How to attract birds without a feeder
No expense or effort needed with bird feeders at all as wild birds can arrive at a garden if bird food is plentiful, but easily accessible.
How to attract birds without a feeder would require substituting feeders with the food that normally is inserted in them - by placing the feed out in the open but on a safe, high point. Its vital to use only peanuts, seed mixes and suet in any form, but to cater to birds on a vantage point and on the ground is imperative.
I admit it may be difficult if you intend to feed birds in your garden for the first time, especially without use of a luring bird feeding station with many bird feeders, or a large wooden bird table.
But it can happen providing you intend to attract birds to a garden in a quiet, isolated area with greenery nearby.
How to attract small common garden birds to a garden is with food, and food only.
No need to use any kind of wild bird feeder, but to use one does have its advantages; birds come to depend on use of feeders, and so to do they understand how to access their favourite foods in a safe environment.
Most of these birds using our feeders are perfectly capable of feeding out in the open, so to add food out in the elements, in a single location for birds to find it is recommended.
Ground feeding birds usually go without when food is in feeders only, so its nice knowing these birds will no longer go without as you throw bird food mixes over the ground.
Plentiful FOOD source
Best possible way you can attract as many common garden birds to your British garden would be through the use of bird food.
Birds come to depend gardens for a source of food in nuts, seeds or suet form, so to offer any one or all - would sure brings birds to the garden.
To attract as many species as possible, you'd then need to cater to a wide range of birds, so use all types of wild bird food as you can, without risking too much waste.
No good offering a small pile on a high location or scattering feed on the ground - it must be seen, and it must be plentiful.
Plentiful for passing birds to spot the food from above, while more food is sure to attract them all.
Once more, much like attracting garden birds with a bird feeder, you'd need too situate the food source in a tight, isolated place in the garden, preferably in a quiet spot.
Feeders NOT required
Birds come to depend on bird feeders across the country as its the thing they know best, but rest assured an investment in a wild bird feeder is not needed at all.
You can offer all the bird food that goes into bird feeders; such as peanuts, seeds, fat balls or mealworms - by scattering them around the garden or pile up in a single location.
Huge advantage to this is not all garden birds use bird feeders. So providing the food is out in the open with no limitations, you'd be sure to bring not only the Robins or Tits to the garden - you might even see the rare appearance of a Wren.
Feeders are not required to attract birds to a garden but remember the bird feeder does help to attract birds to it.
Be it the mere sight of a feeder, or the bright colours of feeders that draws the eye.
It might be necessary then to brighten up area where you plan to offer bird food from a good vantage point on your part, but in a way the feed can always be seen.
Example of that can be decorative garden ornaments or amongst blooming flowers.
Offer all types of bird food
To attract birds to your garden you will need to offer all the common bird feed you'd normally add to a bird feeder.
And don't worry all food can be used outside of a bird feeder with little issues at all.
Focus on offering the big three wild bird food sources: peanuts, seed mixes and suet in any form, being the favourite of our British garden birds.
Peanuts are perfect because they can be piled up or thrown over the garden; but to crush up peanuts can make them safer for use in the summer, while going a little further as there's more to use.
Many garden birds feed on the seed bird feeder so its essential to use a no-nonsense cheap bird seed mix that can be scattered everywhere, at little cost to you.
Suet we feed garden birds is more commonly in fat ball form, but just as effective is a suet block/cake to sit in a location - or why not revert to suet pellets as they are made to be thrown over the garden lawn or patio.
Other foods to attract birds to the garden can be the always popular mealworms, or why not use scraps to feed birds if only the healthy kind, such as raisins, fruits or cereal.
Garden structures as feeders
No bird feeders, no problem. Make use of the structures you have in your garden as a way to offer bird feed is a more convenient way.
Not all birds feed off higher structures such as common ground feeding birds, but more prefer it so its vital you take it serious, rather than with a pinch of salt.
It can be any ornaments or garden furniture being a popular choice, but so to is the garden fence or the roof of the shed or garage.
To watch garden birds feed close up then use a structure a little nearer to you; example of that is balancing a little bird food on the metal tube of the washing line, but not the washing line itself as food won't stay put.
Remember to offer bird food in an unrestricted way as to not miss out on exclusive ground feeders.
Not forgetting ground feeding birds
How to attract birds without a feeder is easy as can be, as it only takes throwing food over the lawn or adding it up high on a fence or roof.
However, its vital you know not all garden birds will or can feed off a bird feeder, so this time they may be the ones who are going to benefit the most.
But that is not to say you can simply throw all types of bird food mixes over the ground.
You'd need to of course use the correct bird food, because if its not part of their diet they simply won't feed off the ground.
Focus then on seed mixes, dried mealworms for birds and the all important suet in pellet form - using an insect or seed formula.
If you have use of a lawn then be sure to throw the feed over the lawn, including around the edges under a hedgerow. To feed ground feeding birds on a patio, decking or a concrete path is still just as effective.
Bird safety is paramount
Let me first say if you have a rodent problem of any kind, then you must not feed birds on the ground or where rats or mice can access.
Actually, its probably best not to feed garden birds at all as a reliable food source would constantly be made available, thus forcing the rodents to return daily.
What is more important then when feeding common garden birds without a feeder, in a safe and secure environment.
Remember, bird feeders would normally be hung up high, so without them you don't have this vantage point, if feeding birds lowing down or directly off the ground.
Squirrels or larger, more nuisance birds are not a problem, but the occasional dog can be - but a more serious problem is with cats - in which birds can indeed fall fell to them.
In an effort to attract wild birds to your garden without use of feeders, its imperative then to only do so if not bringing birds within danger of common predators.
Conclusion
How to truly attract garden birds without use of a bird feeder is by simply offering a generous food source that can substitute a hanging bird feeder.
More so, situate all kinds of bird food in a tight, quiet, isolated spot in the garden so it can be seen, but allow birds to feed in numbers.
Continue to follow the rules of locating a bird feeding station or bird table near a hedgerow or shrubs - by adding the food source without a feeder near natural coverage.
Don't skimp on bird food as you'd need to make sure the feeding area is seen, so add peanuts, seed mixes and fat balls in a single area.
Feeders are not required at all but their height off the ground, location to a hedgerow and bird feeder accessibility - is a luring prospect for most common garden birds.
Thankfully, not all garden birds can use a bird feeder, and many of those who can, are in fact ground feeders birds only - such as Robins. Its therefore possible to scatter all types of feed over the lawn as birds would soon come to it.
Safety is paramount when feeding garden birds, so only feed birds on the ground or on a high point, with no access for cats or other predators.
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