The second round of our big garden birdwatch challenge resulted in a resounding win for the café team with an impressive 13 species scoring 20 points. Although the courtyard picked up a few ‘2 point’ species including moorhen and coal tit they managed 7 species worth 10 points.
Then just as I thought the café was running away with the challenge the courtyard (being represented by our shop team) stole a victory on day 3 with an improving score of 11 species and 15 points. (The café team saw 10 species, scoring 13 points).
So it’s all to play for as we go into day 4.
How are your gardens shaping up in preparation for the big weekend? Who are your star turns and will they put in an appearance during your chosen hour? Let us know.
So, now for some more top big garden birdwatch tips from the Pulborough Brooks team.
Trevor’s top tip – to get the best variety of birds feeding in your garden, putting out a mixture of different foods is great. If you want to go with just one, Trevor recommends the premium sunflower hearts. This is our best seller and is popular with finches, tits, sparrows and the ground feeding birds like blackbirds and thrushes. Many of our visitors report that the sunflower hearts are as popular as nyger seed with their goldfinches.
Team up the sunflower hearts with one of the RSPB’s ‘easy clean’ feeders. These have been designed to be easily taken apart, and perhaps more crucially, easily put back together for cleaning. Keeping your feeders clean is really important and helps to prevent the spread of disease – particularly important in mild but damp weather.
I was beginning to think that Mel was bribing both the birds and the bird counters with food (not the same food mind), and whilst we don’t suggest that you feed the birds with leftover cake (and who has leftover cake?) but you could try Mel’s top tip of putting out leftover grated cheese for the birds. Cheese is a great high energy food that is suitable in colder weather.
If it is a bit cold and gloomy Mel and her team in the café can warm you up with their delicious home made soups. There is always a choice, and we’re now serving soup throughout the afternoon until 4 pm.
Great spotted woodpeckers have been visiting the feeders on both the courtyard and café terrace feeders. This photo was taken by Sophie May Lewis.