Although we're still in winter, some birds are already starting to think about nest sites and nesting. If you've noticed more birdsong over the last few weeks, that's a sign that birds are starting to think about attracting a mate and marking out their territories for nest building. This increase in song can happen from mid-January onwards.
As mentioned a few weeks ago in this blog, one of the earliest birds to start making nests is the long-tailed tit, often starting in February. This is because their nests are so elaborate that they take a good few weeks to actually build! Their beautifully intricate domed nests are constructed of lichen and cobwebs, and lined with up to 1,500 feathers. As the chicks hatch and grow, the spider silk that the birds use to build the nest stretches to accommodate them. The nests are often found in dense vegetation, such as hedges and brambles. Long tailed-tits don't use nest boxes, so gardens with wild, overgrown areas are more likely to attract breeding birds.
Long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus with nesting material in beak
Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
If you have shrubs, hedges or climbing plants (such as clematis or honeysuckle) in your garden, you may be lucky enough to attract nesting blackbirds, usually starting in March. These nests are fairly large and heavy-looking, with wide cups for the eggs and chicks. They are woven from dried grasses but also moss and small twigs. Instead of feathers or hair, the nest cup is simply lined with grass. Blackbird nests are rarely higher than head height, so if you leave and encourage bulky shrubs, hedges and climbing plants in your gardens, you may be surprised to see blackbirds flying in and out later in the season right in front of you! There's a list of suggested plants to grow in your garden to encourage nesting birds here.
If you've got hedges and shrubs you want to cut back, you really need to get on with it as soon as possible before the nesting season, when birds shouldn't be disturbed. And if possible, keep any cutting to a minimum to provide maximum nesting spaces for the birds.
It will soon be National Nestbox Week, celebrated from the 14th February. So now is a perfect time to put up a nestbox (or two!) in your own garden to help one of the species most likely to use it, such as blue tits. Different species favour different types of boxes, so if possible it's worth providing a variety of boxes to attract a range of nesting birds. You might even have a go at building a nestbox yourself!
When Flatford Wildlife Garden is open, you can watch the nestbox cameras showing live colour footage of activity in the garden's nestboxes. The next open time will be during February half term, when the garden will be open for all the family to enjoy from 17th-25th February. There will be a spring garden trail and children can make a seed bomb.