Review of Suet Nuggets for Birds

 

Nuthatch waiting turn for Suet Nuggets 

One of my favorite wild bird foods to use in our backyard feeders are Suet Nuggets.  These little pellets contain a blend of suet and other high oil content ingredients.  I find them easy to use, less messy than other feed, and the birds love them.  I find them easier to use then the suet cakes and there is less waste with the nuggets.

In my yard they are particularly popular with the Downy woodpeckers, but I have also seen other woodpeckers, nuthatches and even sparrows feed on them.  I have seven different types of bird feeders in my yard, and the one that is most popular is the suet nugget feeder.

In this photo a female Downy is getting the last bits of the nuggets out of the feeder.  Below is a male Downy enjoying the nuggets in the wintertime.

The suet nuggets are designed to attract a wide variety of wild birds.  They are formed into soft nuggets so that they are easy for beaks to break apart.  They may be served alone (as you see I have done in the feeder above) or combined with other feed.  These nuggets are ideal for year-round feeding.  I always have a feeder full of these nuggets in my backyard.

The nuggets are available in a variety of flavors.  I have tried the sunflower, bluebird and woodpecker varieties but the one I use the most often is the peanut variety.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

As you can see in the photo above even the sparrows enjoy the nuggets.

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Nature Photography Day

 

June 15th is Nature Photography Day.  This holiday was first started in 2006 in North America but has since spread to people throughout the world.  It is a day to study, reflect, enjoy and photograph nature.

While reading about Nature Photography Day online, I discovered numerous suggestions on how to celebrate the day.  Here are a few that sounded interesting.

• Grab your camera and go for a walk in your neighborhood.  Experience all the beauty in nature that you can observe every day.
• Share your photos with families and friends and spread the word that it is Nature Photography Day.
•  Enjoy a local park or a nearby creek or river.  Photograph the beauty of nature.
• Participate in efforts to preserve nature.
• Start a photo competition of nature photograph.
• While you are doing any of the above take the time to breath in all the peace and serenity that nature provides.

Favorite Flowers from my Nature Photography Files

I love to photograph roses.  There is something quite striking about a single rose bud.  In the photo above I tried to isolate the rose bud by using a 6.3 aperture and focusing on the rose bud so that the background becomes a bit blurry.  It is important to keep the background simple so that the focus is on the flower.  The photo was taken in the early evening when the light was soft.  Early morning or evening are great times to take floral photos.  Cloudy days also enhance the colors in the flowers, so they are a good time to photograph.

Here is another photo taken in the early evening and with an aperture that gives the blurry background that enhances the flowers.

Another good technique for photographing flowers is to find an interesting background to set off the blossom.  In this photo I found some purple irises in front of a brick wall.  I kept my aperture so that the background would be a bit blurry, and I zoomed in on the flower.  I love the effect of the bright purple against the brick.

Another time I love to photograph flowers is right after it rains.  It seems to really bring out the colors and the raindrops look refreshing.  The above photo is of a fuscia plant hanging on our deck.

Combining Birds and Plants in Photos

I particularly enjoy capturing flowers and a bird in the same photograph.  In this photo I saw a Cardinal sitting on our fence and the lilacs were just starting to bud out in the foreground.  I focused on the Cardinal, so you will note that the lilacs are slightly out of focus.

Photographing Backyard Birds

One of my favorite pastimes is photographing the birds in our backyard.  Here is a Hawk that was sitting high up in the tree at the edge of our property.  He sat still for a long time, and I was able to capture several shots.  I zoomed in for the long shot and was quite pleased with the result.  I was able to get him framed in the surrounding branches.

A great way to enhance your skills in nature photography is to first study the works of other photographers and then practice, practice, practice.

Happy Nature Photography Day on

June 15th!  Grab your camera and get out and enjoy nature.

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Birds: Reviewing My Experiences with Window Strikes

 As someone who loves birds, and considers myself a beginner bird-watcher, I was vaguely aware that bird injuries via window strikes is a thing. But it was a distant thought and nothing I concerned myself with. I suppose I imagined that window strikes only occurred in cities with massive buildings, lots of glass, and limited outdoor space. And that only startled birds took flight and flew into buildings in their fright. I am finding that I was wrong about the frequency and locations of window strikes. I thought it important to pass on my experiences to our readers who may also be concerned about the safety of the birds in their communities.

My Own Recent Experiences with Window Strikes Causing Death and Injury

I have recently moved to my new, small home that is located on a mountain ridge and next to a wooden area. Bird-watching is one of my favorite things here and was one reason I chose to locate my house on the property; next to the treeline where the most bird activity occurs. 

My home is small. To take advantage of both natural light and the views, I have a window-door configuration at both ends of my home that in essence creates glass corners.  I love them and consider these to be the highlights of my home.  Unfortunately, I had not known that this window set-up is at high risk for window strikes. 

My first clue was while the house was still under construction. I found a deceased Yellow-billed Cuckoo on a scaffold set up just under my bedroom window (one of the door-window configurations I mentioned earlier). All About Birds by The Cornell Lab states "Yellow-billed Cuckoos are slender, long-tailed birds that manage to stay well hidden in deciduous woodlands" and "Yellow-billed Cuckoos are fairly easy to hear but hard to spot."  How very sad that my first spotting of one of these bashful birds was via a window strike.   Still, I did not expect that there would be more window strikes at my home. I assumed that the Yellow-billed Cuckoo just was taken by surprise by my newly installed windows (installed just that week into openings that had been open for months due to supply chain problems).

Last week, I was sitting in my livingroom, in the corner window area, when a bird strike occurred. The bird was stunned. I was unsure about what to do - intervene and "help" the bird while knowing that typically human intervention with wildlife is often the opposite of helpful or leave it to fend for itself.  While I searched the internet for advice, the bird recovered enough to fly away.  It was then I realized that my home is the problem and not just a one-time problem.

Bird Strikes Information

According to The Cornell Lab's All About Birds, "For birds, glass windows are worse than invisible".  Due to the reflections of the surrounding area, in my case the sky and trees, the birds see an area they'd like to fly into. According to the study they cite (2014) "about 1 billion birds die from window strikes each year". They also report that even birds that appear to be only stunned from the strike and able to fly away are often fatally wounded. Which is not happy news at all. (Read the article in it's entirety here.)

Not only do bird strikes occur during daylight hours when the glass reflects the surroundings (in the case with my home) nighttime strikes occur because the lighted windows divert migrating birds from their route. According to this article dated 2017, it is not fully understood why this happens. More research might find more current information about nocturnal window strikes and migrating birds. At this time, however, I am focused on learning solutions for my windows. As you can see in the photo above, the trees and sky are reflected almost perfectly in the glass. And that is what the birds are seeing and flying into.

Decreasing the Risk of Window Strikes

The short answer for decreasing the risk of window strikes in cases like mine is interrupting the reflection of the sky and trees.  

Window screens.  Both bird strikes occurred on the glass (unscreened) portions of my window/door. Placing screen over the entire windows stops the reflections. This may be an option for me for my windows. But unfortunately, not for my sliding doors.

Interior curtains or blinds. These are definitely options for my bedroom door and window. Those areas could easily remain with closed curtains. However, the bird strike in the livingroom occurred with me sitting near the sliding door and looking out. Even with a curtain over the livingroom slider there would be extended periods of time that the curtain would be open and the birds at risk.

Bird Tape, One-Way Transparent Film, and Window Decals.  Covering the glass with closely spaced objects break up the reflection enough to deter the birds. The transparent film covers the entire window which makes the windows appear opaque to the birds but remain clear when on the inside looking out. This is the solution I'm researching and will probably pursue.  I want to preserve my view while protecting the birds I love so much.

As odd as it might sound, this is another reason I am thankful for my small house. I believe that is why I noticed the most recent window strike. I can only imagine how many occur and are never observed. If I had not heard the collision and seen that poor stunned bird on my deck, I would not have learned about how lethal windows are for our backyard and migratory birds. With this information I will be able to find a good solution. At this point I am leaning toward curtains for the bedroom glass and window clings for the livingroom glass. However, I am still researching Collidescape brand window "dots" and window film as well as the WindowAlert cling designs.

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Winter Time and Birds, Some Good Advice Regarding Pigeons! A DIY Project!

Every Winter the Birds Come Calling! 

I guess that's because we (my other half and I) love to see and feed the birds during the coldest months of the year.  There is something wonderful in seeing even the plain little sparrows munching on suet cakes that we have made or bought. The winter months can be tough on little birds as they need a lot of energy just to keep their tiny bodies warm.

Image by Kurt Bouda from Pixabay

There is one bird though, that I do not want on my balcony!  I do NOT want pigeons!

Why?  Pigeons are very dirty birds.  They like to make their homes in high spaces!  If they can find a spot out of the wind and elements, they will call that spot home!  They will also chase away any of the smaller birds that I really do like having around my balcony in the winter months.  So what can I do?

Well, I was checking out ways to keep the pigeons from even wanting to come onto my balcony, but the availability of food for the smaller birds is what is attracting them.  So if there is no food there will be no birds and I will miss out on some really fun times watching these little critters. I need to do something else that will make the pigeons look for other lodgings.

Pigeons are spooked easily,  so one method of deterring them is to hang windchimes and balloons so that there is always movement and sound happening.  Hopefully they will find a quieter place to call home!

While thinking about this problem and the solutions I had an idea that would do the trick. I came across a whole stack of old CD disks that we no longer needed or wanted.  Old operating systems on CD's were taking up space and were really not necessary for our computer operations.  One side of the disk has a label on it and the other side has beautiful rainbow colors!   So I took a dozen or so of these disks and set to work.

I drilled a hole in the disk about an inch inside the outer rim!   Then just thread some wire or garden twine through the hole and leave enough string/rope to make a loop big enough to pass the disk through it. You can hang them all at the same level or vary the lengths as you please.   Then take all of your strung CD's outside and hang them with the loop around a cord or light string.  .  

At our home we have a string of lights on our balcony because we love to sit out there evenings during the summer months!  This string of lights is now lit for the holidays and it looks amazing with my hanging CD's!  Just check out the short video I took!  You can see the effect it has in the daytime and at night!  

The sunlight plays on the discs sending light all around the balcony!  It does not take much wind to make them spin and when they are spinning light beams are playing all around the balcony.  I am so pleased with the outcome.  They are quite pretty with their rainbow colors and they themselves are not at all noisy!  Even in the windiest of days if the CD's bang around, you just hear a little clicking sound.  

Evenings on the balcony are so pretty with rainbow hues being seen from all corners.  I have a mirror on the one side and my lights and the disks are nicely reflected in it.  It makes it seem like I have twice as many lights and CD's on the balcony!  I personally love the look!

What do you need to accomplish this for yourself?  A DREMEL TOOL is great for drilling the holes or you can use a regular drill with a fairly small bit (depending on the size of your cord).   If you don't have lights to hang these from, you can make a line with any kind of twine and fasten it with some hooks to where ever you want these hanging. .You can also use Christmas hooks to hang these from an eaves-trough.  Vary the lengths of the cords or keep them all the same, that is up to you entirely.  

What I have found in just the short time that these have been up, is that the little birds are not scared of the light show, but the pigeons are not coming to roost anymore.  Hopefully this will keep them away. 

I checked into other methods of keeping pigeons off the balcony, but they involve either hurting the birds or making the railings uncomfortable not just for the birds but for us as well.  I don't want to hurt anything, but don't want to encourage those pigeons to roost on my balcony.  

I will let you know how it works, but, for right now it seems to be doing the trick!  No pigeons were harmed during this trial and I suspect they won't be hurt or harmed in any other way while these are on my balcony!

  

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Spring Woodland Walks For Wellbeing Reviewed

 

Woodland Walks

Nature and wildlife are a huge part of my life in so many ways. They are an integral part of my life, my soul even. They are essential to my wellbeing. 

I had not been able to go for a woodland walk in a long time due to the Covid lockdowns in our country and having to stay local for walks.

I really missed our woodland walks and the absence of them made me realise how much I need to be connected to nature for my wellbeing. 

I love gardening and have done a lot of that this year but I know I also need the wildness of a forest. So today I would like to take you with me on our woodland walks and to discuss why connecting with nature and especially woodlands is so important.

Bluebells In Spring Woodland Clearing

Walking In Woodland

The obvious benefit to walking in woodland is the exercise. If you are on a treadmill or exercise bike I tend to notice how long I have been exercising. However, in a woodland walk, I can roam for hours up and down hills across streams and I really do not notice that I have in fact been exercising for maybe 2 hours.

In addition, you receive fresh air enhanced by the gorgeous trees and shrubs all around you and the experience being outdoors in a different environment. 

Also, I always find woodland to be so calming. Studies have shown that exercising in woodland decreases stress and anxiety.

There is always something new to see in a woodland from frosty winter trees against a blue sky, haunting misty scenes, to new buds and spring flowers.

We share the woods with many animals and birds and so far we have seen rabbits, squirrels, mice and many species of birds. In fact, it has made me want to learn more about bird songs as I can often hear the birds singing but cannot see them. 

Most of all I always feel tired yet refreshed after a woodland walk. There is something about the energy of the tall trees, the green environment, renewal and being surrounded by wild nature that makes the heart sing and sets me up for the rest of the day. 

Winter Trees Against Blue Sky Canvas Print
by RaintreeDesigns

Our forest walking began in late winter, early spring when we need some motivation to go out walking on a cold rather misty day. I love the photo below as it shows the woodland as a rather enchanted, mystical place.

The trees are bare with branches reaching for the sky and all around seems asleep, except that we know the buds on the trees and the flowers underground are just waiting patiently to emerge.

I have never felt afraid in a forest, it is all rather comforting and familiar to me. I like to feel small against the huge trees that are protecting, rather than intimidating. 

A Misty Woodland Walk In Early Spring

Tree Bark In Woodland

I love to look out for beautiful bark patterns on the trees. The bark is never just brown, it has amazing patterns and colours, shallow and deep rivulets.

If you look closely you may see a tiny creature or two going about its day. An ancient tree has lived so many years, seen so much and overcome drought with heat and damaging storms.

An ancient tree can give us hope and peace that we too can overcome many things. While our lifespan is not so long as many trees, we can experience and overcome so much, flourish and grow. 

Beautiful Tree Bark

Fallen Trees In A Woodland

I love to see the fallen trees gradually becoming a habitat for new life. The natural life of a tree is usually a long one. Trees seed, grow into young saplings,  mature and live long productive lives.

Then if trees are managed well they are either allowed to fall when old or felled if they become in danger of falling to cause damage or injury.

Importantly if they are allowed to rest rather than cleared away, there is a further opportunity in death for them to still live on providing sustenance and homes for all manner of bugs, insects and mammals.

Their bark eventually decays and enriches the soil and from that springs more new life and so the cycle of nature goes on just as it should. 

Fallen Trees Giving New Life

Stunning Snowdrops  

As winter turns to Spring I eagerly look out for the stunning Snowdrop. I do not have a favourite flower rather I like to embrace each flower on its own merits and the snowdrop is a perfect example of a flower that has its moment in time.

Snowdrops look so delicate, so tiny yet they are strong and tough little flowers that survive and thrive  at one of the harshest times of the year

I adore the white purity of the flower against the shining green stems and am always amazed how such a tiny flower braves snow and ice, winds and wet and comes through it all defying the harsh conditions to bloom so brightly, so splendidly.

To me, they are a symbol of Hope that the winter is behind us and the warmer, sunnier lighter days are just around the corner. We also look forward to bluebells, crocus and the wonderful fungi that appear in the forest. 

Stunning Spring Snowdrops Postcard
by RaintreeDesigns

Woodland Birds

Birds fascinate me more than most animals in the woodland. I am mesmerized by their singing, the clever way they build their nests and care for their young and the beauty of their feathers.

I love to look out for blackbirds, sparrows, blue tits and woodpeckers. It is a lovely way to spend a morning to find a place to sit and listen to this sound which is as beautiful as the most accomplished orchestra.

In one of the forests we visit, the local Wildlife Trust has set up birdfeeder stations. If you are quiet and still and patient there is nothing better than watching the birds dart onto and off the feeders. Sometimes I take photos, other times I simply experience the moment, in a state of just being. 

I was so lucky we were in the right place at the right time and actually looking upwards to the tops of the trees, to get the opportunity to take this photograph of a cormorant perching high to dry his wing feathers after diving.

Cormorants are distinctive birds that often live in the woodland but nearby water and there is a large pond in the middle of this forest that is perfect for this bird to fish in. They have as you can see a long neck and an almost prehistoric appearance about them. After fishing, it needs to find a high perch in the open where it can hold its wings out so they can dry after each dive.  I feel so privileged to have observed this moment in nature.

Cormorant Drying Wings After Diving

Spring In The Woods, Nurturing The Soul

As we approach Spring, the clocks go forward, we have longer hours of daylight and suddenly the forest changes occur very quickly.

The tiny tight buds we saw in early spring now unfurl at a rapid pace and the previously brown bare branches almost overnight turn into bright fresh green foliage. This is my favorite time right now.

 Everything is fresh and new and bright, the days are longer and there is the promise of much more to come. Any worries we have seem more bearable in this beautiful magical environment. I feel a fresh resurgence of the desire to do things, to grow, to explore.

Early Spring In The Woods

It is far too easy these days to become caught up in the everyday noise of our lives, the television, the news, the traffic to see what is occurring right with us if we take time to really look and listen.

There is nothing quite like a forest to see that renewal to view the changes in nature, to feel the growth of new life, to smell the damp soil underfoot and to hear the beautiful birdsong. To experience the sheer joy of finding a new flower that was not there the day before. 

Beautiful Bluebells!

I love this poem by WH Davies which encourages us to "stand and stare" in nature for our own good.

What Is Life If Full Of Care...?

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

by W.H. Davies

Woodland Walking And Wellbeing

I gave some thought to what word I feel when walking in the woods and I have concluded that the word is "Serenity".

Pink Blossoms And Serenity Verse
by RaintreeDesigns

That is the feeling and that is perhaps why so many studies are now showing that it is vital for us all to spend more time in a natural environment.

Even if that is only one walk a week it gives us benefits but if we can make it thirty minutes a day it is beneficial to our overall health and certainly to our mental and emotional wellbeing.  

Life can be quite challenging at times and we all have things we need to deal with, perhaps more so these days, so we need a place to go to ground ourselves, to find peace, to find that serenity. 

If you, like me love to connect with nature and the countryside and have a love for trees and woodlands and have enjoyed this glimpse into my woodland walks, you may enjoy reading this book Wildwood by the late Roger Deakin. He was a British nature writer and takes us on a journey through the mysteries of woods, trees and nature in several countries around the world. His writing is quite beautiful and uplifting when looking into the spirituality of nature and people's connection with the natural world.  

  

So for me walking in woodland is not only an enjoyable activity I always look forward to whatever the weather and a way to connect with nature, but it is also an essential part of ensuring my health and wellbeing. I hope you have enjoyed this walk through the woods with me. 

More Nature Articles

 Six Ways To Help Wildlife In The Year Ahead  

5 Wildlife Gift Ideas Reviewed

Spring Into The Garden Give Nature A Helping Hand A Garden Review

Joy Of The First Snowdrops Diary Of A Wild Country Garden

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Reviewing a Heated Dog Bowl for Birds

 

Carolina Wren enjoying the Heated Dog Bowl

I enjoy watching and photographing birds in my back yard.  In order to attract birds to my yard I know it is important to provide a steady supply of food and fresh water. 

For food I fill several different feeders with different types of food.  I love song birds so I make sure to put out a steady supply of black oiled sunflower seeds.  I also put out nyjer seed for the little finches.  I love to attract woodpeckers so I offer both suet cakes and suet pellets.

For water I have a birdbath which the birds love both for drinks and bathing.  This winter has been particularly cold and the bird bath water is always frozen so I searched for a good way to provide fresh water.  I know there are heated birdbaths, but they were a little out of the cost range I was considering.  I read on one of my bird groups that a heated dog bowl works great for birds and is inexpensive so I decided to try that.

Heated Dog Bowl

After looking at several sites I settled on this dog bowl.

                                  

This bowl had several features which I find works well.  At one quart it is a good size for my deck.  It is thermostatically controlled so that it only operates when it is necessary.  The bowl has an anti-tip construction and the cord is covered with a heavy duty protector.  It comes in several colors and I chose the bright blue because I was hoping to attract some blue birds and I thought that would look great in the photographs.

I have had the bowl for 2 months now and it has worked great.  It has really been tested the last two weeks when our temperatures have been below freezing the entire time and we've had wind chills in the -10 area.  The bowl has worked perfect and provided water for the birds in the chilling weather.  When it has snowed the snow just melts into the bowl.  I am very pleased  with my purchase and I think my birds are too!

Photographs of Birds at the Water Bowl

Here are some photographs of birds taken at the new water bowl.  First of all it did attract the Eastern Blue Birds I was hoping to get.  I love the way their coloring matches with the bowl.

Here are some of the other birds enjoying the water. The Robin looks pleased to have some fresh water and the Cardinal and House Finch also enjoy the water.  

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Book Review of What It's Like to Be a Bird

Robin in my Backyard

 Are you ever curious about the habits of birds?  Did you realize that a bird's senses of vision, hearing, touch and smell many times surpass the same senses in humans?  Did you know that if you "ate like a bird" you might eat more than twenty-five pizzas each day?  These are just a few of the many things you'll learn about birds in the book What It's Like to Be a Bird.  

I received a copy of this book as a Christmas gift and have found it fascinating.  It is a rather large, coffee table type book that is full of information on the birds of North America.

The book is divided into three sections.  In this review, I will give you some insight into each of the sections.  The photographs I am including in this review are birds that I photographed in my backyard.

First Section: Introduction

Female Downy Woodpecker

• The introduction section of the book is 32 pages full of information on birds in general.  This section talks about the feathers on birds, the senses of birds and how they relate to human senses.  There are sections on 
• Food
• Survival
• Social Behavior
• Movement
• Physiology
• Migration

an much more.  This area is full of interesting information.  Some examples include:

• There are 11 thousand species of birds today and 800 are regularly found in North America.
• Birds visual ability varies greatly between species.  Owls have great night vision  and Eagles see five times more details than humans and 16 times the colors.
• Some birds spend their entire winter in the air, even sleeping while they fly.

Second Section: Main Body of Book

In this section of the book the author tells us about over 200 different species of birds.  The author has two pages for most species and they include beautiful colored illustrations of the birds and are full of interesting facts about each type of bird.

One good example is the section on Finches.  The first page shows a beautiful illustration of a male and female House Finch building a nest.  The information says that these finches are aptly named because they have adapted to living around houses and often make their nests on items around the houses such as hanging plants and window ledges.  On the page with Goldfinches we are told that they travel in flocks almost all year and it is believed that some birds stay together in small groups for months or even years.

Third Section: Listing of Birds in this Book

In this last section of the book you find a list of all the birds that have been covered in the book.  It includes the page number for more information along with a paragraph summarizing that particular bird.

Here is some of the information included on the Northern Cardinal.  It tells that the bird is named for its bright red color which is like the cardinals in the Roman Catholic church.  The paragraph goes on to say that the Northern Cardinal is one of the most widely recognized birds in North America.  It adds a couple of interesting facts such as that it is common for male cardinals to feed the adult females.  In this way they are signaling their ability to find food.

This is a book I would highly recommend for anyone interested in finding out more about birds.

Here is a calendar I made of my backyard bird photos.  It is offered on Zazzle.

  

Backyard Birds Calendar
by mbgphoto

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6 Ways To Help Wildlife In The Year Ahead

 

Butterfly On Wild Flowers By Raintree Annie

If one of the things you would like to do in the New Year is to do more to help our precious and often at-risk wildlife here are six easy ideas reviewed.

Even if we do just one of these we will be helping wildlife and nature. Do all six and your garden could be transformed into a wildlife haven in less than a year! 

In our gardens, balconies and patios we can all do one thing for wildlife and make such a huge difference. Some of these ideas are very easy indeed while others require a little more thought and time but all are fun and not difficult for most people to achieve. You may well find children enjoy being involved in many of these activities as well.

 

1. What To Do With The Old Christmas Tree 

I hope you had a lovely time at Christmas and an attractive, decorated Christmas tree.

We will keep ours up in the house for a little while longer but now is the time to think about what to do with it once the time comes to take it down.

I find it quite depressing to see all the Christmas trees outside people's houses ready to be taken away by the refuse collectors, of no more use to the neighbourhood. 

I do not like waste and feel there is a better way to recycle our old Christmas trees long after they have given us so much happiness. 

Making a woodpile with the chopped branches, creating a stumpery, shredding it and using the shreddings for mulch or even just laying it down in an undisturbed area of the garden for habitat and shelter all help our gardens and our wildlife.

What Do You Do With The Old Christmas Tree discusses more uses for our old Christmas trees.  

 

2. Don't Be So Tidy in The Garden! 

This may be an easy one to follow! However, I understand many of us like to have a neat and tidy garden, all edges carefully trimmed, leaves gathered up and all weeds eradicated. There is something very pleasing about a neat and tidy garden. However for nature, for wildlife they need us to be a little messier in our gardens.

Wildlife view our gardens as s source of food, warmth, shelter and breeding sites so they look for leaves, woodpiles, shrubs, water and long grass to name a few. 

There is a way to have a mainly neat and tidy garden and to help wildlife though. Messy does not have to mean ugly.

A small log pile can be made attractive to us and useful for wildlife, leaves left in borders or in a small pile out of the way are an invaluable source of shelter and food and just leaving things a little less manicured can be a boon to nature generally. 

We can easily designate a small area of the garden where we allow it to be a little wilder. In fact, I think a garden that aims to attract wildlife is especially beautiful and full of sound and sights and life. 

Diary Of a Wild Country Garden. Are we Too Tidy In Our Gardens? Raiintree Annie 

If you decide to do this you will reap the benefits in terms of seeing more birds, butterflies and bugs and attracting more insect and bird predators to your garden to help you with the pests and diseases all gardens have to deal with. For more ideas please see Are We Too Tidy In Our Gardens? 

3. Provide Water For The Birds 

Perhaps the most important thing we can do for birds is to provide water. Birds need water to drink and clean their feathers. This is vital for their health and wellbeing.

It is also something that fewer homes provide. Many people think about feeding the birds but less think about the need for water and bathing. Do You Have A Bird Bath In Your Garden? discusses this further with tips to help our beautiful birds. 

As long as the water is clean and fresh and ideally we need to change it every day or every few days, it does not matter too much what the container is. 

However, many of us choose to have a lovely looking birdbath or a cute novelty birdbath to make our gardens look gorgeous while assisting the birds. You can find beautiful examples here Reviewing Basalt Birdbaths 

In addition to beautiful birdbaths, I  also use plastic saucers on the ground on our patio to help the smaller birds like these gorgeous sparrows in my garden. I know other wildlife like hedgehogs and squirrels visit the water as well. 

 

Sparrows Bathing by Raintree Annie

One of the main pleasures to us of having a birdbath is to watch and photograph the gorgeous, beautiful, fascinating birds every day from the comfort of our own home.

I like a variety of birdbaths around the garden and so we have several beautiful birdbaths and these ordinary saucers placed around the garden so that the birds do not have to compete for water and bathing rights! 

A Bird In The Bath
by RaintreeDesigns

4.Leave An Area Of Long Grass 

This is an easy one to fulfill if you have a garden with a lawn. Simply designate one area of the lawn and do not mow it all. 

Rather than taking action to help wildlife, this one is all about inaction! Do nothing and wait and see what happens to that small patch of long grass.

It will be interesting to see if you grow any wildflowers or clover. See how liberating it can be to grow daisies and dandelions and how insects love them! Watch out to see if your long grass attracts bees, butterflies or hoverflies. 

It's easy, free and a very simple way to help wildlife especially insects. It does not need to be a big area, just what you feel you can allow to grow a little wild.  

If you do want to take it a step further and grow some wildflower seeds, you will need to take up some of your grass as grass will generally out-compete the wildflower seeds. 

Simply strip the grass away, rake the soil into fine tilth, sow the seeds according to the seed packet and wait for them to grow. The only work you will need to do then is to cut back the wildflowers in autumn.

Field Of Pink Flowers Postcard
by RaintreeDesigns

5. Grow A Window Box For Wildlife

We do not all have big gardens and lawns and may wonder what can we do to help wildlife when we live in a flat or apartment or a house with a hard landscaped yard.

However, if we have a balcony, room for a hanging basket, a window box or a small patio area for pots we can undoubtedly attract and help wildlife. For more ideas on how to attract wildlife in a smaller space, please see Can You Attract Wildlife If You Only Have A Patio Garden Or Window Box

It is amazing how butterflies, bees, lacewings, hoverflies and ladybugs will find their way to your window box given the right flowers and conditions. 

 Depending on where you live you may need to protect the container in winter. If you are gardening on a balcony, always bear in mind the weight of any containers when filled with soil and plants does not exceed what the structure can take. 

A simple container is all we need. You can fill your window box with flowers both perennial and annual or decide to grow vegetables, it is up to you. 

Some flowers are better for wildlife than others, but really as long as the plants have some flowers the insects and bees will find them. 

Flowers I have found successful in window boxes and hanging baskets and troughs include bright cheerful Marigolds along with Nasturtiums and evergreen Ivy for trailing. Verbena, Fuchsia in a bigger pot and Heather are lovely. 

You do need to give Heather acid or ericaceous soil so it will need to be mixed with other acid-tolerant flowers. I also like to put in a few dwarf yellow daffodil bulbs to cheer up the containers.

If you like you can grow wildflowers in a pot and I have done this for several years. You do just need to make sure that the soil is very poor as wildflowers, in general, need poor soil. I use old compost and lots of grit in my wildflower containers. Bees and all manner of insects adore these wildflower pots! 

I love to grow herbs such as Rosemary and Lavender and Chives do well also in containers. I would give most herbs a try in pots. Good for us to eat and great for wildlife. Bees seem to always love my Chives!

Bee With Chive Flowers Throw Pillow
by RaintreeDesigns

Your container can easily look good for you and be good for wildlife. You will want some evergreens like Rosemary or Heather there and other summer flowering perennial and annual flowers for interest and nectar for as long as possible.

For ideas on making a healthy balcony garden please see Totally Natural Healthy Ways to Increase Your Garden's Growth - A Garden Review

 

6.Give Nature A Home 

One lovely way to attract and help wildlife is to give them a home to live in and raise young. Whether it is a Bird Box, a Bee House, Insect House or a home for hedgehogs it is possible for everyone with any outdoor space, however small to contribute. Here is an idea for a lovely Birdhouse For Eastern Bluebirds 

Over the years many habitats that our birds and insects require to live and breed have been lost. Houses are built without space for birds to nest, grass that is artificial is useless for wildlife and there are fewer places left for bees and bugs to live, hibernate and breed. 

However, if we all do a little we can help to reverse this and give our valuable wildlife a home. 

 

If you love nature and know adults and children who would like to do more for wildlife you may wish to buy nature-related gifts for Birthdays, housewarmings and special events this coming year. For ideas please see Wildlife Gift Ideas Reviewed

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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