Cheapest way to get a bird table?

rosie383

All the mature trees on and bordering our garden were cut last year and I get some birds into the garden, but not enough.
I would love to have a bird table, but any ready made ones are just too expensive and dh wouldn't spend money on something that is not for us to eat!!!!
I bought some bird-feeding things, like a peanut bag which is hanging on my new apple tree, but not hide nor hair of a bird coming for a nibble.
So what can I do that doesn't involve money?

Sagz_2

Cheapest way to get a bird table?

rosie383 wrote: »

So what can I do that doesn't involve money?

Nick one

henmuffin

I am not sure about a bird table but I have made my own bird bath. This consists of an empty bin lid placed on top of a large plant pot. I fill with water every day and have no end of birds coming into my garden.

Lotus-eater

You get a stick and nail a board on the end.

Hanging things off trees is also good, they will come, it just takes a few days for them to find it.

Money_maker

DS1 made one for me. Needed a post and two squares of wood. Basic but does the job.

annie123

You have a free one, your lawn if you have one.
bits of cut apple, chopped peanuts, birdseed etc.
Or anything with some height, upturned bin, kitchen stool, but remember to keep it clean.
Try wanted add on freecycle
Plant shrubs for them, again wanted post on freecycle, info :
http://www.wildlife-gardening.co.uk/birds.htm
Put bird table on your birthday/xmas list etc,


I'd be lost if the birds stopped coming into my garden.

rosie383

Thanks so much. Great suggestions especially Norbertsmum lol.

Primrose

This does involve money I'm afraid but if you live near a Robert Dyas hardware store, they're currently offering "assemble it yourself" bird tables with a roof for £9.99 on special offer, which is half price. Don't know whether they have a website where you can buy them for this price online. Might be worth checking.

Primrose

just checked. Robert Dyas do have a website and are offering their reduced priced bird tables for £9.99 here. http://www.robertdyas.co.uk/search.php?keywords=bird+table&sort_order=instock&execute=true&SubmitGo.x=41&SubmitGo.y=6

They only take about 20 minutes to assemble. All the holes for screws, etc. are predrilled. We stained our last one green and will do so to the replacement one we've just bought at R.D. to make it blend in with the garden a little better. Even so, birds can be a little wary of any new feeding device which appears until they get used to it. No bird came near our first bird table for about a fortnight. Then a robin dared to be brave and come to feed and ever since then we've had a never ending succession.

I think a roofed bird table is better than an open one in many ways as the food is protected from the rain and snow which helps prevent it from going mouldy.

Sally_A

Birds are getting wise to the netted bags of nuts etc., they can catch their claws in it and rip them off. Transfer the nuts and seeds to a sturdy wire mesh holder (cheap in Asda over the winter) and they should arrive.

However at the moment I think birds are looking for natural food for their babes rather than using feeders - don't give up though as the parents still need to get their energy up, and they do a lot of feeding at daybreak so you may not see them.

EmptyPockets

Any old bits of timber can be used to make a birdtable. Ours (picture here halfway down page) is just an old bit of ply screwed to an old post and fixed to the fence. Does the job, and we get TONS of birds, all day every day. They love it!