Search - Articles

, and a robin put in a brief appearance in the bird bath. A flock of starlings descended onto the lawn, and I needed my binoculars to count them - at least 21, with a few making it to the peanut feeders too.And the total bird count:Blackbird: 2Collared

plants will provide you with enough fruit for an early taste of summer.Keep window bird feeders topped up with seed Wash out flowerpots and seed traysMove patio pots to sheltered sites during cold periodsAround the gardenDig up congested clumps of winter

.Wash and disinfect bird feeders and tables Collect fallen leaves and add to a leaf bin to compost down Spread fresh gravel or grit around alpine plants Around the gardenTake root cuttings of oriental poppies Check stakes and ties are secure on trees and climbers

. The remaining flattened daffodils on the drive are starting to right themselves. Sadly, my Iris reticulata have not fared so well and are still horizontal. The bird table, with its adornments of fat-ball dispensers, peanut feeders and household scraps hit

, and you'll see what I mean. Feeders provide seed and peanuts for birds all-year-round. Plants with fruits and berries are grown to provide birds with fresh pickings - especially my cherries and soft fruits, where I'm sometime lucky to get a look in! Apple

out with a kettle of boiling water to melt the snow and give birds some fresh water to drink. Peanut and seed feeders have been replenished, too, so food and water are available to all my regular feathered friends.Cold weather tests the hardiness

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Europe’s smallest bird. I would have expected such an occasion to take place in a pine forest or a large rural garden, but this chance encounter occurred on a scrubby piece of park just behind the Hackney Road

to visit gardens in autumn and winter, as they rely on bird feeders when their natural sources of insects and grubs dry up. They need calorie-rich suet, sunflower hearts and peanuts to maintain fat reserves on frosty nights. In colder weather, look out

.Making a bird box.Making a bee hotel.Installing a window bird feeder.Making a bat box.Making fat cakes for birds.Making a green roof for a bird table.Browse plants that are attractive to wildlifeView a variety of scented flowers

of the reasons cited for such declines is a lack of insect food. While sparrows and starlings have adapted to use garden bird feeders, insects form a large part of their diet and their young are almost exclusively fed on insects. And you'll never find swifts