A recent report from the RSPB revealed that 600 million breeding birds have died over the past 40 years due to a combination of habitat loss, pesticide use in farming and climate change. House Sparrows, Starlings and Skylarks are some of the worst-affected birds.
With spring now underway, Lucy Taylor, gardening expert at Vine House Farm Bird Food, has outlined four essential tips to improve your green space for wildlife.
As we enter April, with the prospect of longer and warmer days ahead, many of us will begin tidying our gardens and preparing them for spring. But as the time of year is also one when nature comes to life, it’s important to think about the type of work we do and the decisions we make, to protect garden wildlife, as climate change and loss of habitat impact bird and insect life.
- Avoid weeding dandelions: “Dandelions are one of the first wildflowers to bloom, and are important to pollinating insects and, in particular, bees. Once the flowers go to seed, birds like Bullfinches and Goldfinches will eat the seeds from the Dandelion clocks. While you may not want them to cover your entire garden, allowing at least some dandelions to flower and seed is a positive step to supporting garden birds and other wildlife.”
- Include mealworms in your bird food mix: “If you feed birds in your garden, you should add live mealworms in the bird food mix you leave out. Adult birds will not only consume them but feed them to their young in their nests. This will help increase the breeding success of many bird species, including Robins.”
- Don’t cut hedges: “ April see birds such as Robins, Blackbirds and Dunnocks nesting in hedges and dense shrubs in your gardens. Avoid disturbing or endangering them, and wait to cut any new hedge growth by mid-August, when the breeding season is over.”
- Plant flowers rich in nectar: “Now that we have entered spring, many of us will be visiting a local garden centre to buy new plants or seeds. However, as the bee population dwindles, it is important to seriously consider how the type of plant will impact pollinators. You should choose plants that are nectar-rich, brightly coloured, have long stems and grow well in the sun, all of which are attractive to bees. Cornflowers are a great plant for this, although Pansies are not.
