On 15/12/05 17:37, in article , "Kate"
wrote:


"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

snip
But is your garden full of mature shrubs and trees for them to feel
safe when perched on?
We find that the feeder on the pole in the middle of the garden
(good view all round?) does better trade than the one on the bird
table next to the fence, it's also within easy hop of our Camellia
bushes (to 14ft tall) and we notice the birds tend to land on there
first and have a good look around before coming to the feeder.



Yes, indeed, both evergreen and deciduous. Mature trees the other
side of the bottom fence, too - oak, birch, holly and pine. Our
feeders are suspended under a wooden arch, so are fairly open, but not
so much that the birds are in danger of being taken by a sparrowhawk.
snip

I wonder if part of the reason is that you might now have more cats around
and about? You say that you lived in the middle of farmland before, so
perhaps there were fewer cats just hopping over from neighbouring gardens!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)