5 Tips to Tempt Birds into Your Garden

Lots of our customers are folks looking to take up a new hobby – astronomy, badger watching and, of course, bird watching. The UK is a superb place for wildlife spotting throughout the year. We’re really lucky in that respect!

So, let’s say you’ve got your first pair of bird watching binoculars on the way and are planning a trip to a local nature reserve or bird hide for their maiden spotting session.

Is there anything else you can do to make your world as abundant in bird life as possible?

Of course there is! Even if you live on the fourth floor of a city block of flats, there are ways to encourage bird life into your environment and hopefully make up for a little of the lost natural resources all birds need.

1. Water will attract birds
Birds need to drink regularly to stay hydrated. They like clean, fresh water. Something like a shallow bird bath with a few rocks in for them to stand on is a great way to provide a resource birds will revisit to use.

2. Food will attract birds
In the winter, many birds can struggle to find food. This past spring was awful for British birds, but it was great for garden bird watchers and their binoculars – birds flocked to UK gardens, window boxes and yards for food!

Keep feeders covered, off the ground and as far from the clutches of predators as possible. Use different types of food – some birds prefer fat, others prefer seeds – to attract different species.

3. Shelter will attract birds
Safe shelter is a hugely attractive resource for all birds. Putting up a few nesting boxes can mean having birds return year after year to breed. Keep nesting boxes quite far apart and try to site them so the openings are not facing each other. Avoid exposed areas and clean out the nest box when vacant (at least once a year).

4. Keep the area clean
Diseases can spread very quickly amongst wild birds visiting lots of gardens. There’s no need to be fastidiously clean, but regular cleaning is a great way to minimise the risk of disease transmission. E.g. Don’t let food go rotten or grow mouldy on a bird table, clean out nesting boxes seasonally or annually, etc.

5. Banish predators like domestic cats
Set up some night vision equipment and it’s easy to see why so many birds are easy pray for Britain’s domestic cats and strays! It can be tough to banish a beloved moggy from the garden 100%, but carefully placing bird feeders and shelters away from predators can cut down on the number of casualties.

Common predators include cats, magpies, crows, owls, foxes, squirrels, dogs and hawks. Some of these are natural predators and should not be discouraged – i.e. owls and hawks – but no domesticated animal needs to hunt wild birds. The presence of a cat will likely repel wild birds.

A Beginner’s Guide to Bird Watching

If you’re considering entering the wonderful world of bird watching then we can provide some helpful tips to get you started. We can tell you everything from how to spot a bird down to what type of equipment you will need.

Spotting a Bird
Every second counts when it comes to bird watching; therefore, you should quickly try to identify its specific details. Don’t head straight to a bird guide to find out what type it is. Simply make notes quickly to ensure you don’t forget anything; however, don’t focus too much on this as the watching is more important than the writing.

Remember the Details
In order to place a bird in the right family of birds, there are certain things you will need to identify, such as its size, markings, shape, feeding habits and movements. Try to remember everything you can about the bird. Was it as small as a robin, as big as a turkey or something in between? Did it make smooth movements or was it a little more awkward? Did it have patches of colour or feathers on its head?

Look Out for their Feeding Habits
If you have the opportunity, try to watch their feeding habits. Look out for what the bird is eating and how the feed. Do they dig at the bark of a tree? Fly across a lawn looking for insects? Does it head to the edge of a pond? Their feeding habits will also help you to identify the bird’s species.

Think About the Climate
Different birds inhabit different regions; therefore, you should jot down where it was you spotted them. Was it a wetland or woodland? Was it a rural or urban setting? By taking note of the region, you can narrow down the possible bird species. However, birds migrate depending on the season, so ensure you note down the time of year you saw the bird.

Select the Right Bird Watching Telescope
It’s important you invest in high quality bird watching telescopes to ensure you make the most of your bird watching experience. At Sherwoods, we only provide our customers with the finest telescopes and binoculars so you don’t miss a second of the action and they’ll allow you to get a closer look at the beautiful birds.
We can provide a wide variety of telescopes and binoculars for a variety of different uses, and from some of the best brands in the industry. Therefore, we encourage you to browse our Barr & Stroud, Pentax and Celestron telescopes, plus so much more.

Take a Snap with Bird Watching Cameras
All bird watching enthusiasts should invest in the Brinno Birdwatch Camera as they can take snaps of birds from 1.5m to 3m away from the targeted area. Mount and target it at your birdfeeder, or anywhere that’s common for birds to go, and the motion activated camera will take a snapshot of it.

For further information on our bird watching binoculars, telescopes and accessories, please don’t hesitate to contact us today at Sherwoods.