More birds in the front

I don't know an answer to this unless there is something attracting the birds at the front of your house. For the record 3 of my nest boxes (plated) have now got activity with blue and great tits, but it is no guarantee there will be a positive result later in the year.

We had a similar situation in a previous house and attributed it to a number of factors:

Firstly the garden to the rear of our house was frequented by the cats from next door and this, combined with the more structured nature of the design which included a number of shrubs around the periphery, made feeding for each bird a balance between eat or be eaten.  Our front garden was open and birds could more easily spot a potential threat.

Secondly the front garden was more sunny and warmer than the larger garden to the rear, at least in the area closest to the house.  We spent more time at the front window watching visitors and so counted more.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly we determined that the greater number and variety of the birds at the front of the house may have been attributable to the type of food on offer.  The rear garden offered bird table basics. The front garden dangled the delights of nut feeders and seed bowls alongside berries growing on bushes planted by the builders in their attempt to landscape the cul-de-sac 'off plan'.  These included hundreds of red berries on un-named medium sized shrubs that dozens of Waxwings enjoyed each year.

The clue is to plant to attract the birds and to discourage predators.  Note though that when next door got three more cats --- we moved out.  

I used to get a similar problem as the House Sparrows love nesting in the cavities at the front, it does get more sun and that could be why as I have no feeders out there. They do come around to the back garden to feed though even though my neighbour has 2 cats, the answer to that is to allow my dog out to relieve itself which seems to control that problem :)

As for the nesting box it can take a year or more sometimes for birds to use it. I've had an RSPB Sparrow terrace up for a number of years and they only decided to use it last year and thankfully gave me  lots of babies to enjoy watching.

They will get used to having to come around to your back garden in time, so I wouldn't be worrying too much. Maybe put out some different foods every now and again? We all get fed up of eating the same things all the time, birds really are more like us than we think.

I read on here about using grated mild cheddar and went and bought some, the result was amazing and they all seem to love it, although I don't put out large amounts. I also made homemade mixes for coconut shells and used the same mixture for filling yoghurt pots (found that on the RSPB Youth pages).

The birds will still poop on your car even with no feeders :) so maybe you could find an area away from your car to try one feeder?

Good luck anyway, and thanks for feeding our feathered friends :)

Best wishes,

AndyW