Slate Roof Bird Tables? Top Answer Update

Use wood that will not split or disintegrate when wet – sustainably sourced, exterior grade plywood 0.5cm to 1cm thick is ideal.

Any cheap piece of solid wood makes an excellent bird table.

There is no maximum size, but don’t make the table too small or the birds will fight and the shyer species will be kept away: 30cm x 50cm is about right.

A rim of about 1 cm around the edge prevents food from being bumped or blown away. Leave gaps at the corners to allow rain to drain and make cleaning easier.

Before assembly, sand it smooth to remove crevices that may harbor dirt and disease. It is best to leave the table untreated. If it needs treatment to extend its life, use a water-based preservative and ensure it is dry before use.

A few nails or hooks in the edges of the table are useful for hanging nut or seed food or fat balls.

A roof provides some protection (from rain, snow, and hunting sparrowhawks) to feeding birds. Some birds even sleep on a table with a roof at night. It also provides a dry place for seed bins and nut bins. However, a roof can discourage the shyer and larger species from visiting, and in most cases an open table really does do just as well.

Download a plan to build your bird table. (JPG, 74KB)

If possible, set up several different feeders to reduce the number of birds in one location, and move your feeders around regularly to prevent a build-up of bird seed and droppings that might contaminate the ground below. You can find more information on the hygienic maintenance of feeding tables here.

A well-stocked bird table is one of the easiest ways to attract birds to your garden. But with so many styles and designs on the market, it can be difficult to know which one to buy.

These tips will help you think about what to consider when choosing the perfect bird house for your garden.

size

Make sure your bird table is big enough. If it’s too small, you’ll likely see more fighting than feeding, as birds generally don’t like crowded areas, so choose a bird table with a feeding platform of about 3-4 square feet.

A very large bird table is more attractive to predators like squirrels and rats. You may also find it occupied by a neighborhood cat who will enjoy watching the birds in your yard from an elevated position.

If you have a very small garden or just a patio or balcony, you can buy a hanging bird table. They take up less space than a post-mounted bird table and can be hidden in trees and shrubs, making them more attractive to smaller, secretive birds.

material

Most birdhouses are made out of wood and while wooden birdhouses are still popular, you can now find tables made out of other materials like metal, plastic, polycarbonate and even glass.

Birdhouses made from more modern materials are often easier to maintain and better withstand the elements. This means they can last longer than wooden bird feeders, which can rot over time no matter how well they are treated and cared for. If you have a contemporary or urban garden, a more modern style bird table might just fit the bill.

When choosing a wooden bird house, make sure that it is made from FSC-certified wood. FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council and wood marked with the tick tree logo comes from forests that meet high environmental and social standards.

construction

Cheap, poorly constructed feeders can pose a hazard to birds. Moving or “shearing” joints could pinch them, and sharp, unfinished edges could injure their feet. Poor quality bird tables are unlikely to last long in the UK weather, so choose a well made bird table that is built to last.

roof

Most bird feeders come with a roof. They are an essential part of a bird feeder and help keep the feed fresh and dry and can prevent larger birds from eating all of the feed before smaller birds get a chance. You may even find that some birds use the bird table as a roost at night to hide under the roof to keep warm.

A slate roof is an ideal choice; it looks attractive and is durable in all weather conditions, channeling rain to protect the wood underneath. Slate also adds some weight to your bird table to prevent it from being blown over in very windy weather.

Thatched roof bird feeders can look particularly attractive in country style gardens and are inherently waterproof. In spring, however, your rustic bird table may start to get a bit shabby as breeding birds remove the straw to build their nests.

Some bird feeders have a nest box in the roof, but these are not recommended. They are unlikely to be used and encouraging birds to forage near a nesting area is not best practice.

You could choose a bird table without a roof. Birds will be just as happy to feed on an open platform, and it’s easier to remove old food from a table without a roof. However, you will find that food spoils faster in both sun and rain, and you will have a harder time deterring larger birds if that is your goal.

drainage

A roof has limited water retention capabilities, so make sure your feeding alley has adequate drainage to prevent feed from getting wet and spoiling.

If there are no drainage holes in the platform, you will need to drill a few yourself. And although some bird tables include a bird bath in the tabletop, we wouldn’t recommend buying one of these as birds tend to splash water everywhere when drinking or bathing; Use a separate bird bath instead.

post

A smooth, straight post is one of the best defenses against uninvited guests accessing the bird table platform, so avoid rustic, carved, or knobbly posts that are easy for paws to grab. Squirrels will have trouble climbing a metal or plastic post, and cats will find it virtually impossible.

If you think predators might be a problem, slip a length of plastic drainpipe or similar over the post, or fit a baffle or guard to make it unattached.

Ideally, the post should be about 5-6 feet long. Birds may feel vulnerable when feeding on a table near the ground, so don’t choose a perch that’s too short. On the other hand, if your bird table is too tall, you will find it difficult to keep it filled and clean.

base

Don’t overlook the design of the base of your bird house. A wide, heavy base keeps your bird table from tipping over. If your bird table doesn’t feel very stable, you may need to secure it to the ground with stabilizing anchor pins or something makeshift like sandbags or bricks.

But with prices ranging from £20 to over £100, it can be difficult to know which bird tables are worth the money. The best bird feeder needs to be easy to assemble and clean, and most importantly, provide a safe place for birds to feed when food is scarce.

With over 620 species of birds flying around the UK it’s understandable that we would want to invite more into our gardens and a quality bird table can be the first step in achieving this.

Food is hardest to come by during the colder months and birds benefit most from a feeding table with a regular supply of food. High-fat feed helps birds maintain their fat stores during this time, while protein-rich seeds such as black sunflower seeds are more beneficial for moulting in warmer summers.

All bird feeders below have been handpicked by our experts and include a variety of floor feeders, stylish hanging feeders and metal mounted designs to prevent squirrels from reaching the feed.

The style and size of bird house you buy will depend on the birds you want to attract. For example, blackbirds, wrens and robins prefer to feed on the ground and therefore require a ground bird table. Other structures may have low or adjustable roofs to deter larger birds such as wood pigeons while allowing smaller birds to visit. For more ways to encourage wildlife in your yard, check out our picks for the best hedgehog houses and bat boxes.

Below is our pick of the 10 best bird tables.

How to choose the best bird table

Birdhouses of different shapes and sizes attract different birds. The classic hanging bird houses, for example, are often suitable for small birds such as finches and sparrows, which like to sit down to eat. In comparison, ground level bird feeders attract blackbirds and wrens.

The RSPB recommends purchasing a bird table that is at least 3-4 square feet, as a smaller table is likely to result in fighting between birds.

The material from which it is made should also be considered. Most bird feeders are made out of wood, which looks the most natural, but they can also be made out of metal, plastic, and polycarbonate. Metal bars can also deter predators as cats and squirrels have difficulty climbing them.

There are four main types of bird feeders to consider.

Mounted: Usually mounted on a wood or metal post, the bird table should be between 4-6 feet off the ground. Many have a cruciform base to reduce the chance of falling over.

Hanging: Wire or a light metal chain should be attached to each corner of the table and hung from a clothesline or branch. To avoid the table rotating, the wire must be hung from more than one point.

Bottom tray: Birds such as blackbirds, robins, and wrens prefer to feed near the bottom. This should be mounted a little off the ground to avoid damaging the grass below.

Windowsill: Slightly more unusual, but some bird tables can be attached to windowsills with angle brackets.

How to attach a bird table to the floor

A mounted bird table has two ways of attaching it to the ground. It can be easily driven into the grass by itself, or it comes with a cross-shaped base that needs to be secured with pegs.

Any post without a base should be driven at least a foot into the ground to make it stable. For cruciform bases, the feeding tables should be bolted to the ground or secured with rocks (or other heavy objects) to prevent them from falling over in the wind.

Be sure to place your bird table in a quiet and sheltered spot, away from the wind and out of direct sunlight. If possible, it should be near a viewpoint, e.g. B. a small bush so that the birds have a place nearby to flee to if disturbed.

10 of the best bird tables to buy

Would you like to encourage a greater variety of birds to visit your garden? Browse our list of the best bird tables below.

1 Bempton Hanging Bird Table

Designed to attract small tits and finches, the Bempton hanging bird table is just 30cm high, 18cm wide and 18cm deep. Featuring intricate woodwork in a distressed green finish and a verdigris copper roof, the bird table is stylish and is best hung from a branch.

Price: £36.99

Buy the Bempton Hanging Bird Table from GardenBird

2 RSPB Adjustable bird table

The RSPB Adjust-table Bird Table ensures that only smaller birds fit in this feeder. The table slides up and down the center pole to allow for three different roof heights. This allows you to deter larger birds such as wood pigeons if you wish, and the roof is removable for easy cleaning.

Price: £120

Buy an adjustable bird table from RSPB

3 RSPB Country Barn Bird Table

Crafted from FSC-certified wood, this bird table has a wide 35cm tray to give the birds plenty of space to feed and rest when needed. A recycled plastic shell is removable for easy cleaning and the base is wide to support the impressive rural barn design.

Price: £110

Buy Country Barn Bird Table at RSPB

4 RSPB Open Bird Table

The Open Bird Table is a simple design, made in the UK from FSC certified wood. The table has a removable tray at the top for easy cleaning and is supported by a solid wood post with additional supports under the feeding platform for extra stability.

Price: £50

Buy Open Bird Table at RSPB

5 Hove wall mounted bird table

Designed to be mounted on a wall or fence, this bird table has been treated with an antibacterial coating to prevent the spread of disease between birds. The felt roof and dining bowl have been designed to allow water to drain and it is handcrafted in the UK.

Price: £32.99

Buy the Hove Wall Mounted Bird Table from Amazon

6 Fineway Nordic feeding table for birds

The contemporary design of Fineway’s Nordic Bird Feeder features a three-pronged stabilizer designed to penetrate the ground and prevent it from tipping over in inclement weather. It is made from pre-treated wood and galvanized metal for added weather protection.

Price: £29.99

Buy Fineway Nordic Bird Feeding Table on Amazon

7 RSPB Ground Feeding Table & Feed Offer

For birds like blackbirds, thrushes and wrens that prefer to feed near the ground try this simple wooden ground feeder from RSPB. It has four sections for different bird feeders, and each one has a drain to prevent the feeders from getting soggy. This table also comes with 1kg of insects and 900g of no-grow soil mix so you can feed your feathered friends as soon as you receive them.

Price: £27.23

Buy the RSPB ground feeding table and feed range from the RSPB

8 National Trust hanging bird table

We love this attractive bird table made from FSC certified eco-friendly wood. The simple design suits both contemporary and more traditional gardens. As it can be hung anywhere in the garden it’s great if you’re short on space or need to get it out of the way and it’s a great price.

Price: £14.99

Shop the National Trust Hanging Bird Table from CJ Wildlife

9 Astoria bird table

If you have a lot of birds around, the Astoria bird table is a good choice. The generous split level design helps avoid overcrowding while providing a large surface area for birds to feed on and the roof keeps visitors and feed dry.

Price: £89.99

Shop the Astoria Bird Table from CJ Wildlife

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This product guide was last updated in June 2022 and we apologize if anything has changed in price or availability.

Does bird seed attract vermin into the garden?

Bird seed attracts rats and mice. You may have heard this many times, but does feeding birds really attract bugs to your yard?

We all want to do our best and help wildlife – that’s why so many of us feed birds. On the other hand, rats and mice are known to transmit diseases and can be quite destructive, so we don’t want them in our gardens. Is there an easy way to bypass this age-old problem?

Does Birdseed Attract Bugs?

A simple answer to that…yes – bird seed can attract bugs, but there are things you can do to reduce long-tailed visitors and make them less of a problem.

Mice and rats are scavengers and opportunistic eaters, so we can’t blame them for eating birdseed. It’s just their natural behavior as they will feed on almost anything they can get in their little mittens and if we leave them plenty of food outside they will naturally eat it.

Please also remember that feeding birds does not automatically end up with bugs in your garden. Many people skip birdseed and never even see a mustache. However, you may have the odd mouse or rat pass, but this may not develop into a problem.

You also need to consider the fact that there are likely creatures lurking in your yard whether you provide birdseed or not. Densely overgrown gardens, country gardens and inner city gardens are likely to have mice or rats in them at some point. You just might not see them unless they brazenly eat birdseed.

Bird seed doesn’t attract bugs to your yard that much—if you have bugs, they’re already there. Bird seed might just lure them out more often, and since you probably have bird feeders in a spot where you can see them, you’ll of course notice the bugs too.

Does bird seed leak and attract rats?

Birdseed spoils if not eaten. The good news is that if the birds don’t want to eat it, chances are the mice and rats won’t either. Most of the time, animals have an instinct for “bad” food and avoid it.

Because bird seed is a natural product, it has a shelf life and will deteriorate after a few weeks exposed to light and exposure to the elements (especially rain or snow). Stale bird seed should be avoided anyway, not just because you’re worried about mice or rats – if a bird eats spoiled bird seed it can potentially make it quite ill.

Remember to discard uneaten food and give your bird feeders and tables a thorough clean between feedings.

Practicing good hygiene in the garden is always a good idea anyway, because if bugs have been visiting your bird feeders at night, a good cleaning will keep everything sanitized.

How to stop rats and mice from eating birdseed

One of the main reasons you will see rats or mice eating bird seed is that it is easily accessible. Make it harder for them and they’ll probably care less.

Rats are excellent climbers (really amazing if you’ve ever observed one!), but they’re more likely to be attracted to birdseed that has fallen to the ground.

Make sure there is no clutter, dropped food or discarded bowls on the floor around your feeder. By removing this food source, the rats will likely go elsewhere. There are a number of ways you can reduce spills on the floor:

Do not overfill bowls or feeders and fill up indoors where spills can be easily cleaned up

Use good quality bird seed. Cheaper bird mixes are likely to contain “fillers” that birds don’t like. Have you ever noticed that birds sift through their food and throw pieces on the ground? Yes, this is cheap bird seed.

Use unshelled birdseed. While birds love black sunflower seeds, they discard the shells on the ground and only eat the inner part. If you have a bug problem, avoid black sunflower hearts. Read our guide to sunflower seeds for alternatives.

Use the correct feeder for the type of food you are offering. For small seeds like niger seeds, you will need to put them in a feeder designed for that type of feed. The automatic feeder has smaller feeding holes so that the feed does not fall out.

If you find that the rats and mice are so determined to eat the bird that they have started climbing poles on tables or bird feeders, there are a few things you can do to prevent this behavior.

Some people swear by smearing rods with petroleum jelly! This means bugs will not be able to grab the surface to climb up your pole.

You can buy or craft something called a “deflector” to deter climbing pests. These are often sold to deter squirrels, but many are effective against all types of pests.

Place your bird feeder away from other objects such as trees or sheds, as rats may jump or reach over to get bird seed.

In addition to these tips, you should also try to make your garden less pest-friendly. We’re not assuming your yard is full of litter, but if you have litter in the yard and are concerned about rats… your problem might be there! Make sure trash cans are out of the way and locked securely. Even leaving plastic bags of trash can be attractive to rats, as they will chew through bags if they think there’s something tasty inside.

If you’re worried about bugs taking up residence in your yard, in addition to general garbage hauling, you can make it more difficult by removing cozy hiding spots. For example big piles of branches or corners full of flower pots etc. They can also block entrances to areas where they might be hiding. They usually hide under sheds, so make sure the bottom of your shed is inaccessible to them.

If the problem becomes a big problem, you can try withholding birdseed for a few weeks. This is not ideal as the birds will suffer, but a break from feeding can be enough to encourage vermin to move to new pastures.

Finally, try to keep the problem in perspective. If you see a rat or a mouse occasionally… is that such a big problem? Seeing the strange creatures can only mean they are in transit and as long as you practice good hygiene there should be no risk to you or the birds.

Pigeons are birds, right? So if we want to feed garden birds, shouldn’t we also be happy to feed pigeons? Hmm, well maybe, to a point. But if you’ve ever become popular with your local pigeon population, you’ll know there’s a moment when you just think, “Enough!” If you’ve reached that point, then read on.

This will prevent pigeons from eating all of your bird seed.

Why are pigeons a problem?

Pigeons are birds, wild animals, part of nature. So why do we see them as a problem?

Unlike many of our other bird species, pigeons are very successful. Their number is increasing. In London alone there are more than 1 million pigeons. The clue is in the name. The person who decided to make “pig” the first part of their name had watched them feed them. They eat a lot, they eat fast, and they generally don’t stop until it’s all gone. This means that feeding the birds once the pigeons have moved in can cost you a small fortune. More importantly, they don’t share. Pigeons wait for you to put out food and then suck it up, leaving nothing for the smaller birds. They scare off smaller birds. Pigeons are much larger than many of our garden birds, and while they are not apt to attack other birds, they are intimidating. Smaller birds often won’t come to your feeders when pigeons are around. They bring their friends with them. There is never just one pigeon, they are friendly birds that visit in groups. Once they know you’re providing food, the groups seem to get bigger and bigger. They hang around. Pigeons don’t just seem to eat and walk. They hang around, presumably to see if you’ll offer them anything else of interest. They are loud. They seem to be cooing non-stop, and while this might seem like a sweet, relaxing sound at first, it quickly drives you insane when repeated for hours. They are easily startled, and the sound of five out of six of them escaping your lawn is quite something. And if you have an attic bedroom like me, the sound of a big fat pigeon coming in for a heavy landing and then skittering over your head at 4am on a summer morning can get pretty annoying. They’re full of shit. Despite what you may have heard, pigeon droppings are no more dangerous from a health perspective than any other bird’s droppings. There’s just more of it. Because they’re larger birds (and maybe because they eat so much), pigeons seem to produce a lot of poo. Finding it on your laundry, your patio furniture, in the bird bath is no fun at all.

As you can see, there are many good reasons why you wouldn’t want pigeons around.

Let’s look at how to make them less welcome.

Choosing the right feeders

Pigeons like to eat on the ground. They need a horizontal surface to land on and cannot cling to vertical or angled surfaces to feed. This should give us some clues as to what type of feed is unattractive to pigeons.

Straight sided hanging feeders are the most difficult for pigeons to feed directly, if they have small perches, all the better.

BUT crafty pigeons will try to tip these and spill the seed onto the ground where they will happily suck it up.

You can buy pigeon-proof feeders surrounded by cages that are too small for pigeons to access but wide enough to allow small birds to feed.

BUT many people have found that the wire cage on the outside makes it easier for the pigeons to tip it over and scatter the seed on the ground.

A practical option is spring-loaded bird feeders, which close the feeding holes a little heavier than a small bird.

The same goes for arched and window mounted feeders like this one. The holes are just too small for a pigeon to squeeze through.

food on the floor

You may want to store your hanging feeders for the blue tits and other small birds that love them. You may also want to provide food on the ground for blackbirds and others who prefer to feed there.

But how do you keep the pigeons away?

Pretty easy actually. You need a cage that will let seeds and small birds in but keep pigeons out.

You could use an inverted hanging basket or buy one.

The main things to consider are:

Make sure your cage is appropriately sized, at least 20 inches wide. Otherwise, although a whole pigeon may not be able to get in, the eating end will, tearing up all your seeds.

hold it tight Fix the cage to the floor or the pigeons will just push it out of the way. Tent pegs or these would work well.

The other strategy that works quite well for bottom feeders is to toss the food into your borders or dense bushes. Although the pigeons will try to get these, they are much less agile than the smaller birds, so smaller birds tend to get more of the food.

Protect your bird table

Amazon does not offer a bird table that is pigeon-proof either. But there are several DIY solutions and pigeon repellents that you could try.

Make a cage out of chicken wire. Try surrounding your table with chicken wire and leave a hinged opening on one side for you to get inside. If the holes in your wire are about 4cm wide, small birds should be able to access the table but pigeons cannot.

Make a fence. String or wire hanging from the ceiling of your feeding table at 4cm intervals should serve the same purpose as the chicken wire. We’ve also seen sticks stuck into the ground around the table for the same purpose. It doesn’t look pretty, but apparently it does the job.

Try out some bird tips. Bird spikes look awful and I’d be nervous about using them. But supposedly they don’t harm birds, just discourage them from landing. Therefore, spikes on the top, even at the edges of the feed table, should deter the pigeons that like to land there, while the smaller birds fly straight to the feed. You might also want to try some of these on your roof if the pigeons like to sit up there waiting for you to appear with dinner.

The right food

Would it surprise you to know that pigeons love junk food? Probably not. Pigeons like sunflower seeds in shell, corn, millet – all those things that go into cheaper seed mixes to bulk them up.

You are not so enthusiastic about:

So the more you can focus on these foods and buy the best seed mix, the less interested your pigeons will be.

If you can’t beat them, feed them

We are a gentle touch in our household. And I suppose the pigeons know. So we feed them. But we have a cunning plan.

We have cheap seed mix and cheap bread. We throw some of it on the ground in the front yard. The pigeons descend. Then we crawl around the back and put the goodies out for our other garden birds.

It works reasonably well. The little birds look in before the pigeons arrive. And we don’t spend a lot of money on pigeon feed.

If you can’t get rid of the pigeons, either because there are just too many in your area, or because you’re a gentle person like us, then offering cheap feed far away from your main feeding grounds is a good compromise.

Conclusion

Pigeons do not spread disease any more than any other bird, and they do not attack other birds. But they can monopolize your feeder. This means smaller birds may be deterred or not given a chance to get the food they need.

You can make your yard less pigeon friendly by choosing the right feeders and feeders. Or give your smaller birds a chance by feeding pigeons in another part of the garden whatever junk food they prefer.

Pigeons are far too numerous for us to hope to completely get rid of them from our gardens. But by following a few simple steps, you can give your other birds a shot at the feeders and save yourself some money.

We hope you enjoyed this article and found it useful. If you have any questions or ideas on how to keep pigeons away from your bird feeders, we’d love to hear them. Leave us a comment below.

And to read more about wildlife and garden birds, check out our bird blog here.

The best way to secure a bird table to the ground is with anchor pegs. Anchor pegs can be easily tucked into the lawn or perimeter, keeping the bird table secure and allowing you to easily move it around if needed. It is difficult to attach a freestanding bird feeder to a patio or pavement without damaging the surface, so it may be better to choose a different bird feeding option for this type of garden.

As of this writing we have weather warnings for storms throughout next week. With climate change, high winds and harsh weather are becoming a commonplace for us here in the UK.

High winds wreak havoc in the garden and there’s nothing worse than looking out the window and seeing your bird table on the ground. For starters, having to keep picking it up is a fagot. And finally, if it keeps falling over and over again, it will be damaged.

So this week we’re taking a quick look at the best ways to secure your bird table to the ground to save time and prevent damage.

How to secure a bird table to the ground

Before we get into fixing your table to the floor, there are a few other things to consider.

Choosing the right bird table.

Buying a new bird table will save you time and hassle in the long run by choosing one that is less likely to tip over and that is easier to secure to the ground.

Choose a stable, reasonably heavy table, light, flimsy models will be blown over at the first gust of wind.

If you want it to stay upright, the base of your birdhouse should be wider than the top. It should also be difficult. Some models feature twist-out feet for added stability.

flat feet. Check for flat feet on a new feeding table. These offer additional stability and make it easier to attach the table to the floor.

Not too big. A tall bird table can be an impressive garden feature. But the higher the table, the more likely it is to tip over. If you have a lot of shelter in your yard, then you might be okay with a very tall bird table. If your garden is more exposed, stick to something smaller. Most birds are perfectly happy feeding on a table 4 or 5 feet high.

Choose the right position

Before you decide where to place your bird table, take a moment to think about how the wind blows through your garden. Most gardens have windy spots and more sheltered areas.

If you can choose a place that is sheltered from the wind for your bird table, it will be less likely to fall over. The birds also prefer to feed in more sheltered areas.

It seems obvious to say, but we’re going to do it because we’ve seen it done: don’t put your bird table on a slope!

Prepare the site

After you have decided where you want to place your new bird table, prepare the site.

Make sure the site is level. Even minimal bumps can make your bird table unstable, especially if it’s a tall one. Check your site with a spirit level and level it if it’s uneven.

Cut or remove the grass. Most people choose to place their bird table on the lawn. If you go this route, trim the grass very tightly before setting up the table. This helps with stability. Some people even remove the sod just below the table and replace it with a piece of sand or gravel. This means you don’t have to move the table every time you cut the grass.

Secure your bird table

If you set up your bird table on the lawn or in a flower bed, it is best to secure it to the ground with pegs.

These are cheap and easy to use. Simply insert the anchor pegs into the ground over the legs of your table.

They’re also easy to pull up when you need to move your table to cut grass, pull weeds, or any other reason.

These pegs get the job done with minimal cost or hassle and really are a no-brainer.

tackle hard surfaces

Anchoring pegs are a treat for securing your bird table in a lawn or border. But what if you have a courtyard or covered garden?

It will be even more important to secure the table as it will take more damage if it falls. But securing is much more difficult.

Your only option is really to bolt the table to the floor. This is a bit of a DIY job and it means the position of your bird table is permanently fixed, you have no way of changing its position once it is bolted down.

Driving bolts through paving slabs or decking boards will also damage the surface. That’s something you might not want, and if you’re renting, your landlord certainly won’t want it.

So if you have a decked or paved garden, the traditional freestanding wooden bird table might not be your best option. Luckily, there are many other attractive and practical bird feeding options that might work well.

A wall or fence mounted bird table is safe in even the strongest of winds when properly installed.

A hanging bird table can be a good option if you have a sturdy tree. Again, once tied properly in place, it won’t fall in the wind, although it sure will rock around a fair bit!

A pole mounted feeder can be placed in the center of a large planter or container and is an attractive freestanding feature without damaging your paving or patio.

Conclusion: It is best to secure your bird table with pegs on the ground

So in this article, we’ve seen that it’s easy to fix an overturned bird feeder problem by choosing the right bird feeder, choosing the right position, preparing the bottom, and getting a set of anchor pegs.

We’ve also seen that lawn is probably the best surface for a free-standing bird table. If you have a covered or paved garden, it will be difficult to attach your table to the pumpkin without damaging your hard landscape. So it’s probably better to choose a different feeding option for your garden.

We hope you found this article interesting and useful. If you have a suggestion or question, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below.

And for advice and information, take a look at our garden bird blog here.

Here are a few things to check before filling a nectar feeder:

Check that the bottom trays are tight. Push the container into the base to close the openings and prevent leakage. Unscrew the lid to fill it with nectar. Screw the cap back on securely to form an airtight seal. We recommend leaving the feeder in the closed position until you get to where you want to hang it. For Perky-Pet ® Top Fill Feeders – Open the nectar container by holding the bottom with one hand and pulling the container up with the other to open the openings for feeding. Your feeder is now ready.

Hang your bird feeder

A sheltered southeast orientation is best for hanging a bird feeder, as birds like to feed in the sun and out of the wind. Birds also prefer to have a clear view over their feeding area so they can see any predators.

If this is the first bird feeder in your yard, you may have to wait several weeks for the birds to discover it. To help them find the bird feeder faster, place a shiny cake pan with some seeds in it under the bird feeder to attract birds in flight. Black oil sunflower seeds are popular with most birds. Water is also a natural attractant.

Hang your bird feeder away from trees, bushes, fences or buildings. Squirrels and other predators can use these to climb or jump onto the feeder. If you must hang the bird feeder from a tree, keep it at least two meters away from the trunk or branches.

Install a clear Perky-Pet ® Squirrel Deflector over the bird feeder to prevent squirrels from climbing down the wire used to hang the bird feeder. If you choose a freestanding pole, it should be 5 feet tall and 10 feet from the nearest tree.

Hummingbird feeders should be hung out of direct sunlight as the sun can spoil the nectar. They should also be hung away from windy areas and out of the reach of cats. If possible, place the hummingbird feeder in and around trumpet flowers. This will help attract more birds to your hummingbird feeder.

Perkypet.com is the top destination for finding quality wild bird feeders and supplies. Perky-Pet® and K-Feeders wild bird products are trusted brands for bird lovers around the world. Interact with nature, relax and build memories that will last a lifetime by conveniently ordering from perkypet.com. Happy bird feeding!

Blue Jay by Jake Publicover via Birdshare.

The two most important things to consider when deciding where to place your bird feeder are: can you see the bird feeder well and is the bird feeder in a safe location. The first of these is easy, but the second requires a little more planning. You should make sure the feeding station is in a location that is relatively safe from window collisions and predators.

Perhaps counterintuitively, bird feeders are safest when they’re near windows – because if a bird takes off from the feeder and hits the window, it’s not flying at top speed and has a better chance of surviving – so it’s best to avoid it to place feeders closer than 3 feet to a picture window (or even attached to the glass or window frame). It is estimated that window glass kills at least 100 million birds each year in the United States. Here you can find out more about the latest findings on window security from our magazine.

Feeding stations near natural shelters such as trees or shrubs provide birds with a resting place between feedings and a quick refuge if a goshawk flies through. Evergreens are ideal – their dense foliage buffers winter winds and provides year-round hiding places from predators.

However, be careful not to place your feeder too close to cover. Nearby branches can be jumping points for seed-hungry squirrels and hiding places for bird-hungry cats. A distance of about 10 feet seems like a good compromise, but try experimenting. You can provide roost and escape shelter for ground-dwelling birds like song sparrows and white-throated sparrows by providing loosely stacked clusters of bushes near your feeding sites. Learn more about safe feed placement from Project FeederWatch.

Best locations for hummingbird feeders

Hummingbird feeders should be placed out of the wind; a swaying feeder can spill sugar solution. Also, try to put them where they will be shaded most of the time, as the sugar solution will spoil quickly in the sun.

no birds?

When you first set up a feeder, you may not have feeders. Be patient – the native birds have yet to discover the new food source. As with any new restaurant, you may need to do a little advertising to get some customers. If no birds are visiting your seed feeder within a few days of setting it up, try scattering seeds on the ground nearby to make the feeder more visible. If birds congregate nearby but just won’t come to your feeding spot, sprinkle seeds between the preferred area and the feeding spot.

Also, if the seed blows out or gets wet in the feeder, it may be too exposed for birds to be comfortable. Try moving the feeder to a quieter, more sheltered location.

If the birds are still not coming, you may need more bird-friendly plants in your landscaping. You can get advice from someone who has a successful bird feeder in your area, or browse our bird-friendly homepages for many ideas specific to your area.

Bird Feeder Cage

Fallen Seed

Feed pigeons separately

Do not choose feeding pigeons

Nyjer seeds

fat balls

sunflower hearts

bird feeder

A bird feeder cage surrounds a feeder with a cage-like structure that contains holes that only allow smaller birds access to the food. Larger birds simply will not fit in the holes and therefore cannot use the bird feeder. These protective cages will help deter pigeons from accessing the food available in the bird feeder, but they won’t stop them from leaving your garden and cleaning up fallen seeds. They are also good for protecting bird feeders from squirrels who also cannot fit in the holes and access the bird feeder. One of the most important attractants for pigeons is shed seed from bird feeders. Pigeons are drawn to this simple meal and will return once they find a bird feeder that will drop bird seed on the ground and surrounding areas. Catching fallen seeds in a container that is not easily accessible to pigeons can stop pigeons before they become a problem in the garden. Bird Feeder Seed Catchers can be added to most types of bird feeders, these provide a bowl in which to collect fallen seeds. They usually sit just below the bird feeder, preventing anything from reaching the ground where pigeons are most likely to feed. These seed catchers also help reduce clutter in your garden and reduce the amount of food wasted by wild birds and other potential pests like rats. When food does spill on the ground, it’s important to clean it up as best you can and regularly to keep your yard safe, clean, and pest-free. Many people enjoy feeding the pigeons that visit their garden, but they just don’t want it to scare off or discourage other birds from visiting. By providing pigeons with their own food source outside of your main feeder, you can distract them while the other bird species can feed on your feeder. We recommend keeping the two feeding stations as far apart as possible. Keep your pigeon feeder close to the ground as they prefer to feed at this height and fill it with feed that pigeons will love. These include bread, oatmeal and corn. You may be surprised to learn that pigeons are not that fond of certain types of bird seed. By choosing these specific types of feeder pigeons, they are less likely to hang out near your bird feeder. Foods that pigeons dislike include: By following our steps, you can prevent pigeons from taking food away from the smaller birds. We recommend feeding the pigeons separately from the other birds and keeping your garden and the area around your bird feeder as clean as possible. This avoids problems with spoiled bird seed or other pests that might be attracted to dropped bird seed. We have a wide range of bird feeders available to buy online through our website as well as a selection of wild bird feeders so you can find the right combination to attract birds to your garden or outdoor space. Also check out our selection of bird tables and bird baths. By adding a water source to your garden, you can attract more birds and a greater variety of species looking for a drink, a bath, and food.

What is the best food for birds?

Different birds need different food to feed themselves. If you offer a variety of foods, you’re more likely to attract many species.

Household scraps such as pastries, cooked rice, and breadcrumbs are eaten by many garden birds. Fruit, especially bruised apples and pears, are loved by thrushes and blackbirds.

When buying bird seed, try to get a good mix of peanuts, seeds, and live foods like mealworms and waxworms. Then you should have something to offer all birds. Good ready mixes should contain sunflower seeds, crushed peanuts, corn flakes, and smaller seeds like millet.

How do I keep my bird feeders, feeding tables and bird baths clean?

When promoting wildlife in an area, hygiene is very important. Remember to keep bird feeders, feeding tables and bird baths clean to keep the birds that use them fit, healthy and disease free.

From ensuring you have the right gear and taking the right precautions to optimizing locations away from roosting, here are detailed guides and top tips.

What is the best food for birds in cold weather?

During cold snaps, your food supply can save birds’ lives. Make sure you put out food and water regularly. In bad weather, feed twice a day in the morning and in the early afternoon if possible.

Bird cakes and bars are great choices due to their high fat content, as are peanuts. Bird seed mixes are also rich in oils. You can also feed them kitchen waste such as fat and tallow, mildly grated cheese, boiled potatoes, pastries and dried fruit.

Can I lay out salted peanuts for the birds?

No – most garden birds cannot process salt and will die if given too much. It’s best not to offer garden birds foods that are high in salt, including salted peanuts, salty bacon, french fries and chips.

Can you feed peanuts during the breeding season?

During the breeding season, it is important to only release peanuts in metal mesh feeders. This means birds cannot ingest whole nuts, which young birds can choke on. It’s also important not to use nylon mesh bags as these can trap bird feet.

Are mealworms good food for birds?

Mealworms are rich in nutrients and make excellent food for insectivorous birds such as robins, blue tits, wrens and wagtails. They can be fed to the birds all year round. In very cold or very dry weather, when birds have trouble finding worms, insects and spiders in hard soil, mealworms are a good alternative for them.

Where should I place my garden bird table?

Bird tables should be placed where the birds are safe and can feed undisturbed. Avoid placing them near fences or thick hedges where cats can easily get to them. If there is a small bush nearby, birds can use it as a vantage point to make sure it’s safe.

And don’t forget to make sure it’s visible from a window so you can watch the birds feed.

What can I treat a bird table with?

It is best for the birds if you leave a bird table untreated. However, it will last longer if you treat it. Water-based preservatives are less toxic and won’t affect the food you lay out. The preservative should be completely dry before using the table for feeding.

Should I provide drinking water for my garden birds?

It is good to regularly provide the birds with clean water for drinking and bathing.

Water is especially important in winter, when natural supplies may be frozen, and in dry weather. Shallow containers, like trash can lids or plant saucers work well, but make sure you clean them regularly to prevent the spread of disease.

It’s summer, why have the birds suddenly disappeared from my garden?

This question is asked to us regularly in the summer. If you don’t find any dead birds, then you really don’t need to worry. In late summer, the birds are approaching the end of a hectic period: the breeding season.

Many of them go through a moulting period to renew worn or juvenile plumage. While losing their flight feathers, they are vulnerable, so hide from predators.

They rarely sing and no longer need to defend their territory, so they seem to be disappearing. Late summer and early fall is also a time of abundance for birds. The natural food supply is plentiful. For example, birds will migrate from their breeding grounds to farmland, orchards, or forests to feed on grains, berries, and weed seeds.

They may be absent from the gardens until we get the first autumn frosts so late summer is a good time to clean out bird feeders and feeding tables so they are ready for the birds to return. A 10% sanitizing solution is suitable, but rinse all feeders thoroughly before using them again.

Water tanks should be scrubbed out and wooden tables can be treated with a water-based preservative to protect them. Consider hanging the bird feeders and placing the feeding table in different spots and make sure they are cleaned regularly. This will help reduce the spread of disease among the birds that visit your feeder.

When we had done some work in our garden, I temporarily took down the birdhouses. When I put them back in time for fall and winter, the birds didn’t come back. In a little over a week no birds came. What went wrong and why were no birds coming to my feeder?

Possible reasons for birds not returning to the feeder or returning to previous feeders include:

sometimes it just takes time and patience.

the feeder must be in a suitable location (quiet & safe with natural cover nearby)

Poor quality seed or feed, or birds can find better, natural food sources instead.

pets or predators are nearby.

Your neighbor offers a better menu!

I have an idea why my feeders weren’t getting any attention. Here’s what I did to fix it.

Why aren’t the birds coming to my bird feeder anymore?

I mentioned at the beginning that we have some work done in our garden. A big deal that happened was the removal of a medium sized flowering tree from the center of the front yard. As you will read in my other post on choosing the best spot for a bird feeder, a very important thing to consider is the nearby natural cover for the birds. This means a tree, large bushes or the like. These provide birds with a place to hide when they feel unsafe.

Apparently I don’t have a tree in the garden now and my feeders are on a high pole in an open, exposed area. This is not ideal and I accept that this may reduce my chances of seeing my family of goldfinches again anytime soon. Luckily my neighbors all have trees or large shrubs that are not too far away and I hope these will suffice. I will update again with the results.

UPDATE: Since writing this post, I’ve decided to move my feeders to a different location. The result was worth it. Learn more here. I’m so happy!

Six reasons why there are no birds at your feeder

If you’ve ever had success with birds coming to your bird feeders but stopped for some reason. There are a few common reasons why this might have happened. Some things we simply cannot change, but others we may be able to influence.

1. Birds prefer natural food sources

The simple fact is that while we provide wild birds with all types of treats that we think they will enjoy, many prefer naturally occurring foods in their environment. This is nature’s way and something that has been happening for millions of years. It could simply be that due to a mild winter and the abundance of natural food elsewhere, your feeders have to wait until the birds really need them. It’s not your fault.

2. Predators

Birds will not want to share space with another animal that is likely to harm them. If you live in a community where cats are almost always present, this might not be a great place for bird feeders. It could be that a new cat has arrived in the area and is frequenting your yard.

If your home allows, consider moving feeders to an enclosed back garden rather than an open front yard. We’re lucky that the neighborhood cats don’t usually venture into our back garden, so we get quite a few birds there. However, my security camera shows cat activity in the front.

3. Family Pets

This may be related to the predators mentioned above; A family dog ​​snoozing in the sun, or even a pet rabbit near the feeding station, might just be enough to make the birds uncomfortable near your feeding station. We all love our pets and enjoy watching them play just as much as watching the birds at our feeders.

However, there may be more bird activity when the pet is indoors or in an area other than the feeder. If you’ve acquired a new pet, this could be one reason birds have gone.

4. Children & Noise

Households with children naturally become noisier and busier. Birds don’t like that. They like to be calm and secure when they eat. If you’ve added play equipment to the area where the bird feeders are located, the new sounds and activities can scare the birds away.

Are there new noises from the neighbor’s garden that could be the cause? Maybe new neighbors with noisy kids?

5. Other enticing feeders

When I walk down the cul-de-sac where I live, I see at least four other households with birdhouses. Some are simple and some are more elaborate. The thing is, these feeders may contain better seed than my feeders. Maybe my neighbors all use a different kind of bird seed together.

At the risk of starting a neighborhood bird feeding war, I need to find out what they are using to feed the birds. My bird feeders can be bird free because my enemies (I mean neighbors) have the upper hand.

How long does it take for birds to come to a new feeding site?

Another reason birds stop coming to your feeder is because you’ve added a new one to your collection. Sometimes the mere addition of a new bird feeder can show how fickle birds can be.

I recently read on a bird watching forum that someone put a new bird feeder in their yard, but even after a few weeks the birds were happily using the other nearby bird feeders in the same yard but ignoring the new bird feeder.

Be patient

The most important thing in all of this is to be patient and not get discouraged. Birds will often go to a new bird feeder within a day or two, but it is common for birds to go somewhere for up to several weeks before beginning to feed in a new location.

The general rule is between two and four weeks. That way they can find the feeding spot and watch for a while to find out what food is in it and if it’s a safe place to eat.

Birds may be put off or just plain uncomfortable with something of a different size and shape than what they are already used to. Again, don’t get discouraged and be patient because they will come, it just takes time.

How do birds find bird feeders?

Blackbirds are now the third most common wild bird species in the UK and providing them with the right food could encourage them to nest in your garden. If you are hoping for blackbird residents in your garden, there are a few things to consider.

So what do blackbirds eat?

How to feed blackbirds

Do not forget!

What do blackbirds eat?

Well, the truth is, blackbirds will eat most types of wild bird food, from suet to sunflower hearts. However, her absolute favorites are insects and fruits. Because blackbirds are soft-beaked birds, they are likely to damage their beaks if they eat hard seeds or seeds with hard shells. Our Premium Softbill Mix is ​​precisely tailored to this problem. Contains everything a blackbird (or any soft-billed bird, e.g. robin) needs to eat.

What to feed blackbirds:

Especially for blackbirds, we’ve put together our own wild bird feed mix that includes all of their favorite foods. Of course, you can feed them any of the straights listed above, but a mix is ​​best as it provides the birds with a balanced diet that includes all the food groups they need to survive.

How to feed blackbirds

If you only provide birdseed from hanging bird feeders in your garden, it is very unlikely that any of the food you provide will be enjoyed by blackbirds. This is because blackbirds are too large to use most hanging feeders and they lack the ability to hold on to feeders, a trait exhibited by many smaller birds. The best food for blackbirds is one that can be fed from a feeding table or directly from the ground. This type of food is readily available provided it could also lead to an influx of ground feeding birds like chaffinches and robins visiting your garden. Providing bird seed from the ground in an open area might also attract some unwanted visitors such as crows, this can be avoided by providing the food under bushes and shrubs. This favors blackbirds’ instinct to forage for food in the undergrowth, while crows are more interested in a simple meal.

Do not forget!

The content of the feed you provide is also important. If you feed a seed mix that is more suitable for use in feeders, blackbirds are unlikely to fall in love with your garden. The contents of feed mixes are generally not of interest to blackbirds, many of the harder seeds these mixes contain are not even a viable food source for blackbirds. As such, we would recommend something like our ultimate soil mix. Our Ultimate Ground Blend contains fruit, mealworms and tallow pellets and is specially formulated for ground feeding. It includes an assortment of treats that all ground-feeding soft-billed birds will love.

So if you’re hoping to have a resident blackbird family in your yard, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Using a bird feeder in winter is estimated to save the lives of up to a million garden birds each year. A bird feeder is also a great way to feed birds live food in spring for parent birds to feed to their chicks.

Make the most of your bird table by following these 10 simple tips.

Assembly

It is best to attach your bird table to a metal post, making it impossible for cats to climb on and difficult for squirrels to climb on. However, it is much easier to attach the table to a wooden post and slide a piece of plastic drainpipe or similar over it to make it unclimbable.

Stick the post into the ground (leave about a foot of post in the ground) or stand free-standing with a cruciform base. The table must be 1.2 to 1.75 m above the floor. The best height depends on the level you’re watching from, the mobility of the cats in the neighborhood, and the size of the person in charge of stocking and cleaning the table.

Regardless of how the post is attached, the table must be solid. If it is a cruciform base, make the feet long enough to prevent the table from tipping over. If the wind is a problem, you can pin your feet or put stones on them. Use small metal brackets at the top of the post to secure the table, or small blocks of wood (or plastic blocks from hardware stores) that screw to the side of the post and the bottom of the table.

hanging

To hang a table, use eyelets or hooks at each corner and attach pieces of wire or a lightweight metal chain (avoid strings, which squirrels can chew through). To prevent the table from rotating, the chain must be hung from more than one point, so make loops of the chains at either end of the table and hang them from a horizontal branch (or your clothesline). To protect a tree from being cut by the chain, run the chain through a length of garden hose.

windowsills

Depending on the location, bird feeders can be attached to window sills with brackets, chains or angle brackets.

A ground feed bowl

A low bird table can be provided for birds that prefer to feed on the ground. This should be mounted no more than 10cm off the ground (to allow the grass to “breathe”) and moved slightly each time you lay out fodder. This will prevent feces from building up in any part of the yard as well as preventing damage to your lawn. Remember, beware of cats under shrubs.