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Section: Nature & Garden

"Every year the gardens are getting quieter — and the birds are still hungry." Why a 71-year-old ironworker from Ludlow is giving away his last handmade bird feeders before he retires for good.

Frank Whitcombe is not an ornithologist, not a biologist, not a conservationist with credentials. He's an ironworker. For over 40 years, the 71-year-old has been crafting everything wild birds need in his small forge in Ludlow. Now he's calling it quits – and letting go of his last handmade bird feeders. Just in time before nesting season peaks.

fewer and fewer birds in our gardens – and why it keeps frank up at night

1 in 6

birds in the UK have been lost since the late 1960s — a decline of over 40 million individuals

70%

decline in farmland birds in the UK since 1970 — one of the steepest drops of any group

4 in 5

seabird species in the UK are now in decline — driven by climate change and food shortages

38 million

fewer birds now fill UK skies compared to 1966 — a dramatic shift in just a few decades

The UK has lost around 38 million birds from its skies since 1966—that's roughly one in six.

That's one in four. Species that used to be part of every garden – blue tits, chaffinches, house sparrows, song thrushes – are disappearing from entire regions. Habitats are being paved over. Meadows turned into parking lots. Hedgerows ripped out for vinyl fencing.

Frank has watched it happen for decades. Right outside his forge door. And it eats at him.

"Twenty years ago, my garden was alive. Blue tits, great tits, wrens, a song thrush pair nesting in the hedge. Now some mornings I step outside and hear – nothing. Dead quiet. And that scares me more than anything."

Frank Whitcombe (71) refilling one of his bird cottages in his garden in Ludlow. For over 40 years, he's been building everything wild birds need to feed properly.

And there's another problem nobody talks about: The seed in most garden feeders is being wasted or ruined every day. Cheap plastic tubes crack in the sun. Painted metal rusts and peels. Overhanging roofs are too shallow to keep out rain. Perches are so thin birds can't grip them properly.

"In winter, folks buy fancy premium seed. In spring, they hang new feeders. But nobody thinks about what makes a bird actually want to stay – and that's exactly when it matters most."

Frank has seen it firsthand in his own garden: "Most of the feeders on my street sit half-empty and ignored. The birds don't trust them. They land once, feel the wobble, and never come back. A lot of them simply give up and move on."

On busy summer mornings, he's counted as many as five different species feeding on his own handmade bird cottage at the same time. Robins, goldfinches, blue tits, great tits, even the occasional nuthatch. "They come because it works. Everything else out there was designed for the shelf, not the bird."

see frank's birdcottage

"most bird feeders on the market are poorly designed"

Frank doesn't sugarcoat it. "People buy a plastic tube, hang it in the garden and think they've done something good. But a lot of feeders out there aren't built with birds in mind – some can actually cause real problems."

What he's observed over 40+ years:

Wobbly perches – Plastic pegs, thin wire loops, tubes that spin in the wind. "Birds land, feel it move under their feet, and take off immediately. They won't come back to a feeder they can't trust to stand still."

Roofs that don't actually protect the seed – "Overhang has to project well past the tray. Most of the shop-bought ones have a lip a couple of centimetres wide. First heavy shower and the seed is wet through. Wet seed grows mould in three days. Mouldy seed makes birds ill."

Single-port feeding – "One perch, one bird at a time. So the birds queue, squabble, and half of them give up before they get near the seed. You want them feeding together, not fighting each other."

Cheap paint and thin metal – "The paint peels in the first year. Once the coating goes, the metal rusts underneath. And birds instinctively avoid rusty surfaces – they harbour bacteria and the whole thing starts to look diseased."

No way to check the seed level – "Most feeders are opaque. You find out it's empty when the birds have already given up and moved to next door's garden. By the time you notice, they've stopped visiting."

"Folks mean well. But without the right knowledge, they can do more harm than good."

Inside Earl's forge in Ludlow. This is where he's been tinkering, testing and improving for over four decades.

what a bird feeder actually needs to do

Frank has spent decades experimenting. Testing metals, changing shapes, watching. "You gotta watch the birds. They'll tell you exactly what works and what doesn't."

What makes Frank's bird feeder different:

Powder-coated steel body – gives birds a surface they trust. Doesn't rust like painted metal, doesn't crack like plastic. Holds through years of British weather. The finish stays smooth so bacteria can't build up.

Wide overhanging copper-effect roof – projects well past the feeding tray to keep seed dry through even a proper downpour. Small drainage holes in the base let any water escape immediately. Seed stays fresh for weeks.

Four flat perches on separate sides – birds can feed together without competing for the same spot. Three, four, sometimes five birds at once – which is when the garden actually comes alive.

Cottage-style design with arched viewing windows – small transparent panels on each side so you can check seed levels from the kitchen window. No more emptying by surprise.

Easy-lift roof for cleaning – the whole roof lifts off in seconds. Wipe out, refill, close. Two minutes and you're done. No dismantling, no unscrewing, no mess.

Powder-coated steel, copper-effect roof, four perches, arched windows – every detail has a reason.

discover frank's bird cottage

"i can't build anymore. but i can still do this."

Frank is done. At 71, his hands won't cooperate anymore. The pain in his knuckles makes precise work nearly impossible. He has no one to hand the forge over to. But the decline of the birds won't leave him alone. "I see it in my own garden. Fewer every year. And the gardens on the street just keep getting quieter."

On his shelves sit the very last feeders he'll ever make. When they're gone, that's it. For good.

His granddaughter Ellie (24) is helping him sell the last pieces online. And Frank is letting them go well below the usual price.

"It ain't about the money anymore. It's about getting a decent feeder into as many gardens as possible before the birds stop coming back at all. Every single one makes a difference. That's what forty years of watching has taught me."

what customers are saying:

4.8

Over 5,900 feeders sold — rated exclusively by verified buyers

Karen P.

April 17, 2026

Verified Customer

"I'm done with cheap plastic. Frank's feeder is solid metal and built like a tank. We've had some proper spring gales lately, but this thing didn't even budge while my old ones were swinging wildly. The seeds stayed perfectly dry through the morning frost, and my robins were back at it first thing today. Best garden investment I've made in years."

33

Jodie C.

April 19, 2026

Verified Customer

"Bought this for my mum's birthday and she's absolutely obsessed. It's even prettier in person — the teal colour really pops. She rang me the next morning to say she's already seeing birds she's never seen before. It looks like a piece of high-end garden art."

12

Mark T.

April 24, 2026

Verified Customer

"I hung it up yesterday and had a 'bird party' in my garden by teatime. The four-perch design is a game-changer — they actually share instead of squabbling. Super easy to refill since the roof just pops right off. Worth every penny."

9

Frank's Bird Cottage in his garden in Ludlow – where he's been watching birds and building everything they need for over four decades.

still time before the silence

Nesting season is underway. In a few weeks, the fledglings hatch. That's exactly when a feeder in your garden matters most – because the parents need to find reliable food fast to keep their chicks alive.

If you hang a proper feeder out now, you give the birds time to find it – before the demand peaks.

Frank's tip: "Hang it somewhere sheltered, ideally near a tree or hedge so the birds have cover if a hawk shows up. Fill it with sunflower hearts or a good mixed seed. Refill it before it runs out completely. That's all it takes."

It's a small thing. But for the birds in your garden, it can make all the difference.

Frank's last bird feeders are available exclusively through this online store, where his granddaughter Ellie manages his shop. You may find similar-looking feeders, but they have nothing to do with Frank's 40+ years of hands-on observation and careful design.

shop the last bird cottages

100% Money-Back Guarantee

Hang the feeder in your garden. Fill it with seed. Watch what happens. If you're not impressed – by the quality, the materials, the craftsmanship – send it back for a full refund. No questions asked. No hassle.

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