Bird Table News

I am putting together a list of Bird Friendly Plants

(Thanks John for your tip on how to get the list only my blog. I must have been having a bad day)

The plants, flowers, shrubs on the list below are all bird friendly so if you are going to plant anything in 2009 you may as well plant something that is bird friendly.

If you have a balcony, patio or garden you can easily plant just one item and see what happens.

Trouble is I do not know what time of year any of the plants, hedges etc on the list can be planted. Can you help? Do you know?

Have not finished the two other columns - which birds will eat and which birds will nest in each plant - so if you can help?

Maybe we could have a Communal Bird Friendly Garden Corner that links up.

Thanks again John, for your timely tip.

bird friendly plants, shrubs etc

Page Two of the Bird Friendly Plants will follow later in the week.

Have a good week.

Here are some notes  about different types of bird food that I use. 

Click on the links below and  find out more about them and how and why I use them.

PEANUT GRANULES

FEEDING BIRDS WITH NYJER SEED AND BLACK SUNFLOWER SEED

SUNFLOWER HEARTS - SOME OF THE BIRDS THAT WILL EAT THEM

A mixed bag of bird food is another way to put bird food out.  Bird food is easily available from many shops - or can be purchased through Garden Bird Supplies - Take a look

It’s simple to join in the Big Garden Birdwatch.

It only takes an hour of your time.

•  even  if you don’t have a garden you can birdwatch in a park or when you are going for a walk.
• Make a note of the highest number of each type of bird you see.  Only record those that you see at any one time.  Only record the birds that land not the birds that are just flying by
• There is an online form you can fill after you have finished the Big Birdwatch

Here is a link to the RSPB How To Take Park Website

A lot of bird numbers are declining and this yearly survey that can include you and me is used by the RSPB to get an overview of british birdlife - and we can be part of it.  Great isn’t it?

Have a good day

The other day I took one of my Bird Table News Calendars, a long typed list of plants that I think are bird friendly and a letter explaining what I was doing to a Garden Centre.

The plant list has the name of plant, shrub, flower etc.  It also some information on what birds like which plants.  There was a space  for the time of year they could be planted.

The Garden Centre said they would fill in the time of year that each shrub etc could be planted.

The Bird Table News Calendar was a little gift for them.

So, hopefully I will soon be putting on a little bit of information about how we could make a Bird Friendly Garden Corner.  I had this idea in November and have been putting together a list when I’ve had a minute

I do put bird food out every day and I’m sure I’ll never stop putting bird food out, but plants, shrubs and flowers are another way of providing berries, insects, safe nesting places etc for birds.

I’ll see how it goes.

Problem is I don’t know how to get the typed table onto my blog, so may have to type it again!

Trisha

Really excited tonight as a Blue Tit has settled down for the night in one of my nest boxes which has a video camera in it.

I got this comment today.  John has put a nest box up and tonight for the first time a Blue tit has used it as a roost. 

It shows that putting up nest boxes is worth it

I’ve put two up in the past month but don’t think they are being used as a roost yet.  Hopefully they will be used as nests when the spring comes.

Early in December RSPCA workers and a fire crew spent two hours trying to rescue an owl.

The pool owl seemed to be covered in wire at the top of a high pole.

It’s very commendable that the RSPCA and fire crew took time to try and rescue this owl.

This happened in Essex in Rayleigh.  After two hours the RSPCA and the fire crew were told that the owl was plastic and had been fixed on the top of the pole to try to scare birds away from the telegraph pole.