Being around animals either wildlife or pets, is so good for your wellbeing. Many recommend being around animals as an alternative to some medications because they calm the mind, normalise your heartbeat and make your worries fade into the background.
If you follow my posts already, you'll know I don't have any pets - although when I have a Woofability dog with me, I like to pretend they are mine! - and love to be around animals. Furry friends are fun and relaxing to be around, so I've found another route to tend to the animal lover in me and give more to the environment. I love seeing birds of different kinds in our garden and on our rooftop, sometimes in the morning I peer out of my attic bedroom window and watch the birds chippering away.
I have 2 types of feeders, bird seed mix, suet cake, fat seed balls and, as of Christmas just gone, a new lovely bird nest box. It came out of nowhere I remember, I was just browsing in Wilkinson's and passed their wild bird section, a little corner full of seeds, seed mixes, feeders, suet cakes, kits and all very affordable. I was tempted to buy the birdfeeder's beginner kit - it was around £7 and had a bunch of things in it - but I decided against it because I wasn't sure how suitable our garden would be.
Work out how suitable your garden is before buying feeders.
Space
Most people don't have sizable gardens, but you don't need one - just think vertically as well. Planting bird-friendly trees that provide natural perches and cover like Birch or Ash or ones that provide a food source like cherries. Hedgerows do so much in the countryside and planting some around the edge of your garden is ideal for nesting birds e.g. rose bushes.
Various plants = various insects = bird food!
A bird bath is a lovely additional to any garden and all birds need to drink regularly. Make sure that the water is kept clean. If you can, position it near cover, so they can hop over and back. Different depths would be a good way to attract different bird species and putting some rocks in could help them perch. If you can have moving water, even better!
Food
If you have any feeders, keep them near cover but not where cats can reach. Keep them clean and disease free by pouring hot water over them. Vary the seeds you use to see what birds you attract. It is a thought to not put feeders too close to nest boxes - I almost did until I read this - as noise might disturb any birds.
Shelter
We don't have much shelter in our garden, this is probably what I need to work on the most! Research has shown generations of birds tend to stay in the same areas over the years. Having a nest/bird box encourages mating and keeps them in your garden. Clean them once a year to help birdy tenants.
You can only legally empty a box in Oct - Jan period
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