Our gardens are becoming increasingly important for a variety of species due to the growing pressure of development on the countryside and open spaces. However, there are many ways in which you can give a helping hand and in this post we shall be looking at how you can do your bit for birds!

Set up your own feeding station

By providing food and water for birds all year round you can do your bit to encourage and support their growth and wellbeing. They’re also great to watch and make everyone feel a bit more chirpy (which, in turn is even beneficial for our own health and wellbeing). Although winter feeding benefits birds most, food shortages can occur at any time of the year. By feeding the birds year round, you’ll give them a better chance to survive the periods of food shortage whenever they may occur.

It’s a good idea to use a bird table or hanging feeder, rather than putting food directly on the ground. By doing this you prevent rats, who may otherwise be attracted to their food. When the weather becomes severe it’s good to feed birds twice a day, if possible: first thing in the morning and early in the afternoon. To encourage regular visitors try to keep to the same feeding routine. Howl has adopted a slightly different approach due to the paranoia of having two stealthy predators in the back garden! Window Feeders!

Window Feeders

Window feeders are a superb option for people with little, or no outside space, who would like to attract garden birds. They are ideal for small gardens and balconies. I found that it took a few weeks for the birds to gain confidence to use the feeders, but once they felt secure, they could not stay away. Another advantage of window feeders is that they are a fantastic way to attract them closer, so you can improve your bird identification skills. Howl’s feeding station has so far attracted many blue tits, great tits, robins, as well as the odd starling. Be sure to submit you’re sightings to any local wildlife monitoring schemes to help build a clear picture of the state of nature in your area. In the coming weeks I’m hoping to get some clear shots of my regular visitors to share with you all.

*Please note – Be very careful with the storage of your bird seed as Howl has caused a weevil war in the household!*