Guest blog by Claire Barnett, RSPB NI Conservation Team Leader
Each January, around half a million people in the UK take part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, spending one hour counting what they see in their garden. This is citizen science at its best – huge numbers of people collecting data that enables us to determine bird population trends to work out which species need our help most.
With Big Garden Birdwatch 2017 just around the corner (28 – 30 January), now is the perfect time to take some small steps to get your patch into tip-top condition for wildlife. If you’d like to make your garden a haven for nature, but don’t have a clue where to begin, I hope this blog will give you some inspiration and confidence to get started. If you’re already raring to go, head to www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch to register now!
Attracting birds into your garden at this time of year is quite simple really - just adopt the same principles that your favourite cafe uses to attract you! Provide a safe space, a fabulous menu that is displayed superbly and as short a waiting time as possible!
All garden birds can be cautious when they first find a new source of food. In the middle of winter when the trees are bare, there are fewer places for them to hide from any predators that might be lurking nearby. If you are setting up a new bird feeding station try to locate it beside a tree, hedgerow or large shrub - somewhere the birds can dart into for safety if an enemy approaches.
When it comes to the menu, different birds have different preferences. Goldfinches will head straight for nyjer seed in a hanging feeder, while robins and blackbirds prefer to feed off the ground or from a table and enjoy seeds, nuts and household scrapes like apple cores, cheese and potatoes. Blue tits and great tits will enjoy peanuts and seeds, best provided in a hanging feeder. Very few birds will turn their beaks up at an energy-rich ‘suet cake’ – these can be purchased in most supermarkets, garden centres and pet shops or can easily be made at home. Instructions can be found here.
Please remember birds may fly a long way, using precious energy to get to their new favourite feeding station, so please try to ensure that there is always a source of food available for them.
As well as providing food for our feathered friends, please try to ensure there’s also a source of water for wildlife visiting your garden. Birds rely on a fresh source of water to drink and to bathe in to make sure their feathers remain in good condition. A small bird bath with a ping pong ball in it to stop it freezing over is perfect.
January is also a good time of year to put up a nest box or two in your garden. Nest boxes come in all different shapes and sizes. Open-fronted nest boxes will attract robins while those with specifically sized holes at the front will attract great tits and house sparrows. When erecting your garden bird nest box, aim to fix it two to four metres up a tree or a wall, and face the box between north and east with a clear entry path. Don’t worry if nothing takes up residence this spring, it can take time for a box to catch the eye of a passing bird.
For lots more advice and information, head to www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch now. Register to get involved before 22 January you’ll receive a great goody bag to help make your Birdwatch brilliant!