Q How can we boost bird numbers in our garden?
A CHRISTINE SAYS It is very important to provide a safe habitat and a range of food. I’ve seen a great reduction in goldfinches in my garden since my neighbours removed a large pine tree and conifer hedge. You say you’ve removed a holly, which would have been perfect for nesting and shelter with its dense foilage. Plants that feed starlings, blue tits, thrushes, blackcaps and crows include common hawthorn, while trees such as the common crab apple provide fruit for blackcaps, waxwings, green woodpeckers and crows. Another good food source is the common dogwood when in fruit. A clean supply of water for drinking and washing will also encourage birds and should be positioned away from any area where a cat could hide. A MATTHEW SAYS The decline in garden bird numbers can be traced back to changes in farmland management, including the grubbing up of miles of hedgerows since WW2, which has had a negative impact on wildlife. Plants that attract finches to my garden include Knautia macedonica, Dipsacus fullonum and Verbena bonariensis. The latter also attracts blue tits and sparrows; perhaps they’re after the pollen and nectar. If you leave perennials standing through winter, the birds can feed on the seed. And piles of leaves make a great home for invertebrates, which in turn are prey for birds.