Being able to watch birds from the comfort of home using a Celestron hummingbird is something many UK residents with gardens and balconies, are already able to do. But if you’ve just moved into a new home with a garden and want to encourage birds to visit it, or have recently been bitten by the birding bug (and it’ll get you in the end, so best to just give in!), you may need some tips and pointers for attracting our feathered friends.
Ultimately, the most effective way to make your garden more bird friendly, is to put food and water out for them, but this has to be done in the right way if your garden is to become a haven for birds. With this in mind, here are 5 tips for doing exactly that:
- Attract them with the right kind of food
While putting food out for birds is a wonderful idea, and the best way to encourage more of them to make your garden their favourite place to be, it’s important that you give the right kind of food. A trip to your local pet shop or even garden centre, will help you find nuts and seeds that birds love to eat, and which are good for them, but don’t be tempted by cheaper foods. If you really want to help birds that visit your garden thrive and be healthy, you should always buy quality bird feed, or make it yourself.
Fat balls are a wonderfully nutritious treat for birds, and if you prefer to make them yourself using a mixture of suet, nuts and seeds, you’ll find plenty of simple recipes online.
- Feeder placement is key
Not all birds like to feed in the same manner, so to encourage more varieties of birds to visit your garden, try placing your feeding devices and/or tables in different spots around your garden. Do make sure, however, that all feeding takes place above ground level, and at a height that doesn’t make them sitting targets for cats and other such predators. Additionally, try to place the feeders a few feet away from each other so that birds who may become territorial, can enjoy eating at a safe space from other birds.
For watching visiting birds up close, invest in some binoculars or a compact spotting scope, and be sure to read about them before buying them, such as with this Celestron hummingbird review.
- Erect a bird bath up
Food is essential for the wellbeing of all creatures, but so is water, and by giving your feathered visitors access to clean drinking water in the form of a bird bath (and a convenient, safe spot for them to indulge in a quick scrub-a-dub-dub!), you’ll be giving them one more reason to flock to your garden. If possible, add movement to the bath with a dripper, mister or pump.
- Add a few perches
To enhance the dining experience of garden birds, consider placing some perching sticks in spots where they can take some rest without worrying about Sylvester being able to jump up and eat them for lunch. If you have plenty of trees and shrubs in your garden, this might not be necessary, but if you don’t, perches can help them get more out of their time in your garden.
- Make your feeders squirrel-proof
Squirrels may be fun to watch, but they are the ultimate pest when it comes to stealing food from birds, and will take over your feeders if given the chance. To prevent this from happening, invest in squirrel-proof feeders, of which there are plenty of choices on the market.
A garden brimming with feathered visitors is always a wonderful sight and can help brighten up the darkest of days. To make your garden a haven for visiting birds, be sure to follow the simple tips listed above.