A few months ago I hung several bird feeders in a tree out in my yard. The goldfinches, chickadees, sparrows (both native and house) found them literally immediately. The day I hung them we had probably 50 goldfinches After a while I saw little mouse tracks in the snow under the feeders and we had evidence of the mice stashing seeds under the hoods of our cars. So, the feeders came down. Sorry birds, but I absolutely do not want mice around my house or in my car.

I still wanted to feed the birds of course, just not so close to the house. It took a couple weeks but I eventually did get the feeders hung up in one of the fields, about 175-200 yards from the house. There is no trees, just short grass and bare ground (we live out on the high plains in NE Colorado). I scattered seeds all over and filled the feeders. After a few weeks, nothing. I started to think that maybe with no cover, it wasn't as desirable of a spot for them to feed so I moved it about 50 yards to where there was a lot taller grass and bunch of old sunflower stalks where the birds could hide (it's also a little bit closer to the house, where the feeders used to be). The birds devoured the old sunflower seed heads that are out there earlier in the winter and so I know they use the area, too. I scattered a sunflower seed trail from the shrub row/windbreak that the birds use to roost and take cover in out to the feeders and still nothing after a month-month and a half. I'm probably being impatient, but is there a way I can get these guys to notice the new feeder location?