COUNTRY LIFE
Give birds
a hand
As with most things in the
countryside, wild birds have been
struggling because of the extreme
weather conditions.
New RSPB research shows that more
people are putting food out for garden
birds than ever before. This is critical
for the survival of many of these birds.
Val Osborne, RSPB Wildlife Advisor,
said: “Gardens are vital habitats for
some of our most threatened birds like
house sparrows, song thrushes and
starlings. The most common reason
given for feeding garden birds was to
help wildlife and the environment.
But spending time together as a
family enjoying nature also emerged
as important, with over a third of
households with children saying that
was why they put out food.
“For many children, discovering
garden wildlife can be the first step
in getting to know and love nature.
A simple activity like filling up the
64
www.visitislandlife.com
feeders and then watching which birds
visit, can bring families together and
inspire a shared love of the natural
world.”
But you don’t have to stop at feeding
them; enticing them to your garden
with a nice pied-a-terre could also be
wonderfully rewarding.
Ian Hayward, RSPB Wildlife Advisor,
said: “Natural nesting sites for birds
are not that easy to come across; we
are perhaps too quick to clear away
dead wood and trees in our gardens,
leaving birds short of suitable homes.
Putting up nestboxes to give nature a
home in your garden is a real help.
“The types of birds attracted to a
nestbox will depend on where the
box is positioned and the size of the
entrance hole. Blue tits will choose a
tiny entrance hole – around 25mm
across – which means they don’t have
to compete with bigger birds wanting
to nest there. Blue tits also like to be
able to see everything around them
when they stick their head out of the