Jobs for spring
SPRING is many people’s favourite season for birds. We are awoken by the dawn chorus, the days are longer and birds are generally more active. During this time, they expend more energy as they gather resources and build nests, so here are a few tips on how we can help them.
• Install a nestbox: one of the best and most reliable ways to attract birds to your garden is a nestbox. Different types will attract different species. They should be installed in a northeasterly direction to protect the inhabitants from the elements, unless handy plants or buildings provide extra cover. Ensure the box is made from FSC-approved wood rather than a cheaper material. You could even install a webcam to safely monitor what’s going on inside. See Birdwatch
344: 57 for more advice on building and buying nestboxes.
• Provide nesting material:
putting out small strands of wool, pet hair, feathers, moss, shredded paper or hay will help garden birds when building their nests. You can bundle up your offerings or put them a suet feeder; they can also be wrapped around an old household whisk or just left on a tray. Avoid string, mesh, plastic, foil and human hair as these may cause harm to nestlings, which can get caught in them.
• Add protein: the majority of shop-bought food mixes have standard contents such as barley, sunflower seeds and so on, but during spring, birds require additional protein in order to feed up in preparation for breeding and taking care of demanding chicks. Dried mealworms, peanut granules, sunflower hearts and corn are all good sources of protein. Just add these to your regular mixes to give birds an energy boost.
• Advance planning: now is the time to start planting food sources ready for autumn. Good seed plants for birds are thistles, sunflowers or teasel, all of which can be planted in pots and are suitable for small spaces including balconies. If you have the room, you can include larger food sources like cherry or crab apple trees.
•
Citizen science: with birds at their most active, now is the perfect time to take part in the British Trust for Ornithology’s Garden BirdWatch project. This online survey doesn’t require any specialist knowledge and provides important information that will help researchers better understand how birds and animals use gardens; sign up at www.bto. org/our-science/projects/gbw. Dan Rouse