attracting birds

richi89

I am new to gardening but as a lover of wildlife i would like my new garden to be a haven for animals, could anyone tell me what trees or shrubs could attract birds such as such as blue tits 

thank you

waterbutts

blue tits like to eat caterpillars, spiders and greenfly so just don't spray anything with chemicals or be too tidy!

richi89

thanks for the advice

Dovefromabove

We've had bluetits nesting in our garden this year - they've been hopping around in our perennials, honeysuckles, roses  and clematis looking for aphids and I think they've found them all - we've certainly not seen many greenfly or blackfly

richi89

ah thats great been up early this morning building a bird box with the little one, shes loving it and hopefully see some birds soon 

BobTheGardener

Hi richi - here's a direct link to a pdf which has lists of wildlife friendly plants:

http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/file/84053

 

 

richi89

Thanks il have a browse through it now

BugFriendlyGardener

If you have room forr some small trees :  Amelanchier Lamarkii or canadensis (not native )but good blossom; fruits the bairds eat in July; and great atumn foliage.

Small crab apples are great eg Golden Hornet

I grow redcurrant bushes and raspberries just for the birds ; good for poliinators as well.

richi89

thanks again for more great advice, i have a pretty large open space garden to work with so going to start filling some of that space

Dovefromabove

Siting your birdbox is important - lots of advice here http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/nestboxes/smallbirds/siting.aspx 

It is really important that the box isn't in full sun as a box-full of baked nestlings is very sad.

fidgetbones

Dont forget that fruiting trees have pretty blossom in the spring too.If you have lots of space you can plant a mini orchard.  When I  have too many apples, a few are stored, and the blackbirds love one thrown out on a cold winters morning.  If you have fruit trees, you may get bullfinches, but losing a bit of blossom is worth it for the sight of them. Blackbirds love windfall apples.

I have tree bumble bees in two nesting boxes this year. I have had good pollination and expect a huge harvest of apples and pears and plums.

If you want wildlife in the garden  all year round, they will also need food all year round.  

1. provide supplementary feeding. Different birds like different feeds. I have  great spotted woodpeckers which only feed off a pink fat block,

2. supply nest and cover sites away from cats.

3. a pond will give them somewhere to drink and provide sites for frogs toads and newts. Frog gangbang time will bring in herons loking for an easy feed. Dense planting nearby provides hidey holes for baby frogs etc.  Frogs eat slugs. My hostas hardly have a hole in. I have millions of froglets at the moment. Dragonflies buzzing around the garden are lovely.

 4 DONT use pesticide sprays. It will find a natural balance.

5 Dont be too tidy. Wildlife needs hibernation sites too.

Buy a good ID book. The more I look, the more wildlife I find.  Don't be in a hurry, it builds up year after year. After 25 years in the same garden, I still get new species appearing.