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Telegraph
21-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Cat-repellent garden sparks Chelsea Flower Show row
A cat-repellent garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has sparked a row with animal welfare charities. Designers of the SongBird Survival Garden deliberately chose trees with spiky thorns to stop cats from climbing them and disturbing birds. Although intended to raise awareness of the drastic decline of songbirds in the UK, the design has proved contentious with animal rights campaigners, who argue it is unfair to cats. They claimed the thorny trees might harm the pets, suggesting they were being scapegoated for the decline in the bird population. The charity behind the garden dismissed suggestions that it was dangerous to cats. The dispute comes the same week that Monty Don, the veteran broadcaster and horticulturalist, made headlines by unveiling a dog-friendly garden at Chelsea. The SongBird Survival Garden, created by designer Nicola Oakey and sponsored by the Project Giving Back charity, is intended to be a safe haven for songbirds, whose numbers in the UK have fallen by 50 per cent over the last five decades. Sue Morgan, chief executive of SongBird Survival, said the garden deliberately uses hawthorn trees to ward off cats and other predators. 'These trees are a great example of shelter,' she told The Telegraph. 'You can see they have got really long thorns within them. It's a really safe place for a bird to sit because bigger birds, cats or other things couldn't get into the tree. 'So they will sit there and then they'll be able to say 'right and I want to go and get some food' and will use it as a launching point. Birds are very cautious, and they make sure they feel safe before they move around.' She added: 'You can grow your garden and plant it in a way that works for the birds and for the cats so they all have their own spaces. It's about finding that solution. 'Having thorny plants can be a natural deterrent. The cats have plenty of other places to go.' On whether the tree is a danger to cats, she said: 'No, no, no, they just wouldn't go up it. They're intelligent creatures. They would see that and think 'I'll go elsewhere'.' The garden has proved popular with the judges – winning a prestigious silver-gilt award – and songbirds, as droppings on plants show they are using it at night. But Elvira Meucci-Lyons, the chief executive of Mayhew, a London-based charity said: 'As an animal welfare charity, we appreciate the need for spaces for all wildlife to flourish. 'However, we urge people to consider the impact of spaces that might harm cats, either through physical injury from spikes, or through mental injury, such as from sound deterrents. Cat-proof roller fencing can be a kinder alternative.' Daniel Warren-Cummings, the central behaviour officer for the Cats Protection charity, said it was easy to scapegoat cats for the decline in the bird population. He said: 'At Cats Protection and as cat owners, many of us are lovers of birds also. And while it is apparent that there are bigger contributors to bird decline in the UK, such as intensive farming and habitat-loss, we encourage responsible cat ownership to reduce predation of birds. 'Planting of trees that cats will not be motivated to climb is a passive tactic and not directly aiming to harm cats, so there would be no objection. Other measures such as keeping cats in overnight to avoid peak wildlife times such as dawn and dusk and playing with your cat for five to 10 minutes each day will also help to reduce your cat's hunting behaviour outside. 'It is often easier to scapegoat cats rather than to holistically look at and change the entirety of the issues facing bird populations in the UK.' Samantha Prior, from Woodgreen Pets Charity, added: 'Some people prefer cats not to be in their gardens and the ideas used in the SongBird Survival Garden are all safe and won't cause any harm to our feline friends. 'However, it's important to remember that cats love to be outdoors and exploring – it's in their DNA. It would be good to see gardens being promoted not for keeping cats out, but for showing people how they can create a cat-friendly garden that appeals to both people and cats. 'If people want to encourage cats to stay in their own garden for adventures, there are loads of great ways to do this. For example, including lots of cat-friendly plants, such as cat mint and cat nip, shrubbery and plant pots will keep cats entertained and give them somewhere to relax or hide, while also still looking visually appealing.'
Daily Record
16-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Robins will flock to garden if you use this food that gives them 'extra energy'
Robins are a welcome sight in gardens but how do you attract them and see them return? Feed them their favourite food of course They are the nations favourite bird and for some people they represent a connection with loved ones who are no longer here. The saying 'Robins appear when loved ones are near' is a comfort for many when they spot the pretty little red-breasted creatures in their gardens. Aside from the possible spiritual connection, robins are a welcome addition for gardeners as they will feast on insects, worms and spiders providing a natural pest control. But they are discerning birds and need the right conditions to come to your garden and to keep coming back too. As well as making sure they have bird box they will find enticing, what you feed them is important. Their favourite grub is mealworms. In fact, they are not keen on eating seeds so steer clear of that if you want them to set up home in your garden. Matthew Wilson, gardener and CEO of Handy Gardeners, told Ideal Home that if you take one extra step with the mealworms the feathered beauties will appreciate it. He said: 'Robins are not typical seed-eaters - as ground foragers, they feed on natural proteins that also contain softer fruits. "Beyond working directly with wildlife specialists and die-hard gardeners, one surprising tip was to provide dried or live mealworms soaked in water. "This offers more than just hydrating liquid; it also makes the mealworms easier to digest, an important consideration when robins are raising young and benefiting from extra energy." They are also partial to sunflower hearts and to chopped fruits like apples, raisins or overripe berries. Sue Morgan, CEO of SongBird Survival agrees. She said: "Mealworms are a key for robins, they absolutely love them. "But I think if you went with sunflower hearts, and mealworms, that'd be a top sort of two would be good, robins - they would really like those.' Matt said to avoid hanging feeders if you want to attract robins to your garden. He added: "Unlike some birds, robins like these fruits spread across the ground rather than hanging feeders. "This is somewhat similar to their natural feeding habit and enables them to feel more protected from predators." Simply scatter the mealworms across your garden but be sure to clean up old feed. And do not use bird tables as per guidance from the RSPB as there are fears that they can spread a deadly disease, Trichomonas. Bird boxes for robins should have the right shaped entrance. They won't nest in it otherwise. Experts recommend avoiding classic bird boxes with round holes. Instead they prefer a more open aspect with a wide view. That's because robins like to keep an eye on their surroundings.
The Guardian
27-01-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Pet fur found in songbird nests contains high levels of pesticides, study finds
Songbird chicks are being killed by high levels of pesticides in the pet fur used by their parents to line their nests, a study has found. Researchers surveying nests for the harmful chemical found in pet flea treatments found that it was present in every single nest. The scientists from the University of Sussex are now calling for the government to urgently reassess the environmental risk of pesticides used in flea and tick treatments and consider restricting their use. Cats and dogs are widely treated with insecticides to prevent against fleas. Vets often recommend regular flea treatments as a preventive measure, even when dogs and cats do not have the pest. But scientists now recommend animals should not be treated for fleas unless they actually have them. It was already widely known that the chemicals in the treatments were affecting life in rivers and streams after pets swam in them, but the discovery of songbird nest contamination will add to the pressure. Cannelle Tassin de Montaigu, the lead author of the research paper, said: 'No nest was free from insecticides in our study, and this significant presence of harmful chemicals could be having devastating consequences on the UK's bird populations. 'Our research shows that based on the chemicals detected, veterinary flea and tick drugs are the most likely source of contamination. We undertook our research when it was safe to do so at the end of the breeding season, so the problem could in fact be much worse. This raises questions about the environmental impact of veterinary drugs and calls for a comprehensive environmental risk assessment of veterinary treatments.' The study, published today in Science of the Total Environment, shows that the fur used by birds to build the inner lining of their nests contained chemicals used in pet flea treatments, such as fipronil. The researchers collected 103 blue and great tit nests that were lined with fur, finding that 100% of the nests contained fipronil, which is banned in the UK and EU for agricultural use, and 89% contained imidacloprid, which was banned in the EU as a plant protection product in 2018. Both are still widely used in pet flea treatments. The UK government is drawing up plans for a total ban on imidacloprid in agriculture but not for pet treatments. The researchers also detected 17 out of the 20 insecticides they were testing for. The scientists found a higher number of unhatched eggs or dead chicks in nests where there was a higher incidence of insecticide. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Recent research has found that these flea treatments also enter rivers, killing the wildlife within, and that pet owners using them risk contaminating their hands with the chemicals for at least 28 days after the treatment has been applied. Sue Morgan, the chief executive of SongBird Survival, said: 'We are a nation of pet lovers and bird lovers, and it is extremely concerning to see the alarming levels of toxic pesticides in bird nests from veterinary drugs. Pet owners will be upset to hear that in trying to do the right thing to support their pets with fleas and ticks, they could be harming our ecosystem, resulting in dead newborn chicks and unhatched eggs. As pet owners, we need to have confidence that we are keeping our pets well, without devastating impacts on our wildlife. 'Our UK songbirds are in crisis. More than half of our UK songbirds are threatened or already in decline, which is why this latest research shows the importance of taking action as soon as possible. We want the government to undertake a more comprehensive environmental risk assessment of veterinary drugs.'
