Agree if you change to sunflower hearts you will get more birds. My goldfinches much prefer them to nyger seeds...also greenfinches, tits and even robins. Try Gardenwildlifedirect and buy in bulk for best prices. (I'm not associated with them...it's just where I get my sunflower hearts from.)
My birds never like peanuts in feeders although some will eat granules from the ground.
With the pond, you may find some creatures eventually make it but it will be difficult if there aren't natural sources nearby. Please don't be tempted to find creatures somewhere else and move them to your pond as they may not have what they need to survive and it will be hard for them to move on.
I think be patient and be aware that if the wildlife is not already nearby, your garden won't be enough to entice it from the countryside. But lots of wildlife even in urban ares, it may just be different from what is seen by people in more rural locations.
The garden boundaries are not great for allowing creatures/amphibians to make their way in - rather solid (brick wall and fence panels) and surrounded by other propertit's. I shall continue to be patient and keep a look out for signs of life. Does anyone have any thoughts as how to the best way of encouraging wildlife to come to the pond (it's only small!) . Thanks for all the great and helpful tips so far on encouraging bird life (with the exception of Shobosh, obviously ?,!)
Make a hedgehog 'gate' at the bottom of the fence panels - we lived in an inner city street of Victorian terraces with tiny back yards and secure gates, but we had hedgebogs and frogs visiting because they could gain access through the 'hedgehog gate'
There has been some good advice given already (by Fairy and others) so I won't go over those points. I would like to recommend this book written by a friend of mine. It really is the best gardening for wildlife book that I know of and I am not just saying that because the author is a friend. He explores a new idea; that is that you try to encourage the birds to your garden which are already in the wider habitat by bringing some of that habitat, ie the right plants, into your garden. That may not be easy if you are in a really urban environment but it sounds like your location is more suburban than urban. He also gives plant lists which are good for attracting wildlife as well as those to avoid. You don't say which country or region you live in. Perhaps that would help us to give some more advice. What is the wider habitat around where you live?
I have been feeding garden birds for over 30 years and am an active birder and conservationist. My own garden is rural so attracting birds is relatively easy. Most of my plantings are with birds in mind. I think one of the problems for people wanting to attract birds to their urban gardens is that there are other people doing that too so there is competition to attract what is a limited number of birds and a limited number of species. So you will just have to have the best restaurant and the best garden! Don't be too tidy, allow a few nettles, let herbaceous plants seed, leave some weeds and grass mowings for the worms to work in. More worms means more thrushes. Don't cut the lawn short, leave it on the long side and encourage what some people call lawn weeds like daisies, buttercups, plantains and especially clover.
I feel your pond will slowly attract invertebrate life which will attract the birds. They will drink and bathe in it. Hope this helps. Good luck. I get such pleasure from watching the birds in my own garden and wish the same for others.
Last edited: 07 January 2017 12:00:35
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
Posts
Dear TyCerrig
I have had 100% success with encouraging birds into my garden.
I send an open invitation on Tweeter!
Heheheheheh....
Shobosh (bro in law)
Shobosh reported for advertising on another thread.
Agree if you change to sunflower hearts you will get more birds. My goldfinches much prefer them to nyger seeds...also greenfinches, tits and even robins. Try Gardenwildlifedirect and buy in bulk for best prices. (I'm not associated with them...it's just where I get my sunflower hearts from.)
My birds never like peanuts in feeders although some will eat granules from the ground.
With the pond, you may find some creatures eventually make it but it will be difficult if there aren't natural sources nearby. Please don't be tempted to find creatures somewhere else and move them to your pond as they may not have what they need to survive and it will be hard for them to move on.
I think be patient and be aware that if the wildlife is not already nearby, your garden won't be enough to entice it from the countryside. But lots of wildlife even in urban ares, it may just be different from what is seen by people in more rural locations.
What are the garden boundaries like? Can amphibians, reptiles and small mammals travel from one garden to another?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The garden boundaries are not great for allowing creatures/amphibians to make their way in - rather solid (brick wall and fence panels) and surrounded by other propertit's. I shall continue to be patient and keep a look out for signs of life. Does anyone have any thoughts as how to the best way of encouraging wildlife to come to the pond (it's only small!) . Thanks for all the great and helpful tips so far on encouraging bird life (with the exception of Shobosh, obviously ?,!)
Make a hedgehog 'gate' at the bottom of the fence panels - we lived in an inner city street of Victorian terraces with tiny back yards and secure gates, but we had hedgebogs and frogs visiting because they could gain access through the 'hedgehog gate'
http://www.hedgehogstreet.org/pages/link-your-garden.html
Last edited: 07 January 2017 11:51:04
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Ty Cerrig
There has been some good advice given already (by Fairy and others) so I won't go over those points. I would like to recommend this book written by a friend of mine. It really is the best gardening for wildlife book that I know of and I am not just saying that because the author is a friend. He explores a new idea; that is that you try to encourage the birds to your garden which are already in the wider habitat by bringing some of that habitat, ie the right plants, into your garden. That may not be easy if you are in a really urban environment but it sounds like your location is more suburban than urban. He also gives plant lists which are good for attracting wildlife as well as those to avoid. You don't say which country or region you live in. Perhaps that would help us to give some more advice. What is the wider habitat around where you live?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/RSPB-Gardening-Wildlife-Complete-Nature-friendly/dp/1408122308/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483789219&sr=8-1&keywords=Adrian+Thomas
The RSPB website is also good for wildlife gardening advice and I recommend you look at that.
https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/
I have been feeding garden birds for over 30 years and am an active birder and conservationist. My own garden is rural so attracting birds is relatively easy. Most of my plantings are with birds in mind. I think one of the problems for people wanting to attract birds to their urban gardens is that there are other people doing that too so there is competition to attract what is a limited number of birds and a limited number of species. So you will just have to have the best restaurant and the best garden! Don't be too tidy, allow a few nettles, let herbaceous plants seed, leave some weeds and grass mowings for the worms to work in. More worms means more thrushes. Don't cut the lawn short, leave it on the long side and encourage what some people call lawn weeds like daisies, buttercups, plantains and especially clover.
I feel your pond will slowly attract invertebrate life which will attract the birds. They will drink and bathe in it. Hope this helps. Good luck. I get such pleasure from watching the birds in my own garden and wish the same for others.
Last edited: 07 January 2017 12:00:35