This article appeared in the Spring 2006
edition of the Newsletter as part of the series on local gardens.
No enlarged images are available.
We moved into Woodfoot Cottage in Aprii 1992 and immediately
changed the name back to Braehead, Woodfoot. At that time there
was a plain wire fence and grass on two sides and dry stane
dykes and grass on the other two. Not exactly bird friendly.
Lots of food
We started feeding peanuts and food scraps immediately and it
took a few weeks before any numbers of birds started to visit,
but we kept feeding and they turned up eventually.
Vegetation
Over the years since there has been a gradual buiid up of the
garden, bushes and shrubs and eventually trees, This gives nesting
places, perches, lookout posts and above all cover far the birds
from flying predators, The shrubbery can be as close as we like
to the various feeding stations because there are no cats down
here. It's a different story in town. There you should keep
cover which will hide a cat at least 6 feet back from the feeding
stations to make a quick pounce less likely.
Consistency
If you decide to feed your local birds please be consistent.
If you go beyond throwing out the occasional crusts then try
and feed all the time. Once you are feeding regularly keep it
up. Stop start is no use and could be lethal because the birds
come to rely an your feeding. This is especially true once you
build up an artiificially high population locally, and you will.
We have hundreds of birds in and around the garden all the time
now, All the finches and tits of course, but also all the sparrows,
a few starlings, collared doves, sometimes THREE Greater Spotted
Woodpeckers at once. Sparrowhawks. are regular visitors but
miss a LOT more than they catch. There are simply so many small
birds there is always SOMEONE on the lookout. Despite the sparrowhawks
the numbers of birds do not go down, so don't grieve, its only
nature raw in tooth and claw, just like in Africa, but an a
smaller scale!!
Variety
Variety is essential far maximum effect. Food scraps are fine
but do feed on a table so you don't encourage rats and mice.
You will get a lot mare variety of birds visiting if you feed
high energy foods such as peanuts and sunflower seeds, available
at VERY reasonable cast from our Chairman and even more reasonable
if bought in bulk.
All year round
Do feed all the year round - it is very rewarding. There is
a definite drop off in demand when birds have very small nestlings,
but the adults do visit to feed themselves briefly and then
back to the grind of collecting caterpillars or whatever far
the "young uns".
This is official RSPB policy and I have observed it for myself
so I can be sure its true. I had a peanut feeder three feet
from a nest box. This is NOT a good idea but it was round a
corner and it worked out alright. The adult Blue Tits would
arrive with a beak full of insects, into the nest box, feed
the young, back out and feed VERY briefly an peanuts and then
fly off for more insects. I never ONCE saw them go from peanuts
to nest box.
Article by Andy Dickson, Club Treasurer.
