5 Ways to Encourage Birds to your Garden
Birds are wonderful visitors to have in your garden, often making for a relaxing watch from your window. Attracting birds to your garden is relatively easy and straightforward if you know what they are looking for.
In order for birds to thrive, they need plenty of food, water, and shelter; three things which can be found in most back gardens. If you want to entice birds to your garden, read below our top tips.
1. Provide Bird Food
One sure fire way of attracting birds to your garden is by setting up some bird feeders with a variety of foods. There is an array of different bird feeds available to encourage many different bird species to come. Some foods available include:
- Peanuts:Popular with the tit family, greenfinches, house sparrow, nuthatches and siskins, peanuts are a great choice as they attract any diverse birds. Peanuts are high in essential protein and provide a high energy source of fats and oils.
- Mixed Seed:A mixed seed blend will provide a variety of seeds, attracting multiple bird species into your garden, while also providing a mix of nutrients. Suitable for year-round feeding.
- Nyjer Seed:This oil rich seed is of a very small size, and is popular with Goldfinches and Siskins, amongst other birds. High in energy Nyjer seed provided a much needed boost during colder weather.
- Sunflower Seeds:An energy rich food source popular with many species. A particular favourite of greenfinches. Can be fed all year round.
- Sunflower Hearts: The husk of the sunflower is removed to reveal the sunflower heart perfect for birds that need a high energy food source with minimum effort. Usually hung from bird feeders or nearby tree branches, sunflower hearts are loved by blue tits, coal tits, great tits, greenfinches and chaffinches.
- Fat Balls & Suet Treats:Often supplemented with seeds, peanuts, berries and meal-worm, fat balls and suet treats will attract many species of bird into your garden.
- Meal-worm:Rich in protein, meal-worms are perfect for supplementing the diets of insect eating birds. Especially important in cold weather when grounds are frozen and access to natural sources can be difficult.
2. Position Bird Feeders in Good Spots
Generally, a bird feeder will be suitable almost anywhere, but the best spots to attract birds to your garden are somewhere quiet where they won’t be disturbed; somewhere safe, away from predators like cats; and somewhere that has decent shelter so they won’t be disturbed by wind.
3. Stay Consistent
You might not attract many birds the first time round, but once they discover your feeders, it won’t be long until a flock will come visiting! They will begin to rely on your food source, so it’s important to keep putting out food throughout the year, taking special care during the winter.
4. Leave out Fresh Water
Water is just as important as food for our garden birds, and fresh water can be difficult to locate during the cold weather. Make sure to provide plenty of fresh water in your garden for both bathing and drinking to help gardens birds conserve their energy.
5. Somewhere to Nest
Another great way to urge birds to visit your garden is by providing them with somewhere safe and comfortable to nest. Add a few nesting or bird boxes in sheltered areas of your garden, high enough so predators can’t access them and so harsh winds won’t disturb them. Make sure to furnish your bird boxes with materials such as grass stems, twigs, and soft leaves.
