It's not hard to attract birds into the garden and when they arrive they can be great entertainment
Most of us love birds, but do birds love our gardens? With a little thought and consideration for our feathered friends we can make our gardens a safe and bountiful haven by choosing suitable plantings and providing extra nesting and feeding facilities. For a start, plant at least one tree in your garden as this will make it considerably more enticing for many kinds of birds, who feel most at home amongst tree branches.
Choose a native species that, apart from creating perching, roosting and nesting sites, additionally provides food. For example, rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), with its spectacular clusters of red fruit for thrushes, robins and warblers; silver birch (Betula pendula), with plentiful seeds for siskins, tits and redpolls; or wild cherry (Prunus avium), with its dual-purpose fruits, good for both birds and humans.
For larger gardens, oaks (Quercus robur and Quercus pedunculata), ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and willows (Salix spp) are of exceptional wildlife value. They will both house a multitude of insects and other invertebrates on which birds will eagerly feed, and oaks will also produce acorns when mature (though of course this will take some years), relished by nuthatches and jays, while the seeds of the fast-growing ash are an important food source for bullfinches.
A good dense hedge is an important component of a bird-friendly garden. Rather than embarking on a neatly trimmed hedge of Japanese privet or Lonicera nitida, consider planting a mixed hedgerow of native species.
A good bird hedge would contain a high proportion of hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), with other shrubs mixed in, which may include blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), hazel (Corylus avellana), holly (Ilex aquifolium), elder (Sambucus nigra), dog rose (Rosa canina), wild crab apple (Malus sylvestris), bird cherry (Prunus padus), or guelder rose (Viburnum opulus).
If the hedge is not pruned too hard or too often, most of these will flower and produce fruit loved by birds. If you prefer a more uniform, single-species hedge, beech (Fagus sylvatica) and hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) are good choices, especially as they tend to retain their dead leaves in the winter, or go for evergreen holly, though it is rather slow-growing.
Once the hedge is established, birds may begin to nest amongst the dense branches. It is vital to leave the hedge absolutely alone during the nesting period to avoid disturbing the birds and their young. Thus, any pruning is best done in winter, and on a rotational basis, with one-third to half the length of the hedge trimmed each year.
There is no reason why non-native shrubs could not be added to a bird garden, especially if they supply valuable food, such as Berberis darwinii, Pyracantha varieties, Amelanchier species or a range of Cotoneasters, all of which have berries that are appreciated by birds.
Planting climbing plants is an excellent way to provide extra shelter and nesting sites for birds. Among native climbers, common ivy (Hedera helix) and honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) are probably the best, both producing good cover and berries. Fast-growing exotic climbers are also valuable, especially for covering unsightly outbuildings or dead trees, so, if you have enough space, grow Clematis Montana, or the mile-a-minute plant, Polygonum baldschuanicum.
A useful food source for birds are the seeds of garden flowers, including sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), teasels (Dipsacus fullonum), poppies (Papaver rhoeas and Papaver somniferum), forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica), Michaelmas daisies (Aster novaebelgii and its single-flowered varieties) and evening primroses (Oenothera species). Rather than tidying up the spent flower stems, leave them to seed and you will be rewarded by a show of finches expertly dismantling the ripe seedheads.
Even weeds have their use in the garden and if you can't get rid of them, console yourself with the thought that the birds may well benefit from a plentiful food supply. All kinds of thistles (Cirsium and Carduus species), dandelions (Taraxacum officinale), chickweed (Stellaria media), docks (Rumex spp), fat hen (Chenopodium album) and even stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) are excellent sources of seed loved by finches.
Feeding the birds during hard winter months really does help them to get along, but a few rules should be observed. Sugary and especially salty foods are harmful, while desiccated coconut and dry bread are dangerous as they can swell up and choke the birds. A good bird table menu can include various birdseed mixtures, peanuts, grated cheese, suet, dried fruit, boiled eggs, leftovers from your dog's tinned dinner, or you could have fun making bird puddings with
seeds, nuts and suet. Feeding should commence in October and continue through to early spring.
It is best to phase it out gradually when the nesting season begins, as much of the food that is good for adult birds is unsuitable for nestlings, and may cause problems if parents feed it to their young.
Nestboxes can encourages those birds that naturally nest in tree holes, such as tits, nuthatches, sparrows and starlings. If a nestbox is intended for small birds, such as a blue tit, the hole must not be larger than one and one-eighth inch (28mm), to exclude sparrows that would otherwise occupy the box.
The floor space in the birdbox should be at least five to six inches (125-150mm) square to accommodate the young family. A roof overhanging the hole is useful to keep out the rain. Position the nestbox somewhere between seven to 16 feet (2.1-4.8m) above the ground, in a sheltered east or north-facing spot. Robins and wrens do not need a special nesting box but can make use of odd objects, such as old kettles or terracotta pots, strategically placed in bushy, undisturbed spots.
Apart from providing food and shelter, don't forget about a water supply for your garden birds. Water is essential not only for drinking, but for bathing, and birdbaths are the most obvious choice. An even better option, however, is to create a small pond, which is also certain to attract hordes of other wildlife. The bigger the pond, the better, but even a tiny pool, about two feet (600mm) across, is of great value, as long as the edges are shallow. This is easy to make using a flexible liner, or even heavy-duty black polythene. Plant the pool using native species, such as hornworts (Ceratophyllum) and water-milfoils (Myriophyllum), yellow flag (Iris pseudocorus) and flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus), then have hours of fun watching the birds drinking and splashing.
To make your garden even more friendly, try to reduce the amount of pesticides that you use, as, after all, aphids and other insects we perceive as pests, play an important part in the diets of our feathered garden guests.
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