. Lots of weeds. Probably why we have butterflies :)

Instead of calling them weeds, try calling them bio-diverse plantings. :)

 

The two times I've seen a painted bunting was when I was behind on weeding the flowerbed near the bedroom window and had a nice --ahem--crop of grassy weeds. PBs love grassy weeds...and they are the most beautiful birds.