Wild Birds You May See in Your Garden

The wild birds you are most likely to see in your garden are blackbirds, sparrows, starlings, blue tits, great tits, robins, doves and greenfinches. You can provide appropriate food to attract the birds you would like to see. Finches for example love the tiny thistle seeds so you could hang a thistle feeder in your garden if you would like to attract finches.

Chaffinches and thrushes are more likely to feed from the ground beneath a bird table and if you live close to woods you may see nuthatches, woodpeckers, marsh tits or coal tits. In the winter blackcaps are becoming increasingly common at birdtables. To attract thrush species such as redwings, song thrushes, fieldfares and mistle thrushes supply fruit or berries on your bird table. Other species you may see are siskins and bramblings, especially in the winter.

You are unlikely to attract insect eating birds such as wrens or treecreepers to your bird table Allowing an area of your garden to grow wild will attract insects which may then attract the insect eating birds. You could also plant some teasels and allow thistles to grow to attract the finches.

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Attracting Finches to Your Garden

Article brought to you by Garden Bird Feeders & Bird Houses UK
One of the species of wild birds that you can attract to your garden, finches are colourful and have delightful songs. The goldfinch is a very colourful finch with yellow patches on the wings and a bright red face. They have long fine beaks which are ideal for eating thistle and teasel seeds.

The best way to attract wild finches to your garden is to hang up a thistle feeder containing their favorite seeds. These types of feeder are designed to hold tiny thistle seeds, usually in a mesh that makes them easy to be reached by the finches with their long beaks. The design also prevents seeds from spilling on to the ground which would attract unwanted birds and predators, such as squirrels. When you buy thistle seed to place in your bird feeder the seeds have been heat treated to prevent them from germinating so if the finches drop them they won’t grow under your feeder.

Finches also enjoy millet and sunflower seeds so you could also put some of these on to a bird table to attract them.

Read more about Finches from the RSPB

Keeping Wild Birds Safe from Predators

Article brought to you by Garden Bird Feeder s & Bird Houses UK

When you hang a bird house or bird feeder in your garden you will need to ensure that it is in a safe place and that predators cannot get to the birds or the baby birds in a nesting box. Predators include wasps, ants, yellow jackets, squirrels, snakes and other invasive birds.

Do not have perches in front of the entrance hole. The wild birds do not need perches and it only supplies an easy way for predators to reach into the box and pull out baby birds.

For a bird house that is mounted on a pole a metal baffle will prevent predators from climbing up the pole. You can also place a baffle on a tree trunk if your bird house it attached to the trunk or a tree branch. A metal baffle is preferable as plastic baffles can be chewed.

To prevent the entrance hole being enlarged by predators fit a metal plate with a small entrance hole to the front of the bird house.

Check regularly in the area around the bird house or bird feeder for ants nests. Kill the ants with a method that is not toxic to birds.

For a bird house or feeder mounted on a pole you could slip a large piece of PVC pipe over the pole before mounting. This will prevent predators from climbing the pole.

Always clean up around a bird feeder regularly to prevent ants and other unwanted pests from congregating around uneaten food.

if you have a cat fit her with a collar with a bell to warn the birds.

Attract Wild Birds to Your Garden

Article brought to you by Garden Bird Feeders & Bird Houses UK

There are many ways to attract wild birds to your garden and we discuss some of them here. Probably the easiest way is to provide a source of the foods they like and somewhere safe for them to eat it. This is especially needed during the winter months when their natural food may be scarce.

Set up feeding stations designed to attract different species of wild birds. If you would like to attract the many species of finches to your garden hang up a thistle feeder containing the small thistle seeds they love. For hummingbirds a specially designed hummingbird feeder filled with nectar will attract these lovely birds. Other types of bird feeder are tube feeders which help to keep seeds dry and window feeders which allow you to watch the birds from inside your home. Hang the feeders in a shady spot with special care to keep them away from predators. Regularly check the food to ensure it is dry and free from mold.

Another way to attract the birds is to provide a source of clean water for drinking and bathing. A simple pan of water can be placed on the ground and regularly replaced if it becomes dirty. Many birds like to drink and bathe at ground level. A bird bath will attract other birds and can incorporate a dripper which attracts the birds through the sound of running water. It will also agitate the water enough to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in the bird bath. To attract wild birds all year around you could use a heated bird bath to prevent ice during the colder weather.

Letting a small area of your garden grow wild and scattering wild flower seeds will provide a natural and safe environment for the birds. If you have a cat fit her with a collar with a bell to warn the birds!

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