Songbirds will constantly return to your garden if gardeners do 3 tasks
The dawn chorus is one of the best things about waking up early in spring, hearing the birds chirping away to each other and arguing over their territories.
But urbanisation, lack of food and water, and even things like artificial lawns can put off birds from visiting your garden - for good. But one keen gardener has hit upon three key things to do if you want to wake up to the happy noises of songbirds.
The Roam Wild UK TikTok account says it's important to have a constant supply of bird-friendly food, so songbirds know your garden is a go-to stop-off point on their long journeys. "Firstly, use sunflower hearts to feed your songbirds. The birds absolutely love them, and they're far less messy," says the account.
Sunflower seeds are rich in fats and nutrients, and birds like blue tits, great tits, chaffinches and greenfinches love to peck them out of dried sunflower hearts - so if you're growing sunflowers in your garden this year, remember to save the heads and dry them out over winter.
"Secondly, and this is going to save you an absolute fortune, use a squirrel-proof bird feeder. The birds are going to thank you later," says the TikTok account.
Squirrels are clever creatures and love nothing more than munching on seeds and nuts left out for birds. While you can buy specialist squirrel-proof feeders that are weight-activated - allowing lighter birds to alight while preventing heavier rodents from having a nosh - you can squirrel-proof your own feeder by attaching a Slinky underneath the feeding platform and outside the pole, which stops rodents from shimmying up.
"Finally, place your feeder near trees or a woodland area. Songbirds are nervous creatures and like to fly back and forth to cover," Roam UK adds.
The RSPB agrees, but adds that gardeners should never place their feeders too close to bushes, as that's where predators could hide in wait. Think about placing your feeder somewhere quiet, where they birds won't be disturbed, sheltered so they won't be blasted by wind, but open enough so that birds can keep watch all around them while they're feeding.
The bird organisation also offers some checkpoints for gardeners hoping to attract more feathered friends in the spring.
"During the spring and summer months, birds also require high-protein foods, especially while they're moulting," it says.
"Be careful with peanuts, fat and bread during spring and summer. If you want to feed peanuts only do so in rigid mesh feeders that will not allow sizeable pieces to be removed, since these could be a choking hazard to chicks.
"Home-made fat balls can melt in warm summer weather, and should be avoided."
And lastly, think about getting separate nut and seed feeders so you can attract a wider range of wildlife to your garden. "Nut feeders made of rigid steel mesh are the only safe method of offering nuts to wild birds," says the RSPB.
"Seed feeders are designed for sunflower seeds and seed mixes labelled feeder seed. Make sure all feeders drain easily and do not allow build-up of old food."
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