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The summer months are coming and your garden looks great. Your hedges are trimmed, your lawn freshly mowed and your shed looks pristine. There are not many things that could improve your garden. Except, undoubtedly, the addition of birds. No garden could not be improved by a blackbird’s song or the sighting of a chaffinch or blue tit. Not only do birds improve the environment and mood of the garden, they can also play a pivotal role in its ecosystem. Birds can act as pest controllers of everything from aphids to snails, and as consumers of wind fall fruits.
So how do I encourage birds to come to my garden? Simply putting seeds on the ground is not enough. There are a number of considerations that need to be undertaken if you want to maximize your garden by attracting wildlife. All of them are easy to do and don’t take much time or money, but each factor is worth considering.
The first, most obvious, consideration is providing food and drink for your potential bird visitors. However, to really create an alluring invitation it is worth making more effort than simply throwing a few seeds on the ground next to a bowl of water. In fact leaving food on the ground is a potentially dangerous action: birds feeding here are open to attacks from cats and other predators. It is partially for this reason that it is advised to place food and water at places inaccessible to animals who would attempt to harm the birds. Bird tables, which are some height off the ground, should also be placed with consideration. If possible bird tables should be situated as high as possible to avoid cats and other wildlife climbing onto it. Also bird tables should be stationed away from fences or large hedges which cats can easily get to but, if possible, near areas of ornamental planting. Shrubbery and herbaceous plants are particularly alluring to birds as are colourful annuals, honeysuckle, and goat willow, and it would prove even better if there is a pond nearby. A mixture of plants is important for a few reasons; they encourage insects to stay which is vital for feeding of wild birds. Plants that yield berries, seed and fruit are also a great attraction. Make sure to place food on your bird table twice a day and be sure to include a mix of sunflower seeds, oats and hemp.
If a pond is not nearby it is advisable to provide water for birds to stay hydrated. Birds need a regular supply of water to survive. A good way of ensuring water for bird is to provide a small bath for them, mounted on a plinth, a ceramic water dish, or a hanging water dish. Make sure the edges of the equipment are slightly sloping with rough sides to help them grip on.
Finally, to really ensure birds come to your garden it is worth preparing a bird box preferably in time for September. These can either be built or bought. Before purchasing or constructing it is worth bearing in mind that different shaped bird houses attract different birds; it is worth researching which type of birds you would like in your garden. Bird houses with half open fronts are more likely to attract robins and ones with small round entry holes are likely to find sparrows using them as homes. If you are to build a bird box yourself please note that paints and preservatives should be shied away from as they may prove toxic to birds. Make sure the bird box is attached securely to a solid object too as it has to be durable in the most extreme weather conditions of the winter. Leaving twigs and stones nearby the bird box would be appreciated for nesting.
If all of these steps are undertaken then, with a little patience, your garden should be complete with a wide array of visitors!
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