If you’ve spent time and effort perfecting a beautiful garden, you may also want to attract some gorgeous wildlife into it. Having birds in your garden can create a relaxing environment, and birds also provide some benefits such as pest control and pollination. If you aren’t sure why there are no birds visiting your garden, or you would like to know how to attract more birds to your garden, we can help. Read our tips for attracting birds to your garden in the UK.
Create a quiet, safe space for birds
Birds will be more likely to visit and return to your garden if they feel safe within it. Try to keep a peaceful environment in your garden, without too much noise or activity. Installing a driveway gate can help to protect the peace by keeping foxes out of your garden, as well as other unwanted animals and trespassers – which might disturb birds and deter them from your garden. If you have children, it’s also worth asking them to play quietly when outside, or to stay away from the areas that you are trying to encourage birds to visit.
Put out bird feeders
What better way to attract birds to your garden than by providing them with food? Place some bird feeders around your garden and watch the birds flock to their new food source. Bird feeders can be filled with suet balls, berries, or different kinds of seed. However, avoid feeding birds with coconut as this can have negative health effects.
Take care with where you place your bird feeders – they’re best placed in quiet, sheltered areas of your garden. Try somewhere amidst trees and bushes, or behind a wall where they’ll be sheltered from the wind. Bird feeders should also be placed fairly high up so that other animals don’t eat the feed or try to attack the birds.
Provide water
Birds – like all animals – need drinking water, but they also enjoy bathing in it, too. Keep this bird bath in a location where birds can bathe and drink safely away from predators, giving them a place to relax. Bird baths need maintenance – ensure that you change the water frequently. Additionally, you should try to prevent bird baths from freezing over in winter, and defrost with warm water if necessary. Bathing is especially important for birds in the winter, as it makes their feathers easier to preen.
Plant bird-friendly plants
As well as the food you provide in bird feeders, many birds may seek natural food sources. Aim for plants which are rich in berries, such as rowan, hawthorn, and holly. Not only do these plants provide an extra source of food, they also give birds somewhere to seek shelter and nest. Plants such as ivy and honeysuckle are also popular with birds, as they provide dense cover and attract insects for the birds to feed on. If you want a more bright and beautiful way to attract birds, then try planting wildflowers that will draw in more insects for birds to feast on.
Experiment with different seeds
If you’re wondering how to attract different birds to your garden, then you should experiment with different types of seeds and food sources. There are many different types of birds in the UK, and you can choose which you want in your garden by switching up the food you supply. Here are some different types of UK birds that you can attract to your garden:
- Robins – suet balls, sunflower seeds, and mealworms.
- Blue tits – suet balls and peanuts.
- Finches – niger seeds, sunflower seeds, and peanuts.
- Starlings – mealworms.
- Siskins – peanuts and niger seeds.
- Sparrows – sunflower seeds.
Give birds a place to nest
Birds want somewhere to cosy up and nestle down, and you can help by providing places in your garden for them to do so. One option is to install bird boxes around your garden, which encourages birds to create a nest inside. But, you can also provide dense hedges and shrubbery for birds to make their own nests. A garden with lots of nesting boxes and populated greenery will be much more inviting to birds than one that’s empty.
Are you passionate about improving your garden and outdoor areas? A driveway gate is the perfect investment for keeping your garden in the best condition. To learn more, contact us.