Photograph by Alamy
We’re reminded so often to look after birdlife during spells of cold weather but there are lots of ways we can help out our feathery colleagues in summer too, and it’s just as important. Here are eight ways to make your summer garden a bit more feathered-friend-friendly in the heat.
1. Provide shade. Dense hedging provides a cool place for birds to rest, particularly younger birds.
2. Offer shelter from predators, too. Thick shrubs and hedges, especially with plenty of thorns, will prevent predators such as cats attacking, but allow just enough room for garden birds to sneak in.
3. Delay cutting hedges until late August. Putting it off ensures nests are all empty.
4. Use rainwater for watering. Even if you’re fortunate enough not to have a hosepipe ban, using mains water can affect wetland habitats and cause problems for the birds that live in them.
5. Provide both drinking and bathing water. And change it regularly. Water is essential for keeping garden birds hydrated and cool, but bird baths can be a breeding ground for diseases so refill them daily and clean them thoroughly once a week.
6. Don’t tidy up too much. Piles of leaves and unmown corners of grass encourage the insects that birds feed on.
7. Plant shrubs that produce berries to tempt garden birds: ivy, holly, crab apples and blackberries are all popular menu items.
8. Place window decals on any windows that are highly reflective in order to prevent birds flying into them. Go outside and have a look to see if any of your windows are particularly difficult for birds to spot at certain times of day.
You can find more ideas for providing for garden birds in summer in our feature ‘Feed The Birds’ in our July issue.
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