I too live really close to a woodland (next door) and we get loads of species of birds. We have a beautiful green woodpecker that visits the lawn every morning pecking at the insects. Until I looked it up I thought they only fed from tree's, but apparently they spend more time on the open grass! Should perhaps have been called grass peckers!

Last year we had a family of blue tits nest in a vent under my kitchen window. The droppings didn't bother me although they did make a mess. It's just that it's really disconcerting when you are doing the washing up and a bird flies full pelt at the kitchen window only to dive straight up just before it hit it. I kept hoping he wouldn't miss! Even though they were there for ages they still made me jump. Hopefully they will be back this year as I'm going to put some boxes up nearby.

Nick, I had a similar problem a while ago with birds not using the feeders. I found that if they weren't reasonably secure and swung around a lot, it put them off. As soon as I got more sturdy feeders and secured the 1/2 coconut's with wire and not string they started coming back. Now like your friend I have to fill them up a couple of times a week. I also try and hang them so that there is branch nearby that they can perch on to feed. Not always possible I know, but I watch the ones that visit our garden a lot and they seem to use the surrounding branches as much as the perches.

Don't know if this will help,
Good Luck