Wild birds are one of the most joyful things about our countryside and our team is encouraging you to enjoy and care for them in your own gardens. A little bit of love – feeding them and putting up nest boxes – can create vibrant communities of songbirds, and the return of species that had departed.
Jane has a passion for birds, inspired by her Dad. She has put up 20 nesting boxes around her croft, and feeds birds all year round. She suspects the cost of doing so is around £1500/year! But she says you don’t need to invest so much to make a difference.
Nesting boxes
Can be as simple as an oil can with a hole cut into it or as sophisticated as long-lasting concrete boxes.
Feeders
Buy well, and they will last. The Droll Yankee feeders are excellent and will last you a lifetime. Position feeders in or near trees or shrubs, birds like protection when they come down to feed. And make sure you keep things clean beneath the feeders. And avoid bird foods with wheat in them, they waste more than they eat.
Clean Water
Make clean water available, all year round. Birds can die of thirst in the winter, so put some warm water out in the morning for them. If you really want to do some good, put in a small pond for them, with a shallow end to allow bathing. Birds need to, and love to bathe.
Other wildlife
Leave wild areas of weeds or, better still, areas sown to pollen and nectare mixes, it encourages invertebrates (which birds feed on) and leaves seed behind for birds to forage on in the winter. Thistles may be a weed to some, but to goldfinches, they are gourmet nibbles.
Watch and learn
Take time to watch their behaviour and learn their songs. You’ll fall in love.
Keep them safe
Put a bell on your cats to warn the birds they are coming!
Nees some further inspiration on how to attract wild birds?
We recommend visiting: