Creating a Bird Friendly Garden

Creating a Bird Friendly Garden

With just a little effort it is possible to turn your garden into a haven for wild birds. Things to think about are accessories such as bird tables, bird baths and bird feeders, plants, providing food and shelter for birds and keeping predators away.

A well stocked bird table should be the focal point of any bird friendly garden. You can buy bird tables in many different designs so you should be able to find one to suit your garden. Traditionally bird tables were made of wood but they now come in other materials such as metal, plastic and even glass which are easier to clean and will last longer.

Make sure your bird table is positioned somewhere quiet so the birds are not disturbed when they are feeding and site it away from bushes and shrubs where predators like cats and squirrels can lurk.

You can put all sorts of food out on bird tables such as kitchen scraps like animal fats, cheese, fruit, rice, bread and peanuts. You can also buy ready made bird food mixes some of which are designed to attract a particular species of birds.

A bird feeder is a great addition or alternative to a bird table especially if you don't have much room in your garden or only have a balcony. Again think about where you hang your bird feeder so that the birds can feed in peace and predators can not attack.

You can buy bird feeders which hold seeds or fats or it is quite simple to make a your own by filling an old plastic bottle with melted fat mixed with seeds and other ingredients. Making a bird feeder is a great way of getting children involved and teaching them about nature and the environment.

A bird bath will provide much needed water for bathing and drinking and is especially important in the dry summer months and the winter when the birds' usual supply of water may be frozen over. It is important to clean your bird bath regularly to prevent the build up of algae and parasites that could be harmful to birds.

You should never use antifreeze or other additives to thaw water in a bird bath.

Over recent years home improvements have meant the decline of natural nesting places such as holes in buildings particularly in urban areas so a bird box will provide somewhere for birds to nest as well as shelter in the winter. It may take a couple of seasons before birds use a new nest box for breeding so put it out in the autumn so they have time to get used to it.

You can buy different types of nest boxes for different species of birds; you may want to consider getting some special "sparrow flats" as these are one of the species of birds that have declined in recent years in the UK.

Plants will not only provide fruit for birds but will attract insects that thrushes and blackbirds feed off. Plant berry-bearing shrubs like rowan and holly and flowering plants like sunflowers and teasel and leave the stems long to provide shelter too.

If you have a problem with cats chasing or even killing birds in your garden then you can buy special cat deterrents in the form of ultrasonic devices, sprinklers, scented pellets and fence protectors.

By turning your garden into a mini nature reserve for birds you will be doing your bit to help local wildlife and get the enjoyment of seeing wild birds close up.

You can find out more about creating a bird friendly garden at British Bird Lovers.

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This article was written by the author of British Bird Lovers



The author is a keen gardener and amateur bird watcher,