I have a very active bird table, bird bath and five feeders which attract all sorts of birds, and is always very busy morning to night. We may be moving house and I started to wonder how the birds would deal with the bird table and feeders being removed suddenly. It would be lovely to think that the next person in the house would also have a bird table and feeders, and keep them topped up and clean as I do, but that may not happen and there may be a gap before the next people move in.
How do birds deal with that? I'm thinking especially of this year's young who were kind of 'brought up' using the feeders, and introduced to them by mum and dad. Do the adult birds put as much effort into teaching their young to forage for insects and berries etc if there is a ready meal available on a bird table?
Lisa
Hi Lisa
Don't worry!
Birds are very versatile and able to adapt. If your feeders disappear they will go elsewhere - they probably have several gardens they visit as well as yours. They forage for insects, seeds and berries for their young anyway and use our gardens as a (very useful) supplement to that.
When you settle into your new home and put up new feeders, the birds will soon find them. And the circle of life goes on.
Good luck with the move and attracting new birdy visitors in your new home.
Cheers
Pipit
What I would suggest is that in the weeks before you move you gradually reduce the amount and range of food available rather than stop suddenly. Birds remember where there's food available and may travel some distance to come to your feeders. That way they will have time to forage for new sources of food and not waste energy coming to your garden. I think this is particularly important in the cold winter months.
Hope this helps.
TJ
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Hi Lisa and welcome to the RSPB. Enjoy yourself here (not said my hello's yet!)
I have moved house quite a bit over the past few years, and I found it upsetting when I left my birds on the lurch when I moved first time. Now when I move I do not feel so bad - but I still get my OH to take the feeders down. It makes me feel guilty that I am taking the food away form them.
Now, I leave behind some foodstuff to keep them going so it is something to keep them going and to wean them from the dependence on yourself.
My advice is to drop the amount of foodstuff a few weeks before you move so that the birds will become accustomised to the change (though I have to say I find it hard to do myself)
Birds are very adaptable and they have survived for many years without any human intervention so they will just get used to the changes. No doubt there will be neighbours closeby to yourself who already have foodstuff nearby so the birds will source out foodstuff elsewhere.
Youngsters will be fine, and they will adapt as the adult birds do.
I am sure that all of your 'resident' birds will be alright so please try not to worry too much!
Give time to the new birds in your garden, and they will take a while to get used to the new foodstuff too. Love to hear about your new birds too.
Regards
Kathy and Dave