The back garden birder
Clare Howcutt-kelly highlights why a water source is important for birds You can follow me on Instagram @theback gardenbirder (and see whether I’ve stolen my father-in-law’s photo)
Since I last spoke to you, we’ve gained a couple of new tenants. We had quite a lot of house viewings and it was the same couple who came back and forth almost daily. The investigations into their prospective new home seemed endless – “will the bed fit?”, they seemed to say and “is it big enough for a growing family?”; also “what are the neighbours like?”. The couple in question are a pair of Blue Tits. I’m not sure if they were viewing other properties at the same time, but I kept my fingers crossed that they would choose the little grey chalet I made. I’m sure they had seen other homes they liked, but with chicks imminent, they finally settled on the easiest option, and by the time you read this, I’m sure their young will have already moved out. In the era of ‘boomerang babies’, any offspring looking to return to the childhood home will be severely disappointed to find that their parents have already traded up. It’s harsh, but your mum can’t do your washing forever. You’ll have missed the season for nest building now, but this gives you plenty of time to start thinking about or making nestboxes for next spring, and it’s something I’d really recommend. My father-in-law in Wiltshire regularly sends me photos of the birds he’s got in his garden and it’s an interest we both share. He recently sent me a photo of some Blackbird hatchlings near his shed and it was so good that I was tempted to Instagram it and pretend it was mine. I shall endeavour to resist temptation, but it’s going to be tough. He always keeps scraps of wood for little projects and one wintery weekend, we removed one of his existing nestboxes and measured it (the sizing is important) to use as a model. We spent a happy couple of hours sawing wood, hammering and drilling, and I was so excited when he found some slate for the roof. Perhaps it’s frivolous, maybe even unnecessary, but if you’re displaying it in your garden, surely you want it to look nice, too? And if you do choose to paint it, you’ll need to leave it a few months anyway to avoid paint fumes, which do not make for a good home. Whether your garden birds are fleeting visitors or long term tenants, you’ll want to think about food. As we come into the summer months, there will hopefully be an abundance of berries for them
to tuck into. If you’ve got a Rowan bush, you’ll likely see berries from July onwards and these are popular with Blackbirds and Starlings. At the bottom of my garden by the river, I have a wooden pallet that I nabbed from a skip. It’s pretty beaten up, but I use it as a seat to enjoy a cup of tea while I’m waiting for the ducks. I pulled it up recently and was amazed by all the life I found under it, crawling in the sodden earth – caterpillars, millipedes – a proper bird buffet. Think also of a water source. Being a mother is thirsty work and any new mum will appreciate the addition of a bird bath in your garden even if she can’t even do that in peace. Having a tidy garden is great for impressing guests but not wildlife. Instead, let plants go to seed, don’t mow an area of the lawn, make a bug hotel. These are all simple things you can do to entice insects and it’s a joy to have unexpected guests who turn up and ask very little of you. The butterflies, bees, frogs and newts all have a part to play in making your space hospitable for birds, whether as a food source or simply cohabitors. It’s tempting in the summer months to trim unruly bushes or lop the ends off trees, but be a little lazy, hell, even a bit neglectful, and the birds will thank you for it. Instead of taking out the strimmer, reach into the fridge for a glass of wine. Instead of sharpening the garden shears, read a book. Your work is done for the next month or so. Just remember to let me know how you get on.