Pickle says….I am loving this time of year and the nicer weather we are having, aren’t you? The sun has been shining, it is a little warmer and we are noticing lots more wildlife both in our garden and when out and about in the countryside. This year is the first spring we have (unfortunately) no cats as pets, and we have noticed so many more birds in our garden. We have some top tips on how to attract birds to your garden.
We miss our cats terribly, but we are enjoying seeing more and more birds feeling safe and happy enough to visit – and even nest in our garden.
Birds aren’t just pretty to look at, they are so important for our garden. Sparrows, robins and their friends eat all the grubs and bugs that attack your lettuces, potatoes and flowers.
To encouraging birds into your garden you need to know which species you are likely to attract and at what time of year.
Here are some tips:
As well as feeding birds seed and some kitchen scraps, planting certain kinds of trees, shrubs and flowers help. A few nesting boxes fixed securely high up on a tree trunk can also bring new life into your garden.
Birds will want to visit your garden if there’s plenty of food available, so put up some some feeders.
Provide a wide range of natural food such as seed mixes, sunflower hearts, niger seed, suet products, and if you are brave enough, live foods such as mealworms. By providing a wide mix of foods you will attract more species.
Offer a range of ways for birds to feed in your garden such as feeders, bird tables and the ground. This is because some birds such as the blackbird can’t perch on a full seed feeder. They need them in a place which is the same or similar to where it would find its natural food such as the ground.
Build a ‘habitat pile’ which is simply a pile of branches, twigs and other garden waste in a quiet corner of your garden where insects will live, breed and hibernate to provide food for your birds.
Offer fresh water for drinking and bathing. A bird bath is a perfect way to do this, make sure the water is always clean.
I know a few birds, little robins, seagulls and magpies but there are so many out there. Rattan Direct has come up with a fab fun quiz to see of you can name different birds. Why not test your knowledge and see how many you know?
Do you notice many birds in your garden?
This is a collaborative post.
May 5, 2017 at 12:51 pm
This is a fantastic post! It’s so important to attract birds and other wildlife into our gardens. Sadly we have four cats, and 2 more live next door, so birds aren’t fond of our house!
Sarah recently posted…15 Movies That Will Mess With Your Mind
May 5, 2017 at 1:01 pm
I’ll have a look later at this
I love looking at the birds in my garden but not great with their names
Wonder how many I’ll recognise
May 5, 2017 at 5:19 pm
Yes! Although I am rubbish on their proper names, we have 2 white doves, robins, sparrows, black birds, pigeons, and lots of other little birds, they all seem to get along quite well. We have a bird bath and leave out scraps, there are also a few trees and bushes for them x
May 5, 2017 at 5:29 pm
I tried to attract birds to our back garden a few summers ago with one of those birdseed feeders but had no joy! We have lots of kites flying around, so I wonder if they’re scared away by the ‘birdy big boys’. I’ll have to have another try this summer. x
Jacqui Paterson (@JaxFortyNorth) recently posted…BRANDED A THIEF FOR TRYING TO MAKE MY GIRLS’ DREAMS COME TRUE // nikki smith’s story
May 5, 2017 at 8:55 pm
We love spotting birds in our garden. Unfortunately we are plagued by 2 large pigeons who seem to scare all the smaller birds away.
May 5, 2017 at 10:16 pm
I used to be a subscriber to the RSPB’s magazine for children years ago (I don’t even know if they still make it) so have spent many hours trying to attract birds to our garden. It’s so nice to see them flit in and out of the garden especially when it’s time to start having babies. These are some really great tips especially the habitat pile.
May 6, 2017 at 8:48 pm
This would be a lovely activity to get kids involved and to learn about wildlife and nature.
Nayna Kanabar recently posted…Rishikesh
May 7, 2017 at 11:09 am
I used to see so many birds nesting locally but there seem to have been fewer and fewer in the last couple of years. It feels rewarding when you know you can make a difference to positively affect wildlife though.
May 7, 2017 at 1:31 pm
We have an apple tree in our garden so that helps to attract lots of birds!
Ashleigh recently posted…WASHING BRUSHES WITH DR BRONNER’S ALMOND SOAP
May 8, 2017 at 10:43 am
We seem to attract squirrels if we put food out
May 9, 2017 at 10:19 am
One of my little joys in life is wildlife,cheers me up
May 9, 2017 at 7:33 pm
I would love to attract birds to the garden but I have a cat and he would just do what comes naturally.
May 10, 2017 at 1:48 pm
Great post! My 3 year old and I love bird spotting in the garden.
Jade @ Captured By Jade recently posted…Walking with Young Children
May 10, 2017 at 5:34 pm
Love watching the birds I have a very large garden with lots of trees. See plenty. We get everything from blue tits , robins,jays , to blackbirds , wild doves , crows and magpies . We have an owl somewhere and also seen tiny bats . Always have plenty of birdfood for them. The only birds not seen for a long time are the little house sparrows I think they’re fading out.