Everyone loves to see birds visiting their garden, patio or balcony. Want to know how to boost your chances of seeing lots of birds through the year? Read on!
1. Feeding the birds is perhaps the quickest and easiest way to invite feathered friends into your garden or onto your balcony. Birds are creatures of habit, so don’t be disheartened if your brand-new feeders don’t attract visitors straight away. Be patient, and think like a bird to see if you could do anything differently...
2. That might mean checking your feeders or bird table are in the right place. Not too far from trees or bushes (so birds can make a short flight to safety), but not too close either – predators like cats can use low shrubbery as cover before launching an attack!
3. Like a restaurant or cafe proprietor, learn what your visitors like to eat. Choosing the right food is important. Some birds are picky eaters, while others are much less choosy. Identify your garden birds so you can tailor your birdfood menu.
4. If you’re putting out food for your garden birds, it’s crucial to keep feeders, baths and tables clean. Birds can catch diseases from each other, but you can help reduce the risk by cleaning up and making sure there aren’t too many leftovers!
5. It’s not all about food – water is important, even in cold weather. As well as laying on drinks for your guests, a simple bird bath will give birds somewhere to bathe. (A pond is even better and will attract lots of other wildlife, too.) It looks a bit chilly at this time of year, but bathing is essential for birds to keep their feathers in top condition (it’s also fun to watch them splashing around).
6. Make your garden a desirable home for birds into the spring by thinking about what they need for the breeding season. For some species, that can mean a cosy nestbox. And for others, what they need is a thick shrub or tree to build a nest in.
7. Bird-friendly plants can also offer lots of natural food. Trees or shrubs that have fruit or berries can attract thrushes, or even waxwings in some winters (beautiful migrant birds from Scandinavia which come here to ransack our berry bushes).
8. Insect-friendly plants aren’t just good for insects – they’re good for birds, too. Many birds eat insects, and they’re in especially high demand during spring and summer when many birds feed bugs and insects to their chicks. You also get to enjoy watching bees, butterflies, moths and hoverflies, and you can even grow them in pots if you don’t have a garden.
9. Be a wildlife-friendly gardener and avoid using pesticides. Be green-fingered and it’s often possible to avoid artificial chemicals and the effects they have on our wildlife.
10. If you can offer lots of these things, you should be well on the way to attracting lots of birds and other wildlife. Think of your garden as a mini-nature reserve – it doesn’t have to be scruffy, but lots of little things add up to give nature a home.
Great work Taffy! It's easy to put out food, but the most helpful things can take a little longer. Perseverance!
totally agree my garden has gone from no birds or just the odd one to 18 different species in 4 years by planting shrubs and trees and its not big but I feed the right foods for the birds visiting my garden I have even put holes in my shed for them to roost in winter if the want lovely to see them