Garden Office Blog

Attracting Birds to Your Garden

Attracting Birds to Your Garden

By Andrew Tweddle on 22nd November, 2011

One of the most satisfying aspects of spending your time creating a beautiful and inviting garden is seeing all different kinds of wildlife in it. Perhaps the most common sights in any British garden are birds. Whether gardening is one of your main hobbies or you’re more of a reluctant gardener, you will likely see numerous types of bird at some point. If you want to see different birds in your garden, here are some simple ideas to help attract them:

Birdhouses

Birdhouses are common in many gardens, particularly in more traditional designs. They provide shelter for smaller birds, and many of them will create nests in the houses. Birdhouses will attract many kinds of birds, but you are more likely to see blue-tits, grey-tits, robins, bluebirds and house martins in them. To increase the chances of seeing these birds, you should place the birdhouse out of the more open parts of your garden, in a quiet area. You should also make the entrance hole around 1.5 inches to attract these types of bird. Making your own birdhouse can be a great family project for your garden.

Bird Feeders

Encouraging birds to your garden with food is always likely to succeed, but there are a few tips to bear in mind to keep them healthy and safe. Whether you’re using a feeder you’ve bought or a home-made one, it is always best to hang it at a considerable height above the ground, and plant thick or prickly bushes directly underneath, which will discourage cats and other predators. The best foods to place in the feeder to attract the widest range of birds are sunflower seeds and canary seed hemp. Home-made bird feeders are another great family project idea. A very simple idea is to find a pinecone, cover it in peanut butter and then coat it with sunflower seeds.

Water

Having fresh water in your garden for birds is particularly important during winter. According to RSPB guidelines, the water should be between 1 and 4 inches deep on a sloping surface. While bird baths can be expensive, home-made solutions using large plant-pot bases or upturned bin lids can be just as effective. Water in your garden could attract just about any type of bird native to your local area.

Plants and Flowers

There are seemingly endless choices of plants and flowers that will attract different kinds of birds and other wildlife. Most common plants found in UK gardens will be beneficial to at least some type of bird. One excellent example is holly, which is a common sight across the UK. Birds such as robins, thrushes and finches will use the holly to nest in because it is very protective, while blackbirds, fieldfares and redwings will eat the berries found on the plant.

These are some very easy ways to see new types of bird in your garden, and can help add to the design of your garden as well. One of the main highlights of having birds in your garden is the chance to view them from close range. A Decorated Shed garden office can provide the space to allow you to do this. The excellent insulation levels mean it is a comfortable place to spend time, even in the heart of winter. Also the large windows and bespoke options mean you can create a garden office that has the best view of all the areas of your garden.


Category:  Garden Offices

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