Birds are attracted to the basic necessities of everyday life such as food, water, security and shelter. By incorporating each of these areas into your garden and making them ‘bird appropriate’, you can attract more birds to your garden almost instantly.
Food Supply
The main way to attract birds is by providing them with a constant supply of food. Wild Bird Food comes in various forms such as mealworms, seeds and oats, etc. Make your bird feeders as easily accessible as possible and mix different types of food together to provide more variation for birds to enjoy. Once news gets around about the five star dishes in your garden, you will soon have dozens of regular visitors daily. Don’t forget to top up the food supply when needed.
Shelter Options
Give the birds that come to your garden a choice of shelter options. Birds often nest in hedges or in trees. If you have neither, a nest box may be your best option. These are ideal for smaller birds that usually nest in small tree holes. Climbing plants also provide birds with an additional option for shelter. According to www.britishbirdlovers.co.uk, plants can provide birds with shelter during bad weather, at night and during springtime. They advise that each garden should dedicate a ‘bird friendly area’ filled with shrubs, berries and fruit.
Water Source
Add a bird sloping bath to your garden and watch as wild birds come to splash about in the fresh water. Keep this water clean and free from dirt. Many people advise that you add a flat stone to the base of the bath to insist with the bird’s access to the water. If your garden always has this water supply, birds will favour it over other gardens and may take up residence in yours.
Safe and Sound
Predators such as cats always pose a threat to birds, which is why they will stay clear of your garden if there is a cat ready to make them its dinner. Keep shelters and bird feeders out of the cats’ reach to avoid any mishaps. Choosing where to position the feeder and shelter is quite important, as birds prefer to have a good view of their surroundings. Having the feeder placed somewhere that the birds will be in constant danger while using is a bad idea. Instead, place it higher and let the birds get a good look around in order to feel safer in your garden.
Plants and Flowers
It may be a surprise to learn that a mowed lawn is a bit of a turn off for birds. They actually prefer longer grass, which is a great excuse to avoid mowing your lawn this summer. The reason for this is because it will provide them with a place to find beetles and insects to eat. According to the RSPB, ‘you’ll see all sorts of insects roving through the long grass, pollinators coming to the flowers in the lawn, and hopefully sparrows and goldfinches coming to feed on the seeds’.
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