Feeding station placement help

Hi Josef,
This looks like a pretty new estate with not much natural habitat for birds around in your garden or the neighbours. Birds don't like being out in the open when they are feeding without having somewhere they can retreat to in the event of danger. If you can, I think you need to reposition your feeder nearer to a tree or a large dense shrub. I see there are leaves on the lawn so do you have a tree nearby?
Of course, another reason can be that it takes time for birds to discover a new source of food particularly when it's in a new development.
This is just my opinion so it will be interesting to see what others think.

Hi Josef, I am no expert so this is only my opinion but I think the problem may well be the lack of trees or shrubs for the birds to perch on (which will also provides cover from prey) . Its all a bit too open. In my garden the birds tend to sit in the conifers or shrubs to make sure the coast is clear before flying to the feeders.
Hope this helps to give you ideas but am sure more people shall be along soon with more ideas.

Hello Josef, you have a nice looking garden there, very neat and tidy, nice colour in your wooden border and tubs, love the wee hedgehog house. Sometimes birds need time to find out where there is food stocks out for them and once they do they will keep coming back to you. They also like to have some trees or shrubs around or near to the feeders. These can be used as a place to take food back to, to eat but also have a safe place to go back and forth to away from bigger birds or predators. Trees and shrubs can take time to grow, but if you even got some larger ones and planted them in the border at the fence and moved the feeding station in front of that so it would not be too close to the fence and away from predators, that should help. Also it would be easy to clean up underneath as you could hose over the grass and mow the lawn. A few feeders to start with would be fine, to tempt them. Different folks find that they eat one thing in their garden and something else in another's. Mine get premium seed, peanuts, Niger seed, sunflower hearts and fat balls and cakes, they eat it all. So try a couple and add something different once you get them coming to you. The other thing I could suggest is to have a bird bath. This does not need to be anything fancy, some sort of stand with a dish on top, you could put a stone/s in the centre so thay have something to stand on, you can get some nice ones to buy, You could place it to the right of the grey planter so it would be near to the feeder if you placed it beside it, but not too near.
Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Looks like we have all been typing at the same time, with the same suggestions, we must be all learning something!

I would wait through a whole year before moving it - winter is when the birds most need help and I think you could find them coming in numbers then They will then know to bring their young next spring. But I do suggest more planting - even pots around it - to give them places to shelter or hide, and maybe a shrub or two as well - ours have a great time in the Sambucca Niger.

Wow! we are all trying to talk at once - but I think we are mostly saying the same thing. And I certainly agree about the water - an attractive water feature (not too fussy, so it has an open space for bathing) would be a good attraction for you and the birds!

Wow lots of quick replies for me to read through thanks so much guys!

So yes it's a new build estate, we've been in a year now and had the garden done in April too. At the front of our house is a green area with lots of trees, hence the amount of blown leaves on our grass. Neighbour wise none have trees, and none in ours yet. Pretty much had to make do with what we could grab at a garden centre with everyone going garden crazy during lockdown.

Shrub wise all we have is the 2 small cone buxus, there is a small water dish on the feeding station that gets a good rinse and refill daily. Again only pigeons using it hah.

I was toying with the idea of planting the area where the table and feeders are properly, wildflowers and some shrubs. Could move the small wood planter and put a bird bath in its place.

Other idea is that far right plant pot, move that left and have the feeding station attached to a patio base and placed there.

Thanks again guys!

Just to follow this up as I've been brainstorming ideas for the garden again hah.

Bought a patio stand for the feeder so can move that around more now.

Just wondering what shrubs/trees are good options for attracting/beneficial to birds? Obviously something that has berries on I imagine! Going to get some trellis and have a honeysuckle or two climb up side of the garage. Just wondering what other ideas folk might have for a shrub/tree that wouldn't take over or drown out the garden?

Thanks again :)

A few that come to mind are:-

Cotoniaster, Viburnum, Pyracantha, Flowering Current, Holly, Rowan, Skimmia Japonica, Larurel, Flowering Cherry, Sea Buckthorn, 

All can be kept cut/pruned back depending on your spaces allowed.

Good idea regarding the patio stand for the feeder.