Bird Table News

‘Don’t put that plant  outside because all those pesky sparrows always eat the pansy petals.  What a nuisance they are. Pesky sparrows – why are there so many of them?’

It’s Mothers Day and  for the first time in ages I went to a Mothers Day Service at the village Church.  It was a happy affair with children singing and clapping a song.  There were also hymns and prayers.  There were candles that people lighted in memory of mothers or any special person who were no longer here on Earth

At the end of the service we were all given a pansy plant in a pot.

One pal of mine said to me ‘Don’t put that plant  outside because all those pesky sparrows always eat the pansy petals.  What a nuisance they are. Pesky sparrows – why are there so many of them?’

Sparrows eating pansy flower petals?  I was curious and have been reading. I’ve found out that although the pansy is a relatively trouble free plant sparrows sometimes do eat pansies.  I will let you know what happens to mine.

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Knapweed grows wild in the countryside  and many birds including goldfinches and other finches feed on the seeds.

Why not try this colourful wildflower in your garden.   They flower year after year and so provide seeds for wild birds year after year.

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When the snow was coming thick and fast this area of lawn and the old bush was a haven for the garden birds.  I put bird food under the snow covered bush.  I also put a piece of wood up against the  snow covered bush to make a sort of ‘tent’ that I could put bird food under – this kept the food free from snow.  Now the snow has gone this piece of ground looks a bit weary.

In need of care and attentionAfter the snow has melted

When the snow was here it was the most active place in the garden.  The snow has now gone and thes pictures  above show this area needs come care and attention.

The grass is chewed up and the bush looks a little sad.

When it was covered in snow it was a haven for birds.

Searching for food

This is how deep the snow was and the only way to feed the birds was to keep one small area of garden clear.   Which is what I did.  Now I’ll give that patch of earth a rest!

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Should we put our hedgerows to work for diversity of hedgerow species? 

This could be on farmland, in gardens, perhaps in parks.

In the North of England where I live  a lot of the hedges are Hawthorn.  Another name for Hawthorn is Quickthorn because it grows quickly.  They were planted to make good stockproof boundaries. 

Could we also grow other  productive hedges such as -

• bramble (blackberry)
• tayberry
• elder
• plum
• damson
• greengage
• pears
• cherries
• gooseberries – can produce dense thorny hedges

Once established fruit hedges should grow and prosper with no input of fertilisers or sprays.

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In the United States the blackberry is valued and yields can be high.

On the Isle of Wight some hedgerows near public footpaths are made up of a lot of native fruit

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What do you think?

Leave a comment here or go to my new forum.  Am trying to build up a place where we can meet and exchange tips and advice  http://birdtablenews.com/forums/

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 I’ve just been watching two blackbirds who seemed as though they didn’t have a care in the world. 

They were flying in and out of a Hawthorn Hedge which runs along a lane.  As they perched on branches inside the hedge they pecked red haw berries off the branches.  They quickly picked a berry, turned their heads and picked another. 

I was stood close to them on the grass verge near the hedge but they didn’t seem to notice me.

It was good to see the Haw berries were providing a much needed breakfast feast for these two birds.    

Last week I saw a bird of prey flying along the same stretch of hedge, but I suppose that is life.

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One way to feed birds is to plant a variety of native  shrubs or even hedges.  This is natural food for birds.

Next time you are at a Garden Centre – think British bird

A bush needs planting once and provides fruit and shelter for garden birds for years.

Some of the birds that enjoy berry bearing bushes are

• thrushes
• blackbirds
• starlings
• finches
• tits
• robins and
• pigeons
• You may also attract waxwings, redwings or field fares – winter visitors

British species support more insect life thatn non native and are more attractive to birds.

Planting bushes in the garden also gives cover to birds as well as providing bird food every year.

One bush is -

BLACKBERRY OR BRAMBLE (rubus fruticosus)  . Native.

If you have room for a bramble patch in your garden it will be used by birds allthrough the year.

Some of the birds that eat the fruit are – starlings, bullfinches, great tits and blue tits.

Nesting - Blackbirds, warblers, thrushes, long tailed tits, finches and dunnocks will nest in the safety of its prickly branches.

Roosting – In Autumn and winter finches and sparrows will gather in the brample hedge to roost.

To keep the bramble bush / bramble patch thick and attractive to brids trimthe long branches each year to stop them roosting

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I will give more bird friendly plant information next week.

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Wildlife-Friendly Plants: Make Your Garden a Haven for Beneficial Insects, Amphibians and Birds

 Plants and gardens can help birds and wildlife so much.  Why not give it a try.

BUY NOW!!

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Evening primrose for Goldfinches.

Evening Primrose is a really good plant for wildlife. 

Buy a small package of evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) seeds. 

Birds that eat evening primrose seeds are-

• Greenfinches
• Goldfinches
• Siskins

  The first year there are green leaves which change colour in the Autumn.

In the following Spring stems grow to four feet (or more).  There are leaves, then large buds that open in the evening from the beginning of July.  They open until the frosts arrive.

If the plants are left lots of seeds are produced in September.  The pods at the bottom ripen.  This is when the goldfinches arrive.

There would be plents of seeds for many goldfinches until December / January time. 

This is a bienniel plant so it has to be sown for two years in succession.

After that the falling seeds will give enough plants to grow for the following years.

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Herbs and Birds

We all know how beneficial herbs are to humans, but it is possible that birds use herbs to protect their nests and their young? 

Three years ago in New Orleans -  Ohio Wesleyan University  did a survey that suggested birds selected nesting material with antimicrobial properties.

  ”If the fresh herbs and plant materials, that parent birds bring to their nests, have a sufficient concentration of these chemicals, they could protect the nestlings from harmful bacteria and infection.

“By practicing medical botany, parent birds exercise effective home nest security and protect their offspring from select biodegrading microbes that affect the health of their young

“Results of tests showed that several types of plant materials ….. inhibited the growth of a number of harmful bacteria. “

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• Could our British birds, such as sparrows,   have an inherited knowledge of medical botany? 
• Could sparrows know what  herbs and plants to use to keep their nests clear of harmful microbes and bacteria that could kill their young?
• Do all birds have  this inherited knowledge of what plants and herbs to use to keep their nests clear of bacteria?

How amazing if this is so!  It gives all birds a knowledge and a kind of wisdom that I never thought they could possess. 

Could it be that my garden birds know more than me about the useful properties of herbs?!

Nature is amazing.   Birds are amazing.

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Kate Vincent has done a really detailed study about the decline in sparrow numbers.  Could the fact that sparrows cannot keep their nests free from bacteria be one reason they are declining?

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE DECLINE IN SPARROWS

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A thought for the day:  Another survey done in Australia seems to show that crocodiles and birds have something in common.  A  pigeon and a crocodile have been shown to both use the sun, stars and the earth’s magnetic field to get home!  Maybe some of our knowledge is inherent in every living thing

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