With the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch happening this weekend, our series of guests posts from top garden bird bloggers is here to help you get involved.
Today, Sharon Sheppard shares her tips and advice on various types of bird feeders and different foods that will help you attract more birds into your garden. You can read Shazza’s Backyard blog here.
A starling enjoying the fat ball feeder
Shazza’s Backyard Birding Tips
Birds may take a while to find your garden, especially if you’ve only just started putting out food, so you have to be patient. Once you start putting out food and water on a regular basis, you’ll be amazed at how many birds suddenly “appear”.
You have to remember though that once you start feeding them, you must keep doing it as birds will come to depend on your garden as a reliable food source.
Try to vary the size and position of feeders and the types of food; this will bring in a wider variety of birds.
House Sparrows monopolising the bird table
When we first moved to our house, we noticed that the Starlings and House Sparrows were monopolising the main feeding station that we put out. So, we put out several smaller feeders, some with no perches, suitable for the “clingers” i.e. Siskins, members of the Tit family etc.
The House Sparrows and Starlings now have full reign over the peanuts, seed and fat balls and they don’t seem to bother with the other feeders leaving the smaller birds to stock up!
We also put out a ground feeder, which the pigeons and collared doves flock to and we scatter apple, sultanas and banana on the ground (we’ve found that Blackcaps love banana!)
Another fruit loving Blackcap at the feeder'
During the harsh winter we just had, we skewered apples onto garden canes and wedged them next to our hedge – the Redwings and Blackcaps thought they were great!
We’re lucky in that our garden has lots of cover with plenty of mature shrubs and bushes. The downside of this of course is that it also has lots of places for the cats to hide. If your neighbours have cats, try asking them if they’d mind a bell being put on the cat’s collar, that way it can’t sneak up on the birds.
*Top Tip* Try growing your own feeders! We planted Sunflowers last spring which looked gorgeous during the summer and, once they’d died, we hung the flower heads upside down and the Coal Tit loved them!
To get involved or learn more about this great bird watching event visit the RSPB: Big Garden Birdwatch.
Sharon blogs at Shazza’s Backyard Blog
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi again, Sharon. Excellent post especially the point about regular feeding once you start
You’ll know this, but I’d like to add that birds also rely on the food in the summer when feeding their young so feeding should continue then too.Until I saw this myself I always thought the birds only needed food over the winter when it was cold. What fun it is to watch newly fledged chicks follow their poor (by then) bedraggled parents around the garden begging for food
Excellent collection. Feeding the birds will definitely give us satisfaction. thanks.