GARDENING

Bring in the birds

Elly West looks at the best ways to encourage our feathered friends back to our gardens and help them through the cold winter months...

One of the greatest pleasures of gardening is that feeling of oneness with nature, the moment when you spot a friendly, curious robin hopping nearby while digging on a cold day, edging closer to see if you’ve unearthed a treat. Watching birds from indoors when it’s too cold to go outside is another delight, a free live-show, and I’ll always encourage clients to hang bird feeders and put out bird baths to add another element to the garden, particularly in winter when there’s not as much else going on.

It’s a tough time for birds in the garden right now. They need extra energy to keep warm, but food supplies are scarce and short days mean fewer hours for foraging. Garden birds as a whole are in gradual decline, and many once common species are struggling, particularly greenfinches, swifts, house martins and sparrows. There are lots of ways we can help our garden birds, improving their chances of surviving the winter as well as increasing their breeding success, by boosting their food supplies during these long, dark days.

The most obvious way to help them is to put out food, and the right kind of food, not just in winter but all year round. A good range will encourage different bird varieties, so try to include a seed mix, some fat-based snacks, and protein-rich options such as mealworms. Scraps from the kitchen can also be put out, such as grated cheese, crumbled pastry and bits of unsalted meat fat. And there are various recipes online if you want to make your own suet or fat balls, loved by many birds including tits, robins, sparrows and woodpeckers, and vital for energy and insulation when it’s cold. Peanuts and sunflower seeds also have a high fat content, which is particularly important at this time of year.

Site your feeders in quiet places in the garden where birds won’t be disturbed, not too close to low bushes where predators can hide in wait, but where there is high cover from which they can flit to and fro, so they feel more safe. Don’t worry if nothing arrives for a week or two, it takes a while for birds to discover new feeders and to feel confident and safe using them. Choose somewhere a few metres away from the house, but where you can still see them from a window to enjoy the display.

Be sure to clear away uneaten food, and bits that have fallen on the ground that could encourage predators and rats. Good hygiene is vital. One of the main reasons finches are in sharp decline is because of a parasitic disease, trichomonosis, spread by contaminated food and drinking water. Try to clean and disinfect feeders every week, and remember to top up bird baths with fresh water, defrosting with warm water if it’s frozen.

As well as buying food, or giving them bits from your kitchen, you can also boost their natural food supply with the right kind of plants. Think seeds and berries – sunflowers are a popular treat, particularly for finches, blackbirds and thrushes. Other seedheads loved by garden birds include echinacea, globe thistles and rudbeckia, so don’t be too quick to clear away the dead and dying at the end of the season. Leaving seed heads on the plant will bring in more insects for birds to feed on, as well as the nutrition from the seeds themselves.

Berried plants bring autumn and winter colour to your borders and will also benefit your feathered friends. Good plants for berries include cotoneaster, rowan, pyracantha, holly, honeysuckle, ivy, and roses for their hips.

Planting hedges and trees will provide food, but also important shelter and nesting spots for birds. You can also help by installing bird boxes ready for the breeding season ahead. Now is a great time to put them up, so they have time to find and investigate them before nesting time. You can buy them ready-made, or if you have a few DIY skills, have a go at building one yourself. Where to put the box will make a big difference to its success, so choose a sheltered site away from cold winds and direct sunlight and at least two metres from the ground, ensuring protection from predators, especially cats. Don’t put a nest box near your feeders, as this can lead to territorial disputes.

It’s nearly time for the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, which takes place 27–29 January. This annual event is the world’s largest garden wildlife survey and last year nearly 700,000 people took part. The more the merrier, so if you want to get involved and help the RSPB collect vital information about bird numbers and distribution, all you have to do is spend an hour watching birds in your garden or local park and noting what you see. Visit rspb.org.uk/birdwatch to find out more. n • ellyswellies.co.uk

Plant of the Month: Ivy

I feel this familiar climber is somewhat misunderstood, and perhaps under-rated despite its ability to grow and thrive in the darkest spots and rubbish soil. Admittedly it can be a thug, but it can also be an extremely valuable garden plant, brightening a shady spot and covering unattractive eyesores with greenery and wildlife-friendly, nectarrich flowers followed by berries.

It’s self-clinging, so won’t need support or tying in if you’re growing it vertically, and also makes excellent groundcover, stabilising soil, which is useful for sloping banks, and providing year-round greenery. It can even be used to create topiary shapes, if you choose a small-leaved variety and grow it around a wire frame.

There are lots of attractive variegated varieties available, with multitoned foliage. ‘Sulphur Heart’ has large, dark-green leaves with a central splash of yellow and yellow-green. ‘Glacier’ is a pretty, more delicate smallleaved variety with grey-green and cream leaves.

In terms of pruning, the ideal time to cut back excess growth is in midspring, although they are generally tough plants and can tolerate hard pruning at other times of the year as necessary. Wear long sleeves and gloves while pruning as it can irritate the skin.