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New bird house/ table

bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
in Wildlife gardening
Two weeks ago my bird table fell to bits ,so I bit the bullet and purchased a new one ( at great expense and inconvenience) . The birds won’t go anywhere near it .I’m feeding the same seed and it’s in the same place as the old one . Why won’t they use it do you think? 
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  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Give them time to get used to it.  The timing may just be coincidental but more food about elsewhere at this time of year.  Busy mating/nesting too.
  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    No .They fly over it all the time just like they’ve always done ,from bush to bush ,to tree .Dozens of sparrows etc . Even the greedy wood pigeons ignore it . The sparrows used to crowd onto the old rotten one ,flying from and to all day . It’s a mystery ,Ithought about the time of year etc but it’s happened overnight . The only thing that’s different is the bird table . I will do as you suggest Phililppasmith , and hope for the best .
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I bought a new table feeder our first winter here.  The birds ignored it for months but now they sit on the fence and in the hedge waiting for it to be topped up every morning.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    Oh I see ,let’s hope you’re both right and it just needs time .
  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    Maybe I’ll just have to live with the fact that the birds just don’t like it ! Well they’ll just have to get used to it ,it cost me a bomb so it’s staying ! 
  • MikeOxgreenMikeOxgreen Posts: 812
    They don't like new things, they'll use it eventually. It's the same with bird boxes too.
  • RedwingRedwing Posts: 1,511
    bcpathome said:
    Maybe I’ll just have to live with the fact that the birds just don’t like it ! Well they’ll just have to get used to it ,it cost me a bomb so it’s staying ! 
    They will get used to it.  House Sparrows particularly do not like change.
    Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    Thank you redwing .I am suitably encouraged. I adore my dozens of sparrows that live in my hedges after which my house is named . I couldn’t bear it if they deserted my garden . 
  • CatDouchCatDouch Posts: 488
    House sparrows seem particularly averse to change, at my last house the majority of my garden birds were house sparrows and they hated it when I replaced feeders with new ones if one was damaged.  It would take a couple of weeks before they trusted it.  I haven’t noticed the same behaviour with the birds we get since we’ve moved house, I now get every type of bird apart from house sparrows.  I’m sure yours will soon start using it again. 
    South Devon 
  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    Thank you for the encouraging words CatDouch let’s hope you’re right .
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