Fly Home!

With disappearing habitats and climatic changes the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) both recommend the year-round feeding of garden birds to maintain a healthy and viable flock of native species.

Some species like the swift and swallow feed on-the-wing from airborne insects and will never visit your table or bird feeder, but to most others it represents a single source for fuelling their busy lives. They need energy to keep them warm through the long cold winter, during the busy nesting season and whilst raising their young families. Though winters may not be as long or severe now, the shift in seasonal patterns encourage many species to raise more than a single brood per year, and this prolonged breeding period only serves to heighten the need for a continuous food supply.

The feeding preferences of most popular native species fall into two basic categories, those that prefer softer foods and feed from the ground, like the Thrush, Blackbird, Robin and Wren, and most others who predominantly feed on seeds. All have their particular favourite foods just as we do, and when you select from the Walter Harrison’s Garden Friends range of premium quality mixes you have the choice of those which attract many different species or specially formulated preparations for the more discerning pallet.

The range also includes many attractive and tasty Energy Boost treats to supplement the basic diet and encourage even more visitors to your garden, plus a wide selection of quality feeders and accessories. In fact there’s everything you need to create your very own nature reserve in your back garden.

Garden Birds April / May 2009

This a great time in the garden for birds! Since early March, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Robins have been singing early in the morning to proclaim their territories. Now all the other birds are joining in- from the “squeaky shopping trolley” of the Great Tit to the explosive bursts of the Wren and Dunnock. Early morning is filled with birdsong, the lighter it gets the earlier they start! All are looking very smart and bright in their breeding plumages - male Chaffinches in particular.
By now Robins, Blackbirds, Dunnocks and Song Thrushes will be well into their first broods and by the end of April will be fledging their first chicks.

Garden Birds February / March 2009

Gardens are really busy now with lots of birds visiting the feeders. Most of the natural food in the country side has now been eaten and the birds are really dependant on the food we provide. It is now a daily job to refill the feeders, sunflower hearts are the most popular as so many species of birds seem to like them! From Greenfinches to Collared Doves and Dunnocks to Blackbirds; all enjoy them. Niger seed is also very popular, being a particular favourite of the Goldfinches. This has also been the choice of food for a rarer visitor this winter, Lesser Redpoll. I have had 3 of these little finches for the first time ever, in my garden and expect them to stay now until March. They do breed in Scotland, but these birds are probably from Scandanavia as there has been an influx of them this Winter.

Garden Birds December / January 2009

More birds start to appear in our gardens during these months, as natural food starts to diminish in the countryside. This year has been a good berry year, so as there are still plenty of berries left on shrubs and trees; gardens have been much quieter than normal. However because of this, more Scandinavian birds have flown here to take advantage of this bounty. In particular is the stunning Waxwing, which have arrived in their hundreds in Scotland and are gradually working their way south devouring berries as they go. They are more often found in supermarket car parks, but do turn up in gardens if you have berries left on your shrubs or trees – keep a lookout for them!

Garden Birds October & November 2008

October can still be a relatively quiet time for garden birds, as the countryside still has plenty of ripe fruits and berries. These are particularly favoured by Blackbirds and Song Thrushes, so this is why we see few of them in the gardens. However as the fruits are rapidly eaten, both species will start to reappear in your garden, particularly towards the end of November. The number of both these species will be swelled by birds coming across from the continent to escape the colder weather over there. So your friendly garden Blackbird this winter, may just be French!

Garden Birds August & September 2008

This can be a very quiet time in your garden, as many birds leave to eat the ripening berries and seeds in the countryside. Also most adult birds undergo a complete moult after the rigours of breeding and so tend to hide away and become very secretive for a few weeks. Even the ever present Blackbird can disappear, but may be tempted out on a sunny day to indulge in a bit of sun bathing. It is thought they do this to help rid themselves of mites, I think they just enjoy the sun!