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Robins

What is a Songbird?

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From our visitors to

Toby's Garden Festival 2023

15 Plant Sorrell and leave it to seed in the autumn looks particularly great on a steep banking which can be hard to manage. 16 If they are hurt give them food and medical care and water. 17 Garden for insects as it therefore feeds the birds etc along the food chain. 18 Leave your seed heads on perennials. 19 Grow lots of diverse plants, trees and shrubs in the garden. 20 Have dense hedges and don't use pesticides. 21 Provide sunflower hearts as the favourite food treat for songbirds.

From our visitors to

Toby's Garden Festival 2023

8 Have Ivy and don't cut it back it's great for sparrows to nest in. 9 If you have cats make a safe area by a pond so they can't pounce when birds are at the pond. 10 Love weeds! Let weeds grow and provide food for birds they all need these to thrive. 11 Don't use pesticides or slug pellets. 12 Have busy borders with places to hide to be safe from predators. 13 Put out dog hair provide nesting material. 14 Plant teasels – seeds are great for finches.

From our visitors to

Toby's Garden Festival 2023

1 Keep bird water clean and provide fresh water! 2 Let it go natural! Leave the pruning and seed heads as treats for the birds, they make great late summer and autumn snacks. 3 Provide water in the summer when it's very hot. 4 Leave seed heads on flowers etc throughout the winter. 5 Use an old plastic hanging basket below a messy bird feeder to catch dropped seeds and clean it every night to reduce food spillage which will attract vermin. 6 Grow shrubs with berries in winter to provide visual interest and food. 7 Keep feeding!

Roof top feeders

Lazarus

I have a rooftop terrace and like to feed the birds there. I had a problem with lots of pigeons, magpies and rooks visiting and eating all the food, scaring off the songbirds and leaving them no food. I made feeder protection from upturned hanging baskets - room between the bards for the little birds to get in but deterred the larger birds. I now get a tiny flock of about eight sparrows coming in from a nearby tree and they were visiting my roof terrace feeder so that was a thrill as was hearing their bossy chirrups as they asserted their pecking order! I will try to locate feeder in leafy area to encourage shy birds - I had wrens feeding amongst my wisteria branches yesterday - very cute!

I made a pond to help...

Catharine

During lockdown I decided my garden needed a wildlife pond. After a few days of digging I decided it needed to be even bigger and I spent a few weeks perfecting it. It has gentle slopes and ledges for wildlife to wade into it or stand in the edge and have a drink or bath. There are lots of different plants. I now have a varied range of creatures living in the pond as well as visiting for food, water and to bathe - particularly birds.

How I attract specific birds to my garden….

Christabel Allen

I have a goldfinch whistle and one for robins - they respond very well to these. I also have food only for the goldfinch and they come everyday to eat. My bird feeder is designed specifically for the goldfinch as it only allows a very narrow beak to the feed.

How I protect songbirds……

Karen Ellis

I feed my pussycat good quality cat food, meaty stuff and play with her. She tends to produce gifts of mice or voles rather than birds. I also plant things near my bird boxes so that they have cover and protection

How I encourage songbirds into my garden….

Karen Ellis

Everyone who has a garden (large or small) could leave a ‘wild area’; plant or sow wild flowers. Leave a log pile in the wild patch to attract insects as food for birds (sad for the insects but it is part of the food chain) . Include trees - use small or dwarf varieties in a small space and particularly blossom trees. My garden birds love my crab apple trees. I get heaps of joy listening to my robin singing in my trees.

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