How to encourage garden birds

“Wildlife is amazing but some of it is disappearing and so we must look after it if we want to continue to see it”

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How to encourage garden birds this Spring

Having laid a lot of tarmac and concrete, drained the land and built a lot of houses, wildlife is getting brushed to one side. Wildlife is amazing but some of it is disappearing and so we must look after it if we want to continue to see it.

Over the next three months there won’t be many plants going to seed and there aren’t many insects around so we can help garden birds by putting food out in our gardens. Bird feeding was traditionally for the winter but Vine House Farm now sell more bird feed in May and June than any other month of the year. Our smaller birds need high energy food, ideally insects but sunflowers, fat, peanuts in a feeder (loose and they are a choking hazard for young fledglings) and other small seeds, (not wheat or barley) will do very nicely.

Birds have to feed their nestlings moist food as they are unable to take them water. Moist foods are insects or unripe seeds which build up during the summer months but now we help birds feed their young by putting out live meal worms for smaller birds and raisins and sultanas that you have soaked in water overnight for blackbirds, thrushes and starlings. If you feed these in a cage the pigeons and crows won’t be able to get them. By offering the birds moist food it will help them rear more young and maybe even have an extra brood.

Soft apples and pears cut in half, bananas and grapes are good on the bird table - you can even offer cheese or waxworms though these are more expensive.

Birds also need to feel safe in your garden, they need cover to hide in where they will feel safe, a prickly bush is the best place, so if you don’t have one why not grow one. Sow wildlife friendly plants; to name a few Jacobs Ladder, Honeysuckle, Buddleia, Primrose, Sunflowers, Cowslips, Teasles, Cornflowers, Foxgloves and Poached Egg Plants.

Use the opportunity that warmer days bring to thoroughly clean or replace birdfeeders and bird baths and remember a fresh supply of clean water is important too, good hygiene is vital or feeding may do more harm than good.