Search - Articles

Keep window bird feeders topped up with seed to attract bluetits and sparrowsWash out flowerpots and seed traysMove patio pots to sheltered sites during cold periodsIf snow falls, knock it off the branches of evergreen shrubs and conifers to prevent

Fix nesting boxes for birds to suitable trees around your gardenService petrol lawn mowers and power toolsKeep indoor azaleas well-watered with rainwaterMake fat cakes and hang them among roses to encourage bluetits to feed off overwintering pests

. I was struck by its bright iridescent green body and red head against the drab colours of the autumn sward. Like many non-ornithologists before me I was confused by the considerable lack of wood for such a bird to peck, way up on the chalk hillsides

Birds bring gardens alive, and in so many ways they make gardening worthwhile. It's lovely having them as companions, delving into newly dug soil for worms and pests, but better still when they take up residence and make a nest.What better accolade

think foxes are so wonderful. She tells the tales, so common in farming communities, of foxes getting into the chicken runs and killing everything, even though only one or two birds are eaten. Such blatant (and seemingly vindictive) waste grates hard

interest.The addition of the bird feeders adds wildlife value to the pot display. Choose bright red feeders, to match the colour of the tulips and skimmia berries, or opt for a different, contrasting colour. Keep feeders topped up in winter to ensure birds

I was in Peckham Rye Park on Monday and saw a wagtail strutting about by the small stream that runs past. They're not rare birds, but I watched it for some time thinking I had not seen one in ages. Although maybe not really a suburban garden bird

or grubs hiding below soil level to feed this hungry horde, and how do starlings know there's food there anyway?In the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch last January, starlings came in at number 2 in the top ten of most commonly seen garden birds - just behind

birds eating the berries is to wrap them in fine netting. I've been out covertly covering berry-laden holly branches in my local area, so if you've seen a well-wrapped figure in Hampshire, with hat pulled down low, wrapping the odd holly branch

, and could not make out the distinctive shape of this pretty bird. Of course they are renowned for playing hide-and-seek with observers, hopping round to the other side of the trunk if they see they are being watched. Some years ago I was able to see one very