Making a garden bird-friendly

Einhard

Hey,

I'm doing a bit of work in ym back garden at the moment, and I'd like to incorporate a few features that would attract birds and/or help them out a bit, especially during winter. It's a fairly plain garden with a lawn, and I've removed the unruly bushes that had previously offered some shleter to birds, so there's not much that can be done from a landscaping point of view. I was thinking though, of including nest boxes, feeders, or even a bird table, and I'd apprciate views on the best way to go about this.

Thanks.

Cork boy 55

A few bird baths, they require refills and a quick clean though, how often depends on many birds and how big the birds you are getting are

Chucken

Lots of info here:
http://www.talktalk.co.uk/home-garden/garden-advice/planting-for-birds.html

christmas2012

have different size holes for the bird boxes(one small hole in a small box and one big hole in a big box) so the little ones,such as the blue tits and sparrows,and gold crest get a chance of a feed uninterrupted by bigger birds such as starlings they can be a nuisance..

baaba maal

What I try to do is create the right conditions for the things birds want, rather than directly trying to attract the birds if you see what I mean. I have seen far too many nestboxes, for example, put up on bare walls in areas devoid of foodstuff for birds. You can go to a lot of effort with little result if you don't do a bit of planning (hence you are asking the question here of course!).

A couple of suggestions:

Leave a small patch of lawn to grow wild (even 1metre x 1metre but bigger if you can)- this will begin to harbour insects and in turn might attract birds to feed on the insects. You can cut it back in the autum and pick a different area every year. No pesticides to be used. It won't be a wildflower meadow, but it would be a small patch of "species-rich grassland" (to be used if sceptical family members start telling you you have missed a bit of the lawn!).

It's a pity that you got rid of the unruly bushes- they do provide cover, especially for wrens, dunnocks and robins. Plant a few more, but nothing like laurel or similar- even something like redcurrant provides a bit of cover and you can share the crop with the birds! Cotoneaster is useful groundcover/shelter.

Plant one tree (if not more!). Birch is perfect, grows quickly, sheds it's leaves in winter, narrow so won't block out all the light. Plant as far away from houses/ walls etc. Birds like to be able to keep an eye out for predators- so the height gained from a tree is invaluable in making them feel like your garden is a suitable habitat.

If you don't grow veg, plant three or four cabbage plants. If you don't spray them they will probably have a hungry gang of caterpillars- absolute gold for bluetits etc. Don't tell any veg-growing neighbours though- cabbage white butterflies aren't much liked by growers!

Don't put birdfeeders near nests- birds don't like to eat nuts/seeds and rear young in close proximity and won't use nestboxes if they're dubious about the site.

Plant ivy on walls and/or garden shed with the view to concealing a nestbox in the ivy eventually.

Only use 'environmentally-friendly' slug pellets- all the 'normal' ones are toxic to birds.

Always have clean water available.

Get a housemartin nestbox for under the eaves of the house, with a piece of wood a few feet under it to catch the droppings.

Put a bell on the cat! And try to dissuade neighbouring cats from visiting.

These aren't 'magic bullet' solutions, but all will help in the long run.

I'm sure others on this board would be able to add better ideas.....

Einhard

Thanks for the ideas people.

baaba maal wrote: »

What I try to do is create the right

Get a housemartin nestbox for under the eaves of the house, with a piece of wood a few feet under it to catch the droppings.

We actually have house martins nesting in our shed for the past few years. There's currently 4 chicks cheeping away out there.

Thanks for all the advice.

jigital

I like birds, but I'd be afraid to put anything in the garden to attract them, as there are cats.

I've been seeing something of late in a lot of DIY and garden outlets called "A floral meadow in my garden" and one of the meadow seed mixes is specially for birds. I can't recommend it from personal experience as I haven't tried it, but here's what they say on their site,

"Birds

Our special meadow for birds offers a source of food very early in the season and right throughout the winter. Linen seeds are particularly early and much enjoyed. This is followed by the season for Sorghum, Millet and Sunflower – food for the Chaffinch and Goldfinch.

Average height: + 80cm

Sowing time: March to June

First signs of blossom: 6 to 8 weeks after sowing

Average flowering period: 3 to 4 months"