window feeder

[nickieuk]

Hi guys, im new to bird feeding and recently bought a window feeder as i dont have a garden. I was just wondering if there was any way i could attract the birds to it, do they smell out the food? I was also a bit worried in case they accidently flew into the window by mistake and hurt themselves, has anyone got any tips on how to avoid this?

Thanks,
:D

[Shamal]

Hi Nic,
Birds are mainly visual as far as food goes, but don't worry as I'm sure they will spot your offerings in due course. I would suspect Blue Tits will be your first customers as they hunt on buildings for spiders and insects.

Birds tend to fly into windows when in a panic, I wouldn't worry to much about this for the time being. The chances are that this will not happen because you have put food on the window. Net curtains, if you can bear them would remove the likelyhood of any collisions.

I've used the tray type window feeders and the tube seed feeder with the suckers on, both are great but keep a regular eye on them to make sure the seed is dry and not going mouldy in the tray type as rain will drive into it.

[nickieuk]

thank you very much for your help shamal :)
i'll be on the look out for blue tits :D

[Bebe]

Hi Nicki
I have a window feeder with mixed seed in it which is used by blue tits, chaffinches & green finches. It wasn't used for a long time until it was removed for window cleaning. I washed it & put fresh seed in. The birds were using it within the hour! So fresh food is obviously very important.

[Emma]

Nicki, I also have a feeder on the window. It's a regular mesh peanut feeder hanging from a plastic hook with a sucker on. Our first visitors to it were blue tits - it took ten days for this first visit, if I remember correctly.

It is now regularly used by blue tits, coal tits, greenfinches, goldfinches and siskins.

Good luck with yours!

[nickieuk]

ah okay cool, i've filled it with fresh seeds and i've had it up for a few days so far no-ones come, but hopefully they will soon! i'll keep you posted :)

[Shamal]

ah okay cool, i've filled it with fresh seeds and i've had it up for a few days so far no-ones come, but hopefully they will soon! i'll keep you posted :)

Good luck hopefully you will be seeing somehing like this soon :)
3

[nickieuk]

aw he's cute,
still noones come to my feeder yet tho, im thinking maybe i shall move it to a different place as maybe the birds dont feel safe to visit at the moment. there is a friendly blackbird however who likes to sit and ruffle his feathers on a tree near my window, :D

[Hazelnuts]

Hi there

Instead of opening a new thread though I would add my own information about 'Window Feeders' to this thread.

We just bought a new one one today from 'Homebase' (RSPB) and have stuck it on our Patio windows. It has a wooden roof, so that should keep the seeds dry.
I have added some tasty treats as well, as seeds. So we will see what happens over the coming weeks with this feeder and what birds inhabit it. :)

It may give us an opportunity to get some really nice pictures, with our digital camera for the moment. So we will see what happens next. :):)

PS Shamal looks good from here, and I love your little Blue Tit.

[Bebe]

Does anyone know how to keep doves out of my window feeder? They manage to get in there even though it's only marginally bigger than they are! Trouble is they eat all the food, knock the feeder off the window and now they've broken it again. Help!

[Hazelnuts]

Does anyone know how to keep doves out of my window feeder? They manage to get in there even though it's only marginally bigger than they are! Trouble is they eat all the food, knock the feeder off the window and now they've broken it again. Help!

Hi Bebe

You mention Doves, do you mean Collared Doves (which qualify as garden birds) or domesticated White Doves.

I think that you may have to change the opening to your window feeder, so that smaller birds can use it over the larger birds. Maybe some string across the point where the birds land. :D

There must be a sure fail safe way of keeping the larger birds out. :confused:

Could you send a picture of your window feeder, and we can compare notes! Maybe, we can see if there is a way to keep the bigger birds out! :)

[Bebe]

Good morning Kathy. Yes they are collared doves. I've found 2 pictures from last Autumn. THey were taken through my window but will give you an idea of the problem. I have moved theother feeders away to keep him out of them. I tied string round the feeder which restricted tte access by half but they forced their way in until the string broke. Trouble was it also put the little birds off. Bebe

[Hazelnuts]

Good morning Kathy. Yes they are collared doves. I've found 2 pictures from last Autumn. THey were taken through my window but will give you an idea of the problem. I have moved theother feeders away to keep him out of them. I tied string round the feeder which restricted tte access by half but they forced their way in until the string broke. Trouble was it also put the little birds off. Bebe

Hi Bebe, and goodmorning to you too.

Super windows shots by the way of the birds in question. Shows that they have lost their fear of you as Collared Doves are quite shy birds

I see what you mean. Talk about big bird and a small feeder. No wonder the feeder collapses on the floor. The one we have bought is now placed on our window.

Try using tie wraps (you can get them from the Garden Centre or similair) or some wire in the same manner as you would with the string and see how that affects the keeness of the birds. As long as what you use does not snap that is the aim to deter the birds from landing on your feeders.

When we made our Tower feeder (to keep Grey Squirrels off) did not want to Woodpigeons or the Collared Doves to take a shine to sitting on the roof of our feeder, because of all thier poo that they leave, so we added tie wraps on each corner (so they stuck up) to deter the birds from sitting on it and it has worked so far. The tie wraps are yellow and you can see them sticking up in the picture of the tower feeder that I have posted along with the window feeder on this post.

We bought our window feeder from Homebase the other day (more of an impulse buy). We hope to get better pictures of the birds that come to our feeders so this is one way we can do it for the time being.

Let me know any other ideas that you have. Maybe my OH might think of a solution as he is technically minded that way. :)

[Jandy]

It seems clear to me what is happening, Bebe. The dove is using your roofed window feeder as a handy way to access the seed feeder on the left. If you moved it further away or to a different window, whichever is easier, the situation might improve.

[Bebe]

Good morning Jandy. Thanks for that. I did immediately move the other feeders but my doves still force their way into the clear feeder.

[Hazelnuts]

Good morning Jandy. Thanks for that. I did immediately move the other feeders but my doves still force their way into the clear feeder.

hi Bebe

My other suggestion would be if you buy another feeder that has less space for the collared Doves to sit in. A smaller hole in the front for example, so they will not be able to sit in it in any way.

It is trying to fool the Collared Doves into believing that they cannot fit into a window feeder at all.

[Bebe]

Thanks Hazelnut. I'll look about for something less suited to doves!

[Hazelnuts]

Thanks Hazelnut. I'll look about for something less suited to doves!

Hi Bebe

Try the one i have pictured on my window on this thread. as it has a wooden lid, and the lid is not see through. Cost £3.50 from 'Homebase' - unless CJW have a simliar type of thing - have not looked myself at all.

Worth a look into too. :)

[Bebe]

Thanks Hazelnut. Will send hubby shopping.Happy birding.

[Hazelnuts]

Thanks Hazelnut. Will send hubby shopping.Happy birding.

Likewise, with the birding!

Love to see your new model! ;)

[Jandy]

I like that window one, Kathy, but I can't quite make out where the access for the birds is - on the front or side?

[Hazelnuts]

I like that window one, Kathy, but I can't quite make out where the access for the birds is - on the front or side?
hi Jandy

The entrance is on the front. The front is completely open with a built in perch for the birds to land on.

So a bird any size other than a collared Dove or Pigeon can get in well that is the theory. ;)

I have seen my blackbirds use my window feeder in my last property. It takes them a while longer than the smaller more agile birds though. My last window feeder was like Bebe's, all round see through plastic.
I had no problems with this window feeder expect the suckers refused the suck, every so often so it fell on the ground. Then one day it broke, and that was the end of it.

[Hazelnuts]

Just to mention after having the new window feeder up for 3 days, something has been eating the seed from the feeder this morning. :D

Not seen whatever it is yet. I hope that the bird involved will get used to us being on the other side of the window. Then the camera shots will be the next thing.

I wonder if it was a Blue Tit, as they are the most likeliest to visit as they are such inquisitive little birds by nature. :)

[Hazelnuts]

It looks although Starlings and Sparrows have been eating the seed from the window feeder set up on the dining room window. A good bit of seed has landed on the floor but at least that will be hovered up quick enough by other birds.

I am glad that they have taken to the feeder, as it takes a little time to get used to people moving around on the other side of the glass window.

The Sparrows ate the seed while my OH was sitting reading his book in the dining room, so they are not too shy at least. :):)

How is the window going Bebe, any joy yet?

[Hevva]

My neighbour gave me a window feeder as a Christmas pressie and I have had a robin quite regularly and a starling. Only problem is that it is right by the kitchen sink and I have to stand like a statue when they come in - I think would have been more sensibly placed on the patio window! I have a dove that insists on feeding out of one of my small seed feeders (there's loads on the ground) and positions himself on the ring of the upright and then leans - a video would be wonderful, he spends most of his time upside down, just for seed he could get so much easier!! I suppose there's always a clown in life.

[Hazelnuts]

The Sparrows are loving our window feeder because it is close to their favourite Privet Hedge they like to hide in.

Also it is a bit of a feeding area where they are not in direct competition with the other birds in the garden.

I see them picking up seeds from under the Privet Hedge along with the Dunnocks, Blackies, Thrush, Chaffinches. Robin etc...so now they have more options to work on. all the better for them. :)