Attracting Garden Birds

Attracting birds to your garden is one of the best ways of getting close to nature. Here, you can find out how to make your garden friendly to birds and learn about some of the common species of birds that visit British gardens.

The simplest way to attract birds to your garden is to put out food for them. In recent years birds' natural supply has got scarcer as hedges and old trees have been cut down and the popularity of garden features such as decking has increased.

You can start by not throwing away your kitchen scraps and leaving them out for the birds - simply scatter on the lawn and watch them soon arrive.

However, this is not ideal as you will make a mess and could also encourage rats. So why not invest in a bird table? Not only will it be easier to feed your birds from a table but you will be able to get a better view of them as they feed.

You could also hang some feeders around your garden which will attract many species. Tits love to eat peanuts whilst finches prefer niger seed and you will enjoy their antics as they flutter around the feeders. And all birds will enjoy a fat feeder, particularly in the winter months when keeping their energy levels high is important.

Although you can buy bird feeders it is very easy to make your own. Fill an old yoghurt pot or other plastic carton with mixture of melted fat, seeds and dried fruit and when cool hang from a branch or a post. Or you could simply hang out a piece of toast or apple covered in peanut butter.

Providing a home for the birds in your garden is one of the kindest things you can do as many of their natural nesting places have disappeared as old buildings are repaired and trees and hedgerows are cut down. More and more birds are relying on nest boxes as somewhere safe and warm to roost in the winter and bring up their chicks in the spring.

There are many different varieties of nest boxes to choose from that will attract a variety of species and suit different styles of gardens. The simplest are plain wooden square shaped boxes but you can also get ones made from coir and other natural materials and ones designed to look like houses, sheds, caravans and, for those of you with a wicked sense of humour, cats!

Once you have chosen your nest box you need to find somewhere suitable to place it. Make sure it is away from anywhere that predators, such as cats or squirrels, can get to. You also don't want to place it near a path as any disturbance could frighten the birds away and they could even abandon their chicks. Position it away from the wind and make sure that it is not facing direct sunlight.

It may take a year before your birds are ready to set up home in it. Once they have you should be able to see them flying to and from the nest box with twigs, straw, wool and other materials for building the nest and then later worms, insects and other food for when the chicks have hatched.

Once the chicks have flown you can clean out the nest box. Remove any old debris but remember it is illegal to remove unatched eggs between January and October and you must throw any you find away. 

As well as providing food it is essential to put out some fresh clean water for birds. You could buy a special bird bath - consider choosing a solar-powered fountain bird bath which is not only kind to the environment but will attract birds by the sound of its running water. Or you could use an old dish or upturned dustbin lid.

Once you have your bird bath make sure it is topped up with clean fresh water both in the winter when birds' natural sources of water may be scarce, and in the summer when birds will enjoy bathing and cooling down in it. 

Unfortunately a dirty bird bath can be a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria so make sure you keep yours clean. Regularly wipe it down and remove any dead leaves and algae and at least once a year give it a thorough clean with a scrubbing brush, bleach and hot water. You can also buy special disinfectant for cleaning your bird bath which is safe for birds. 

Elaine Hughes, the London Wildlife Trust's expert gardener presents a video on gardening for wildlife. 

Attracting birds to a garden simply requires providing food in the form of berry bushes, and nesting opportunities with bird boxes, trees or shrubs. Encourage birds to thrive in a garden, making sure to garden organically to promote invertebrates and soil organisms.