Tips to encourage birds to your garden
If you love nothing more than sitting at your window sipping a cup of tea and watching beautiful birds, find out more about the things you can do to encourage them to spend time in your garden.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re in the countryside or close to the city, you can make a few simple changes that bring birds back to your garden again and again.
Having a garden that’s attractive to avian visitors isn’t only great for bird lovers. Birds can play a very important role in your garden’s ecosystem, meaning that they can be very useful for keen gardeners too – so get started today.
Creating an inviting space
Encouraging birds into your garden doesn’t need to be difficult, you just need to have a think about the kind of space you have and what you can do to make it attractive to our flying friends.
For example, if your garden is large enough, you might want to consider planting trees and buses that provide natural perching and nest places, such as birch, hawthorn, privet and rose bushes.
A little lawn is also useful as it makes it more likely birds will spot worms to feed on and by planting creepers on the walls and fences so there are plenty of places to hide. The RSPB has a great article about planting a bird friendly garden, sure to help you feel inspired.
Additional shelter can be offered with the installation of bird and nest boxes and these can be a great way of enticing birds to stay in your garden for a prolonged period. Try to put your boxes in the quietest spots in your garden and it’s great if it’s possible to position them so that they are out of the worst of the weather. Every autumn, you should clean your box out and make sure it’s fresh for the following year.
Provide food and water
Next, you should consider the food and water supply offered by your garden. By installing a bird bath with varied depths and suitable for a large number of birds, you will be providing welcome respite. Many birds have to fly for a long time to find fresh water, so a bath with clean water that’s in a spot offering some cover in the form of nearby branches is sure to be an attractive prospect.
Feeders are also fantastic for attracting birds and making sure that you have a supply of nuts, seeds, fats and fruit is a great start. Place your feeders in areas of the garden that are easy for birds to get to but which don’t provide tempting for potential predators.
It’s also essential to make sure that your feeders stay clean and disease free so wash them carefully in boiling water on a regular basis. Find more tips for providing the best possible food sources from Discovering Wildlife and have a read of The Guardian’s guide to attracting birds for some more interesting advice.
How do you attract birds to your garden? Share your experiences in the comments below
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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