HOME & GARDEN

DIGGING DEEP

The Big Garden Birdwatch

If you are sat with a hot-off-the-press copy of Pulse, you will still be in time to partake in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch this year.

In the last 50 years due to the nature and climate emergency more than 38 million birds have been lost from UK skies.

The Big Garden Birdwatch is an opportunity to document what is happening to the birdlife where you live, by simply counting the birds on your balcony, in your garden or in your local green space for one hour.

But even if you’ve missed the chirpy event in 2023 (over the weekend of January 27-29) there is nothing to stop you encouraging and enticing feathered friends to your garden right away.

If you want to incorporate a bird feeder or table into your garden, think about where it will be most useful – it should be somewhere quiet and safe. Avoid placing it close to bushes where predators could be waiting, but ensure it is close enough to cover so the birds can easily dart to and from the table. And it should be sheltered from harsh winds.

Disease is easily spread and can be fatal, so bird feeders need to be cleaned weekly with warm soapy water and dried thoroughly before refilling.

A constant water source is just as important – a saucer or shallow plastic tub will suffice; birds don’t care about the pattern on the pot!

Don’t be surprised if you don’t have an influx of beaky sorts flying in on day one, it can take a while for them to find and explore a new feeder, but patience will pay off.

Not all birds will use feeders and blackbirds are ground eaters who enjoy getting stuck into fatty nibbles and mealworms.

Don’t have a garden? No problem – you can still attract birds to your property; even if you live in a flat, a little bird feeder attached to the window will attract tits and prove a far better source of entertainment than the small screen!

We have a feeder attached to an upstairs window and have enjoyed generations of blue tit and great tits families visiting daily for the past few years.

The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch runs from January 27 to January 29

Pic: Ben Hall rspb-images.com

Pic: Nigel Blake rspb-images.com

Top Tip...

There can be a tendency to hold back from getting out into the early year chill, but this is the time to get busy – plan now, and you’ll reap the success later.

What summer bulbs are you thinking of? Gladioli perhaps, lilies maybe? Get them ordered, and start looking at those planting positions.

Prune evergreens and winter-flowering shrubs that have bloomed, and with frost a concern, tree and soft fruit can use a helping hand if they are to crop well; small fruit trees will benefit from fleece covers (overnight only, remove during the day). Strawberries will also benefit from the same treatment, or the use of a cloche.

Pic: Andy Hay rspb-images.com

Pigeons and collared doves drink from the water tub attached to the ledge, and the fat balls hanging from the window proved a regular temptation for a magnificent great spotted woodpecker last summer.

Robins seemed all the more visible during the recent cold snap; one landed at our feet outside a shop in a very urban setting – the ground was snow covered and hard, and food scarce. I took to leaving the house with a pocket full of seeds and nuts to help them out!

In readiness for spring planting, I cleared a yard of weeds and general garden waste while the snow was down and a robin introduced himself and patiently sat on the fence hoping to hoover up any little live snacks I uncovered. They are called the gardener’s friend with good reason!

Birds bring colour, life and delight to gardens. Ditch the plastic grass and set about improving their lives. In return, they’ll remind you to stop, slow down and appreciate their beauty - and the sound of birdsong is food for the soul.