As we head into July the weather should start becoming warmer and the birds will be singing early in the morning. Why not encourage the birds into your garden this summer? Birds will visit your garden if there is plenty of food available. You’ll need to provide natural food, cover and nesting sites to encourage them to keep coming back.

Blue Iris Landscapes Top Tips:

• Make a nest box: Nest boxes are brilliant substitutes for holes found in old trees. There may be plenty of food in local parks and gardens but there is a short supply of places for them to nest. By installing a nest box in your garden, it will encourage birds to return to your garden.
• Add a birdbath: Birds need water for drinking and bathing.  Water is important in the summer as it can become hard to find when the weather is hot. They also need to bath to keep their feathers in good condition and also, when their feathers are damp, the dirt loosens and make their feathers easier to preen.
• Install a bird table: This is more important for the winter when natural food sources are in short supply.  By providing a variety of different foods, you will attract different birds to your garden. Once the birds have found the food source that you have provided, they will keep coming back for more.

By adding just a few things to your garden, the birds will benefit from a food and water supply and also a place to nest; everything they need to live a happy life. Please be mindful that some of these birds can cause disruption in your garen, for more information click here. 

Another way to attract birds to your garden would be to plant certain flowers and bushes.

Hedge Recommendations for Attracting Birds:

• • Holly bush: This is a dense, prickly and evergreen plant. It ensures windproof shelter on cold winter nights. A holly bush also has bright red berries that birds love to eat. In the spring, the holly provides nectar and pollen for a variety of different insects.
  • Ivy: An ivy bush has late-ripening berries when many other food sources would have depleted. There is also plenty of shelter for nests and roosting when this climber has grown up against a fence or wall.
  • Hawthorn bush: This bush attracts caterpillars so is great for small nestlings. When grown as a hedge or small tree, the dark red ‘berries’ are popular with redwings and fieldfares.

There are a number of common birds that can be found in the UK. However, the number of endangered garden birds such as starlings and house sparrows is continuing to fall in the UK. By providing food, shelter, and water the numbers should hopefully start to rise. If you would like any more advice on how to attract birds to your garden, please get in touch.

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