I don't feed the birds.... because I have two cats, aka bird serial killers. I don't love that aspect of the feline species, so I definitely don't want to encourage birds in. However, I do have a honey Locust tree, whoch the cats can't climb, and birds can safely nest in there.
Enjoyed this piece immensely. One of my favorite winter sights is having a flock of birds land in my yard and seeing them methodically flip over leaves, looking for food❤️
I was so relieved to read this. We've always fed the birds but we now have rats and I've been worried about leaving the birds without food. Your words have given me strength to do as you do in the garden. Thank you xx
After this winter I've resolved not to do feed, as I plant up my garden for birds and pollinators. Mostly because of the insane shipping of ingredients to satisfy the garden centre visit/grey pound category, and also because of rats. I also hate the festooning of feeders as entertainment from the inside.
I haven't fed the birds for a few years because of rats but we also have a hedge, water source, leave the weeds they love and we still have loads of bird in the garden. it just feels more natural to look after them this way! Nothing cuter than watching the goldfinches eating dandelion seed heads 🥰
Lovely! Im increasingly distracted by fluttering outside the window. Complicated now as the washing on the line creates a peripheral temptation that inevitably disappoints. Was overjoyed to host a black redstart in winter!
I love these ideas and will actively seek to help the wren who frequents the border outside the kitchen window where there are rosemary bushes, Japanese laurels and an old laburnum that is rotting down and covered in spiders webs.
We encountered the same issue with a hanging bird feeder we were given …. and haven’t yet found a good alternative use for it, but it may well be used to hold some fishermen’s lanterns.
Hi. I live in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States. No, I most certainly did not vote of the 🫏🕳️.
I live on a small property with one plot line formed by the Creek I grew up near. Albeit 50 years ago and 3 miles north as the crow flies. I have mostly native plants on the property and spend a lot of time removing invasive plants, replacing them with native plants to support my neighbors. Birds (I do chase starlings away when they come in groups), squirrels, chipmunks, white tail deer, skunks, opossums, coyotes, etc. Of course, this means there are insects good, bumblebees, and less so, ticks and Japanese beetles. But the opossums and birds and even the squirrels and skunk feed on them and keep their numbers down. Hawks, eagles and the like feed on the other birds, small and not so small rodents.
We get a lot of snow here, and it can stay for a while. So in addition to the native berries and flower seed heads, I do have bird feeders out about half the year. I also stash nuts, black walnuts, acorns, hickory that I forage on my walks for supplemental feeding in the winter. These are for the squirrels, chipmunks, and other wildlife. Again, in the winter, an appropriate number of these are consumed by predators.
I have native grasses and sedges which do provide areas for browsing and foraging animals. My trees are constantly supplying fallen branches, limbs and volunteer seedlings/trees for my brush piles where I am growing soil and providing habitat for wildlife. I spend a lot of gardening 😂🤣 thinning out robust natives and removing non natives, using them to thatch the roofs of the brush piles. My leaves, and stems stay through the winter. In the spring they are used as mulch, plant supports and more material for brush piles.
My closest neighbors, i.e. wildlife, my cat and dog, and i love the diversity and the habitat. Those neighbors a little further away, humans, are less enthralled. They have mostly conformed to the insane love of non-native trees, shrubs and lawns. All mowed, weed whacked, fertilized and poisoned to live in sterile environs.
What great tips. Someone mentioned recently that leaving bacon fat out for birds is probably as bad for them as it is for us and it got me thinking. Now I have a better way to encourage birds into the garden.
I love this post, we do have to be careful about feeding the birds if we don’t want any pests in our homes, the last thing I want to do is have to rid my home of mice or rats. Mice live happily in my Cotswolds stone wall and I am very happy with them.
I so enjoyed your article, thank you so much. When I read the title, I thought “well then plant a nature friendly garden”. And of course that’s what you’ve done. When I lived in Durban our problem feeding birds was the Vervet Monkeys. So also just tired to keep my garden bird friendly.
I don't feed the birds.... because I have two cats, aka bird serial killers. I don't love that aspect of the feline species, so I definitely don't want to encourage birds in. However, I do have a honey Locust tree, whoch the cats can't climb, and birds can safely nest in there.
Current advice is not to use feeders unless you clean & disinfect them daily.
Great information 🌸
Enjoyed this piece immensely. One of my favorite winter sights is having a flock of birds land in my yard and seeing them methodically flip over leaves, looking for food❤️
Hi
I was so relieved to read this. We've always fed the birds but we now have rats and I've been worried about leaving the birds without food. Your words have given me strength to do as you do in the garden. Thank you xx
After this winter I've resolved not to do feed, as I plant up my garden for birds and pollinators. Mostly because of the insane shipping of ingredients to satisfy the garden centre visit/grey pound category, and also because of rats. I also hate the festooning of feeders as entertainment from the inside.
I haven't fed the birds for a few years because of rats but we also have a hedge, water source, leave the weeds they love and we still have loads of bird in the garden. it just feels more natural to look after them this way! Nothing cuter than watching the goldfinches eating dandelion seed heads 🥰
Lovely! Im increasingly distracted by fluttering outside the window. Complicated now as the washing on the line creates a peripheral temptation that inevitably disappoints. Was overjoyed to host a black redstart in winter!
I love these ideas and will actively seek to help the wren who frequents the border outside the kitchen window where there are rosemary bushes, Japanese laurels and an old laburnum that is rotting down and covered in spiders webs.
We encountered the same issue with a hanging bird feeder we were given …. and haven’t yet found a good alternative use for it, but it may well be used to hold some fishermen’s lanterns.
Hi. I live in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States. No, I most certainly did not vote of the 🫏🕳️.
I live on a small property with one plot line formed by the Creek I grew up near. Albeit 50 years ago and 3 miles north as the crow flies. I have mostly native plants on the property and spend a lot of time removing invasive plants, replacing them with native plants to support my neighbors. Birds (I do chase starlings away when they come in groups), squirrels, chipmunks, white tail deer, skunks, opossums, coyotes, etc. Of course, this means there are insects good, bumblebees, and less so, ticks and Japanese beetles. But the opossums and birds and even the squirrels and skunk feed on them and keep their numbers down. Hawks, eagles and the like feed on the other birds, small and not so small rodents.
We get a lot of snow here, and it can stay for a while. So in addition to the native berries and flower seed heads, I do have bird feeders out about half the year. I also stash nuts, black walnuts, acorns, hickory that I forage on my walks for supplemental feeding in the winter. These are for the squirrels, chipmunks, and other wildlife. Again, in the winter, an appropriate number of these are consumed by predators.
I have native grasses and sedges which do provide areas for browsing and foraging animals. My trees are constantly supplying fallen branches, limbs and volunteer seedlings/trees for my brush piles where I am growing soil and providing habitat for wildlife. I spend a lot of gardening 😂🤣 thinning out robust natives and removing non natives, using them to thatch the roofs of the brush piles. My leaves, and stems stay through the winter. In the spring they are used as mulch, plant supports and more material for brush piles.
My closest neighbors, i.e. wildlife, my cat and dog, and i love the diversity and the habitat. Those neighbors a little further away, humans, are less enthralled. They have mostly conformed to the insane love of non-native trees, shrubs and lawns. All mowed, weed whacked, fertilized and poisoned to live in sterile environs.
I love gardening the way we do it.
as they descend on mass to hoik the feeders off the hooks and lob them on the floor to spill the contents for easy gobbling
That did make me chuckle !
This is amazing! Some great information thankyou. The hedge is also beautiful
What great tips. Someone mentioned recently that leaving bacon fat out for birds is probably as bad for them as it is for us and it got me thinking. Now I have a better way to encourage birds into the garden.
Thank you for this post! I look forward to learning more about feeding the birds through gardening.
I love this post, we do have to be careful about feeding the birds if we don’t want any pests in our homes, the last thing I want to do is have to rid my home of mice or rats. Mice live happily in my Cotswolds stone wall and I am very happy with them.
I so enjoyed your article, thank you so much. When I read the title, I thought “well then plant a nature friendly garden”. And of course that’s what you’ve done. When I lived in Durban our problem feeding birds was the Vervet Monkeys. So also just tired to keep my garden bird friendly.