I want to feed the birds!

[swan_purple]

But I live in a very popular cat area and I am concerned about luring birds in to one specific place in my garden and the cat coming out and grabbing it. Are there any ideas about this? I'd feel awful if I lured a bird to its death!!!

We have a yellow woodpecker that comes into our garden sometimes and I've just got a bee in my bonnet about feeding it!!!

xoxo.

[Maydup]

Hi Swan - Congratulations on having a local woodpecker visit and be safe in the knowledge that teh cats will not kill it butu neither will it touch bird food.

The green/yellow ones feed on ants in the ground and mostly in the lawn. They won't eat anything you provide and are obviously dodging the cats quite well already.

If you put a feeder up for the bluetits and sparrows etc, hang it away from anything that a cat can climb up and you'll be fine. They can wait underneath it all they like but they'll never catch the birdie!

[swan_purple]

Hello Maidup- Oh I didn't realise it wouldn't touch food at all, I did notice that it was being very busy pecking at my lawn!

I'll have to have a think about the safest place to put a feeder for the others, we do get plenty of birds here and I'd like to give them food if I can!

Thank you for replying :-)

[T&S]

You can get some bird feeders that you can stick to the outside of a window. Failing that, a simple bracket on your outside wall with a bird feeder hanging will get a few visitors.

[ladybirder]

The ones that stick on your window are brilliant and the birds are pretty safe there AND you get a brilliant view of them feeding. Remember cats can shin up trees very quickly and easily. This time if the year and the coming months are when the newly fledged chicks are about and they are not street-wise and are easy prey for predators. Make sure your feeders are near cover (a nice thick bush) so that they can hide quickly when danger appears.
Regarding the woodpecker. Green Woodpeckers will eat freeze dried ants eggs that are used for fish food. You could sprinkle those on the ground where it usually feeds.
Enjoy your birdwatching, it will give you so much pleasure. Oh, and if the cats are a nuisance, get a dog:-)

[rowanwitch]

feeder with built in tray so food doesn't drop to the foor high from the ground and close to some trees or shrubs so they can fly into them for safety. The feeders on long poles are good... try the RSPB online shop

[swan_purple]

Thanks so much guys, i have ordered a window stick-on bird feeder and have bought some general bird seed. Looking forward to setting it up and hopefully making some feathered friends!

[boxtops]

TBH we used to have a tall bird-feeder, but it was too much temptation for the six cats who live here and next door. We now have a pair of blackbirds and a pair of wrens who tend to quarter the garden early in the morning, before the cats get up. Feeding birds in the daytime was like dinner on a stick for the catz!

[swan_purple]

Boxtops - i am very concerned about that. The cat nextdoor is an especially good hunter! I plan to stick the feeder on an upstairs window to hopefully avoid any nasty cat-bird situations! There will be nothing for the cat to climb up, there is just flat wall, so hopefully...!

[ladybirder]

Early morning is the worst time for birds to be taken by a cat. They are very hungry after the long night and can be less careful of their safety in their eagerness to feed. Many cats are left out all night and have a field day as soon as the birds start feeding, especially the young inexperienced babies. It's one of the reasons I never left my cats out all night.

[ladybirder]

swan that'll be fine up there. But sunflowers hearts would be a really good thing to fill them up with. X