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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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will put my hands up and admit i know nothing about them, what's the easiest way to encourage them into my garden?
Only thing i'm worried about is the amount of cats that live around the area..
Do i start off with a few feeders and hand them off my washing line or shall i get a bird table. Ive a lovely long grassed garden and want to encourage wildlife into it.
All idea's welcomed 
Just hope im not attracting birds so that cats can get an easy meal  |
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A pole feeder is best, cats will be unable to climb it and you can place it away from trees and fences to stop them jumping on the birds.
You can then hang a variety of feeders off it.
Favourites are fat balls, sunflower hearts, niger seed and fine mixed seed. You can even put out live food such as meal worms or dried versions as well. |
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Have a look in your local range or garden centre, you don't need to spend loads of money and it's brilliant when you get regular visitors to your garden, a small bird books also handy to help identify them, just chase cats off as you see them, Z |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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winter is the best time to attract birds as they are hungry..put feeders in a place near trees if you can as makes them feel safer..also a bird bath is good as they need to bath so a bath and food sauce is good.not all birds feed from feeders.many feed of the seeds dropped on the floor..different seeds attract different birds so read up on whats what..good luck and enjoy |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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If you hang feeders up high and not next to an access point cats shouldnt be a problem, same with positioning a bird table.A few feeders with different things attracts different birds, as does putting stuff on a table or the ground, and some water is a great attraction. I have fat ball ,seed and nut feeders and a table and a bird bath. Beware though you will become part of a vital eco system once you start you cant stop feeding birds as they will come to rely on it. I have planted some plants that cats hate and occaisionally used a water pistol to dis courage cats, i now have a relativly cat free garden and one that is visited daily by about 20 types of bird, oh another warning you may get a bit nerdy about it! xxx |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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was thinking the gardens main purpose is to keep my one entertained but there's a lower section of the garden which is a bit lumpy and bumpy for her at the moment. so was hoping to put a pole feeder & bird bath. There is one tree that i see magpies in, but ive heard they are bullys of the birdie world
Ive already got some plants potted up to hopefully encourage insects for the summer time. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"also realise that an easy food supply will also attract vermin so dont chase away all the cats "
i wouldnt purposely chase away a cat, just aware that there are lots of kitty cats round here |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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make tape recording of various bird songs and then play it loud in your garden to attract the bird.also put some rubber ducks and other plastic life like birds around the lawn.also plenty of of bread.birds like bread.hovis is a big favourite.hope this advice helps. |
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I have six cats, but get a wide range of birds in the garden (and not too many fatalities). Just make sure feeders are not accessible to the cats. Lots of things you can buy to feed them, seeds, grains, fat balls. I also cut up old bread and use it to soak up fat out of pans/grill...the birds love it and I don't have to worry about my drains. They're also very partial to cheese and apples. If you get robins....get some meal worms (pet shops/garden centres....I had one last year that would fly down to meet me and sit on my hand. |
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Don't leave any bags of bird food out in the shed, as any little mousey friends will find it for sure.
Usually just peanuts in a feeder hanging from bird table, though a new cat that now jumps onto the table, so had to block the table to stop it sitting and waiting. I prefer the peanuts as they don't seed if they drop to the ground.
The birds tend to appear on a nearby tree and have a look around before feeding. Also have seen them drinking from the pond.
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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i did notice a fair few robins around here during the winter, i don't live too far from the woods so hopefully that will have a few variety's of birds.
Im looking forward to getting things set up now, i'm not expecting amazing results for this year.. but we'll see what happens |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"Of course you need to be careful you don't attract rats.
If one discovers you have grub in your garden he tells all his rat friends (and some select mice) and pretty soon you have a rat party!"
of course i wouldn't mind attracting a monkey to my garden |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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when we living in Greenhithe last year we had a Peregrine Falcon catch and eat a pigeon in our garden. There's a few of them nesting in the old chalk quarrys near Bluewater. got some great pix of it. It had no fear at all |
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I'm not that keen on the feathery bastards to be honest.
I have this geet big fat Owl that sits on a tree every night and shits on my car. Honest its the size of human shit! Dirty boggley eyed bastard!
My bats however or a delight! Its nearly the right time of year for them, come twilight they will chase each other round in circles above my house, I love the crazy lil fellas. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"I'm not that keen on the feathery bastards to be honest.
I have this geet big fat Owl that sits on a tree every night and shits on my car. Honest its the size of human shit! Dirty boggley eyed bastard!
My bats however or a delight! Its nearly the right time of year for them, come twilight they will chase each other round in circles above my house, I love the crazy lil fellas."
clearly the owl thinks your car is crap .. i just get annoyed when i hang my washing out or just clean my car and then seagulls just attack it with poop ... if only we could bi-carb the scavengers lol |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"the elephant is a prety bird it flits from bough to bough it makes its nest in a rhubarb tree and whistles like a cow  "
we had one of those in our cherry tree. we never spotted him at first..sneaky bastard put red nail varnish on his toes |
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"I'm not that keen on the feathery bastards to be honest.
I have this geet big fat Owl that sits on a tree every night and shits on my car. Honest its the size of human shit! Dirty boggley eyed bastard!
My bats however or a delight! Its nearly the right time of year for them, come twilight they will chase each other round in circles above my house, I love the crazy lil fellas.
clearly the owl thinks your car is crap .. i just get annoyed when i hang my washing out or just clean my car and then seagulls just attack it with poop ... if only we could bi-carb the scavengers lol"
would you like to take back the gulls what have decide to live in brum now up all night never stop bloody noisey things |
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