How to encourage birds to your garden

#Gifted

Watching the birds being fed in our garden

Since moving into our new home last year, we have actively been encouraging nature in our garden, from creating a bug hotel out of pallets, hiding a hedgehog hotel under one of our bushes, to creating a mini pond thanks to the RSPB booklets.  But one of the quickest ways of encouraging birds into the garden is to put birdseed out.

I've written in the past how we have some very demanding starlings when they are feeding their babies and squawk at me for mealworm in the evenings!  Now that feed is not cheap but as it's for the babies, I feel I'm doing my bit.

When we are not feeding the parents of demanding chicks, I am always on the lookout for good quality bird seed that a range of birds would like and I have been very fortunate to be given the opportunity to try some of Ivel Valley wild bird food.

Currently on special offer for £17.50

Ready Peck 5 a day seed ground and table mix 

Not quite our 5 a day, this product contains suet, oats, seeds, nuts, and insects!  The mix is designed to attract birds such as Great Tit, Blue Tit, Greenfinch, Robins etc.

What I found, is this food is very popular in my garden but has attracted a very bolshy seagull!  I've stopped putting this food out on the table and instead spread it on the ground which seems to have done the trick, although I do have a couple of noisy magpies that come down in the evening.

a 2kg bag will cost £4.50

Ready peck 5 a day suet pellets - apple 

These I believe are the seagulls favourite and he ate the lot regardless of me being out there. I've now stopped placing this food on the table too and have since started throwing the food directly on the ground.  The problem I now face is the dog likes these pellets!!

This food is also very popular with our starlings and blackbirds, who are regular visitors but I also want to start placing this feed in a wire mesh feeder as I think it is going to encourage more birds in the garden, and if the feed is up high near our trees, who knows who will visit.

Birds favourite and only £1.95 for 6!

Ready Peck 5 a day suet balls - insects and mealworm

The most popular feed we tried and we have these in a suet feeder, and it brings wrens, sparrows, and starlings in almost immediately.  They also don't wait for us to go back in the house before swooping over for their food, which I love to see.

I'm very much loving our little garden and there's nothing quite like watching the birds feed in the mornings as I try and wake up and get ready to start my day.  I love listening to Max in the evenings differentiate between all the birds, he's getting rather good at it.

Nature can be so beautiful.