Many readers provide food and shelter for birds in their gardens and it has become an important refuge for many species. For readers just starting out it is worth bearing in mind that there are several basic needs that birds have. Gone are the days when a few scraps from the table or a string of peanuts, still in their shells, would suffice. Any garden centre or catalogue will be an eye-opener in not only the very wide range of food but also the equally wide range of feeders. Peanuts are a good basic food and I would put a good quality mixed grain out as second choice. Sunflower hearts and nyjer seed would come next on my list followed by suet balls. The round suet balls attract a wider variety of birds but recently I have been using suet slabs with various ingredients. They are fed in a simple and cheap wire cage but beware, the birds like them so much, from starlings to blackbirds, that one slab can easily go in a day so think of cost.
One important addition to “bird gardening” is the often overlooked bird bath. As with the feeders and food there is such a wide variety of designs it is difficult to choose one. Some of these are very expensive but unless you like certain designs there is no need for such expense. I use a large plastic tray designed for keeping seedlings in and it is 22 inches by 22 inches and 2 inches deep. I also put in two small flat stones to vary the depths for different size birds. This combination will allow birds of up to blackbird size to not only drink but also, most importantly, wash. Washing keeps their feathers in good order. You may think that there is water not far away, such as a burn, but it is essential to have water available close to the feeders. When the weather is poor even a short distance to fly for water can be crucial in that birds may need all their energy to go to roost for the night at any time of the year. I photographed the juvenile great spotted woodpecker at a bird bath.
Cover in the form of shrubs in gardens are invaluable as they provide cover for resting roosting, food in the form of insects and berries and, most important, a safe retreat from would be predators such as sparrowhawks or feral cats. Such shrubs can also provide sites for birds to build their nets. However, encouraging birds to build their nests near feeders is not advised. If birds are feeding near nests the owners of the nest will feel threatened and the competition between birds can be disastrous with the breeding birds even deserting them. The same can be said of positioning nest boxes too close to feeders. Nest boxes come in a wide variety of styles and designs with some being specific to one species of bird. One of the most important aspects of the nest box is the entrance hole and a good example is often to be found in garden centres. The hole may be just too small and may only take, for example, blue tits and may not be accessible for any other small birds.
One major point over feeding birds the garden is the amount of food you put out as well as the variety. These days with feeding birds being a multi-million pound business cost can be very high. Start as you mean to go on and do not overfeed. Shop around for feed as, for example, one garden centre in Inverness is selling peanuts at a round £60 a 25 kg bag. Another local source is currently offering the same size bag at £30.
Tags: highland birds