Wild Birds Visiting Our Garden

Birds Visiting Our Garden

I Love birds, feeding them, watching them and we have quite a few regulars to our garden. Our garden birds helped me so much when I had severe back and sciatic pain. When I could do nothing else and barely move out of my home, I could watch them out of the window and laugh at their antics and marvel at their beauty.

Here are some of our bird visitors. Please note that my priority is always not to disturb the birds so for this I do sometimes sacrifice photo quality. Please do not copy the photos without my permission. 

I have included some videos here not taken by us but which are very lovely too, I hope you like them.

Our Garden And Our Birds

When we first moved into our home, the garden was not much to speak of. It was of moderate size and just grass. It did have a mixed hedge at the bottom of the garden.

The previous owners had used pesticides and slug pellets etc to keep insects and pests away from their flowers in pots.

The garden seemed a bit too quiet for our liking so the first thing we did was to plant some nature-friendly shrubs and get rid of any trace of pellets etc. We have never used pesticides but were aware that it could take years for a garden to recover from that usage.

We planted shrubs and flowers that would attract insects, butterflies, etc and also piled up some logs to rot away so a good home for many bugs.

We planted dense growing shrubs that would eventually, be great nesting places and shelter from cold winds and snow for the birds.

We started feeding the birds every Autumn and Winter and provided a birdbath for their use.

Eventually, we were rewarded with more wildlife coming into our garden. That was a wonderful thing to have to happen.

Beautiful Blackbird In The Garden

Source: Authors own

Bird Feeder-For Birds Only!

It is lovely to feed the birds,. However, you may also unintentionally be feeding other wildlife as well! 

One of the animals who like to visit bird feeders are squirrels. While it is magic to watch their antics you may find the food disappears very fast. So you might for at least some of your bird feeders get one that is as squirrel proof as possible.

I would personally be surprised if any bird feeder deters squirrels completely but this one does a good job.

 Feeding Birds On The Ground

Some birds like Woodpigeons will find it difficult or impossible to feed out of feeders so I always put some seed on the ground they can take advantage of. 

We have two pairs of woodpigeons who visit our garden regularly now.

“A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song."

Chinese Proverb

Bird Tracks

Loved finding these bird tracks one very cold snowy morning!I thought this was an amazing sight to greet me one frosty morning.

 I had no idea that the birds came so close to our house or that there were so very many tracks all over our garden.

Source: Authors own

“Spring would not be spring without bird songs."Francis M. Chapman

Greenfinch Calling In The Spring

 

“Poor indeed is the garden in which birds find no homes."Abram L. Urban

Bird Nest Boxes.

If you love birds in your garden it is a good idea to put up a few nest boxes for them. You can buy many different types for different species of birds from the very tiny right up to Owls.

Here is a fairly standard nest box easy to site in any garden.

When siting a nest box do make sure that it is not sitting in the full sun all day as this could kill baby birds as they will overheat.

It should be best positioned in at least partial shade with some natural covering and away from easy access of cats.

Wooden Bluebird House

 

 

Bird In The Bath.

I love this photo greeting card of a bird having a really good time in our birdbath. 

You can customise this card for a loved one with your own special message. 

A Bird In The Bath Greeting Card by RaintreeDesigns
Find more note cards online at zazzle.com

 I do think having a birdbath in every garden is just as, if not more than important than feeding the birds. 

Our birdbath is used every day by a wide range of birds from sparrows to blackbirds to wood pigeons. 

It is vital to keep it clean and well filled up as once the birds get used to it they will come often to drink and bathe.

When the snow is deep there is no way the birds can make use of the birdbath. So every day in the freezing weather my Husband or I would go out clear it and put in fresh water.

It was quite a task as it was snowing heavily and freezing deeply but at least we knew for a while the birds could get fresh water and do a little bathing - if they wanted to!

Song Thrush and Blackbird

 

“In order to see birds it is necessary to become part of the silence"Robert Lynd

Whitehall Products Oak Leaf Suet Feeder, Oil Rub Bronze.

Here is a very nice looking bird feeder in bronze. It will look lovely in any garden and help to keep the birds well fed. 

It is good to have a variety of bird feeders. Mine vary from very standard ones to ones that are more beautiful to look at.

The birds really do not care! However, it all depends on how you wish your garden to look.

For me, the bird feeders form part of the look of the garden as well as being useful. So I put the more nice-looking ones where they will be on show more.

Our Wood Pigeons.

We have regular wood pigeons. These wood pigeons are very bold and look me right in the eye when I look at them. 

I guess they know by now that I will not hurt them in any way. They are regular visitors to the birdbath and then spend ages walking around the garden.

Bird Feeders To Buy - Enjoy watching the birds as they feed

Lovely bird feeder you can fix to your window.

These types of feeders are great to keep the birds well fed and healthier and also give you the opportunity to watch them at your leisure.

Over time if you are patient and quiet you may be able to get quite close to the window to observe them feeding. Often nice for children to watch birds via one of these feeders.

Dine Around Window Bird Feeder

  

You May Be Interested in this page about Our Nesting Blackbirds

• Our Nesting Blackbirds Life Of A Blackbird Nest
  A glimpse in to the fascinating life of two nesting blackbirds from the nest to the eggs to their chicks one lovely Spring in our Garden.

Visit my Zazzle Store for many Bird Gifts and craft items. Here are some bird stickers. 

Bird Stickers
by Annie (Raintree Designs)

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Thank you for stopping by my page about the birds in our garden. I appreciate you taking the time. I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into our garden birdlife. Love to hear from you :)

Do You Love Birds? Tweet To Me!

Here are some comments from when this page was published on a different platform. We would love to hear from you 

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jmsp206  Melbourne, Australia

What lovely birds you have in your garden. Birds brighten the day.

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smine27  Tokyo, Japan

What a beautiful hub. Enjoyed this very much.

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Paula Atwell  Cleveland, OH

We put up a bird feeder for the first time this summer. I really had fun watching the birds.

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ecogranny San Francisco

Lovely! I look forward to seeing more of the birds as you add them throughout the year. I especially appreciate your Chinese Proverb about the reason the bird sings. A good reminder for us all!

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billybuc Olympia, WA 

I love the spirit of this article. We have a bird garden, and bird sanctuary, and we have an aviary with twenty quail....yes, we love birds. :) Nice to meet you. Looking forward to more from you. Have a great weekend.

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RaintreeAnnie  

@Craftymarie: Thank you so much for your lovely comment and blessing:)

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RaintreeAnnie

@PNWtravels: Thank you Vicki, I appreciate that :) I will have more beautiful bird photos to add as I take photos through the year!

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PNWtravels  Wandering the Pacific Northwest USA

I enjoyed seeing so many beautiful birds that visit your garden!

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Craftymarie 

I love your nature pages - just filled with wonderful photos which you have taken and your personal thoughts. Highly recommended - I'm awarding this one a blessing today.

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annieangel1 England

nicely done

Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Birds in garden and nature on Pinterest.

Do You Visit Farmers Markets?

My Farmers Market

Local Farmers markets

Of course I don't always stay in my garden and part of my life is to visit Farmers markets where I do get many of my plants and items for the garden and food for our home. As things start to slow in the garden I wanted to tell you about our Farmers markets. 

I love Farmers Markets. We always go to our local Farmers Market when it is on and as its not on every week we sometimes go to others in nearby villages and towns.

The atmosphere at our local farmers' market is great and we buy fresh lovely produce and crafts. This page is a celebration of Farmer's markets, local produce and why we love them!

I will be honest with you and say that I do shop at supermarkets and local shops as well but I do try to shop local whenever possible.

They can also offer goods farmers markets do not and are available every day while our local farmers market is once a month. I am grateful that they are there for me but I do love to shop at the farmers market when I can for the reasons I give below.

Please note that photographs were taken by me or my husband and I appreciate you not copying.

Why Shop At A Local Farmers Market? - Reasons to buy local produce at a local farmers' market.

One simple reason is that it supports our local farmers. By buying directly from the farmer and their stall there is no middleman. This means that the prices are lower for the buyer and the farmer doesn't have to work with anyone else to sell his goods. Therefore he or she can keep more of the money you give to him/her.

This helps farmers, especially on the smaller farms, stay in business and make a decent profit-while you still get the goods at a good price.

In addition, you can ask the farmer at your local Farmers Market, directly any questions you want to know about how the vegetables are produced, how the animals are kept etc.

Sociable shopping at your local farmers market

I Love Shopping At A Farmers Market

Its a really different feel shopping at a Local farmers market to shopping in a supermarket.

To us, supermarket shopping feels like a bit of a slog. It always feels rushed and it's rare anyone talks to you, except for the often wonderful checkout staff. It is a job to be done.

However, we look forward to the farmer's market. We often walk down and its great to see so many people there. We always have fun there and get great goods and it feels much more relaxed.

Now that we have been doing this for a while we know the same farmers and are building up a relationship/rapport with them. I now know exactly who I like to get my free-range eggs and veg from.  I always fuss the stallholders dogs if they bring them!  

We also meet other people there, some we know, some we don't know but people seem to be happier to chat and pass the time of day with you when it's in this environment. Often there are charity stalls that explain their work and receive donations.

Parents bring their kids who can run around safely and no one minds if they laugh and shout and have fun. People bring their dogs too and again no one minds and in fact it's a very sociable meeting place for dog owners. All in all, it's a good sociable atmosphere.

Often at our local farmers market, there is live entertainment from local groups and bands as well. People just seem more relaxed somehow...

It is really lovely to have this sense of a community so sadly lacking in many areas of life now.

Tasty food at your Local Farmers Market

Most of the food at a farmer's market is really fresh. Vegetables and fruit picked very recently are sweet and tender. It usually hasn't traveled far and is fresher and better for you.

From the second food is picked or harvested, any natural sugars start to turn to starch, so the longer it travels and takes to get to you the less tasty it will be.

When you buy direct from a farmer, you are in touch with the seasons and generally seasonal veg and fruit will be on their stalls. This produce is therefore at its best and most abundant and therefore often cheaper.

For anyone used to supermarket goods though there are a few things to get used to. The carrots will not necessarily be of a similar size. Vegetables might not be trimmed to the same length.

Many farmers bring their goods straight from the earth so they may have a light covering of earth in some cases. The fruit especially the apples smell of fresh air and sunshine, the greenness of the produce is natural with some flaws. You get to choose from a variety of sizes of cauliflower. It is all much more natural.

Local farmers market shopping list...

Carrots

Cabbage

Fruits

Greetings cards

Cheese

Free-range eggs

Gifts from the craft stalls. 

Potatoes

Greens

Homemade jam

Your Local Economy. How farmers markets can help

If you buy locally grown produce at your farmers market, not only are you cutting the miles food usually travels but you are helping your local farmers and craftspeople. The better they do potentially the more job creation there may be available.

Also, farmers markets have become a bit of a tourist attraction in some areas, attracting people visiting the area to try out local produce and if self-catering in a holiday cottage or camping to buy their food there too.

It is not all about the food either, at our local market there are a variety of craft stalls run by local people including handmade soaps, candles, and items like picture framing. 

Sometimes there are handmade baskets, wooden carvings and even very large items like solid wooden garden furniture and beautiful metal items for the garden and home. Garden goods can be found such as wormeries, outdoor decorations, herbs, fruit trees and flowers.

It can be a great place to find that special unique present for friends and family or even just for you or your home!

The Best Aspect Of Farmers Markets.

• Sociable shopping
• Local fresh seasonal produce
• Less food waste
• Helps the local economy/supports local farmers and craftspeople
• Local crafts

Farmers Markets reducing waste. - Don't let good food go to waste.

Sadly some food heading for supermarkets is rejected as it does not look the standard the supermarkets want to sell, i.e. it is the wrong size or shape or sometimes not quite the right colour. This is what supermarkets think we want. So good food is rejected and goes to waste.

Personally, I do not care what size my carrots are, or if my cabbage is a perfect shape, just that they are good to eat! You may well find a variety of shapes, sizes and colours of produce at a local farmers' market, but it's all tasty!

I am not knocking supermarkets. They do an incredible service and are there for us many hours almost every day, supplying us with all manner of foods that we cannot get locally. I just feel we need to celebrate our farmers markets too as we do not want to lose them.

Stalls You May Find At A Local Farmers Market

There are many stalls that can be found at a local farmers' market! Its is not all about fruit and veg and meats either! Here is a selection(not a definitive list) of the type of stalls you might find....

Free Range Eggs

Cheeses

Wormeries

Herb plants

Fruit trees

Flowers

Fruit and vegetables

Locally made /handmade Greetings cards

Local crafts

Handmade soaps/candles etc

Garden decorative crafts

Garden furniture

Specialty meats

Local produced sausage/fishcakes etc

Standard and more exotic meats

Homemade jams, marmalades, pickles etc

Local artists

Pet supplies.

and many more

The Farmers Market Is Where I Get A Lot Of My Plants For Our Garden

Thank you for your visit. Do You visit Farmers markets?

I would love to hear about your local Farmers market. I do read each comment before publishing and appreciate you taking the time to comment.

Thank you for your visit

I would love to hear about your local Farmers market. I do read each comment before publishing and appreciate you taking the time to comment. Here are some comments from when this was published on a different site.

Thank you

RaintreeAnnie 

Oh that is wonderful! I wish ours were that often. In addition to our local one, we tend to now go to a couple in villages around us so that we can visit a farmers market nearly every week. Thank you for visiting I appreciate that :)

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Virginia Allain 10 months ago from Central Florida Level 3 Commenter

We are so lucky in our retirement community that we have a market on Mondays and Fridays. Very convenient.

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Pam Irie 3 years ago from Land of Aloha

On Tuesdays and not too far from here. Lots of fresh produce. Love it!

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CastleRoyLisa 4 years ago from Rhode Island

I love farmer markets . we used to have a big one In my home town wonderful lens.

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Tamara14 4 years ago from Zagreb, Croatia, Europe

Great lens! I'm just finishing my another health lens today and this was such a nice reading. I'm from Croatia (Europe) and we still have this great tradition of having farmers markets in ALL cities. So, I enjoy healthy foods every week:-)

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MargoPArrowsmith 4 years ago

We have a great one here, but I don't go enough. Thanks for reminding me!

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Wednesday-Elf 4 years ago from Savannah, Georgia Level 2 Commenter

I participated in a local Farmers Market in South Carolina (Pendleton) for the past two summers, having a table selling my crafts, and usually coming home with my fresh vegetables for dinner and/or a tasty fresh homemade baked treat! The local farmers are great to know and by buying from them you know exactly what you are getting. Farmers Markets everywhere are the best places to shop for fresh fruits & vegetables and nifty & unique locally handmade gifts.

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Where to Site A Bird Table Or Bird Feeder.

In between lots of things in life things going on I have still enjoyed our garden. In fact, a garden is often a place of solace, of peace and quiet for me. 

 In the winter, I have to admit my time in the garden is much less, usually to fill up the bird feeders!! So when I emerge in the Spring the birds do chatter at me and my hubby. It is as if the garden is theirs and we are intruders, but of course, it is really their garden after all.    

So it is good to take in the Spring garden, to look, to listen, to evaluate and we have been doing all of that and doing all the necessary after winter work. It is lovely to enjoy the Spring, the new shoots, the blooms, the new life emerging from the earth. In the trees and shrubs, birds are busy nesting and the beautiful sound of birdsong fills the air from dawn to dusk now.

A Bird In The Bath Postcard by RaintreeDesigns
Make your own postcards custom at Zazzle

We continue to feed the birds as it is a busy time of year for them, finding a mate, nest building and rearing young and they may need a little help. I am also frequently joined by Mr. and Mrs. Blackbird after any digging in the garden and Robin always appears about five minutes after I take hold of any garden fork or spade!  

In my blog Essential Wildlife Gardening Gifts I recently reviewed a lovely Bird Feeder. I was thinking that while it is good to have bird feeders in the garden it is equally important to have an awareness of where to site them. 

I have certainly made my fair share of mistakes over the years with siting bird feeders! Once in a new house, I placed one right in the path of where the neighborhood cats gathered, no good at all! 

Also last year I hung one in a tree near a big branch and all i got on that birdfeeder most of the time was two huge Woodpigeons who worked out that if they sat on the big branch and bashed the feeder it all eventually came out! Messy and while I like Woodpigeons I would like to attract a variety of birds. 

Where should you place a bird feeder ideally?

1. Out of the way of cats. Easier said than done in my experience but certainly not in the pathway of visiting cats. We have two cats who seem to make a well-worn track through our garden, they appear to have the same routine so I simply avoid placing feeders on that path. Another thing you can do is to place the feeder nearby cover so the birds can fly into it when they need it, but not in a dense cover that a cat could hide in without them being aware of it. I have talked to neighbors about putting bells on the cats, to alert the birds they are there. Some are happy to do that, others not. 

Perhaps if anyone has knowledge of cats they can give some advice on how birds and cats can coexist in a garden? 

Beautiful Finch Basic Round Button Key Ring by RaintreeDesigns
Check out more Zazzle Keychains
 

2. Ideally do not place feeders in the same place every year. We should be cleaning out feeders and bird tables anyway but there is still the risk of disease if not cleaned enough or if the same places are overused. So move the feeders probably the best time is just before Autumn so the birds can get used to the new place before the really cold weather begins. If you have feeders out now they can stay where they are but do clean them out.  

 

3. If you want to watch the birds a consideration is to place the bird feeder where you can see them easily. This should not perhaps be the first consideration but is an important one as many people including me, get considerable pleasure from bird watching. 

4. It is generally not a good idea to position the bird feeder in an exposed windy spot. I did this once and got no birds visiting it at all! It was simply moving around way too much. The feeder, especially hanging ones may here get blown about and look unstable to the birds. If it's a bird table, do make sure it is securely fastened so it does not blow over in high winds or gales, as much for your safety as for the birds. Try a quiet more sheltered area away from the winds. 

Gorgeous Little Owl Gift Box by RaintreeDesigns
Find more gifts.

5. Feeders that can be positioned directly onto windows can be wonderful for bird watching. This can be especially useful for people who may not be able to get out as much or feel the cold and winds but can watch birds from the comfort of their home. Or just for anyone who likes to see birds as close as possible. Just make sure that the birds would not be trapped should a predator come by, that they have an escape route or small bush or tree to fly into for cover nearby ideally. Our birds love our dense shrubs for this.

6. If you have an existing tree or bush that has berries the birds like already (our cotoneaster seems to be a firm favorite!) you can try hanging a feeder there too. If the birds are like ours they will eat all the berries first but then the birdseed feeder will be there for them to eat when they have exhausted the natural food source and they will be used to visiting that tree anyway. 


7. Ideally position the feeder where it will not get the worst of the rain or if it is not fully waterproof in downpours it may get the seed all wet and soggy.

With any bird feeder, it may take a little while for them to get used to it and so try just a small amount of food at first. Once the first brave bird has eaten from it without incident, more will follow!

So just a few ideas. It is best to try out different places in your garden and see where the birds like. You will know you got it right when you see the birds visiting on a regular basis.  

Good luck and enjoy the birds in your garden! 


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Do You Have a Bird Bath In Your Garden?

I wonder how many of us see a birdbath as an essential item in the garden? 

I know many of my neighbours do not have one yet and even though they feed the birds and some put up nest boxes and allow hedges to grow they do not see the need for a birdbath.

However I feel that it is an essential item in any garden, be it a wild one or not. 

When we got ours a few years ago I had no idea how much it would be used! 

It took a few days but it wasn't long before we had a lot of inquisitive visitors and took them no time at all to be drinking and bathing :)  We have ours on our patio close to the house but they do not seem to mind this at all and it gives us a close view of them. 

It is essential for birds to be able to drink and to be able to bathe and preen their feathers, their very lives depend upon it. So a clean safe source of water is of vital importance to them.

All year round they use our birdbath. Just yesterday when I was talking to a friend on Facebook there were twenty birds all jostling for a space in the bath! I am seriously considering getting a second birdbath! 

In Spring it is in constant use from first light. There is much bathing and preening going on. In summer I think they find it a respite from the heat, as many seem to simply sit in the water for quite a long time. I am often replacing the water at this time of year to keep it clean and fresh.

In Autumn and Winter, the baths are certainly shorter but they still visit -usually early morning and just before dusk.  

We have many different bird species visiting depending on the time of year, but the most regular ones are the sparrows who visit in small flocks and flutter about quite prettily in the water, while others seem to be keeping a lookout. 

Then the blackbirds who especially the males seem to like to bathe alone and chase off any others! We have two doves who are residents of the area who come and so sweet they often bathe together... so romantic! 

Then we have the big wood pigeons who always come every day and so huge when they bathe they displace nearly all the water!   

Occasionally we have our migrant birds and more exotic visitors who find our birdbath and partake for a drink and a bathe which is lovely to watch. 

So for very little effort and time and only the cost of a birdbath we can really help these birds with a safe, clean source of water so vital to them. In return, we get an amazing show and insight into their lives and it does attract more birds to your garden regardless of what else you do.

Birdbaths vary enormously in styles and prices so it really is what you want in your garden and how much or little you want to spend. There is a birdbath for pretty much any style of garden and almost any budget. 

From simple birdbaths to stylish,  hanging birdbaths, glazed or solar and even heated. Having a birdbath helps so many birds. Do you have one in your garden? 
 

Time To Put Up Nest Boxes For Birds

Now is the time, if you haven't already done it to put up your bird next boxes.

Although most birds won't be nesting until Springtime they do start looking for sites soon.

There are essentially a couple of types of nest boxes, one for small birds like blue tits which have a small hole at the front of the box and one for birds like robins who need a larger more open entrance. 

There are also specialist boxes for birds like owls. Ideally, you would have a variety of types of nest boxes.

 

 It is important to site the boxes in areas where there will not be too much full sun for too long.

Sadly baby birds can get overheated and die in a box that is exposed to too much sun so shade or semi-shade is best.

 

 Next, if it is a box for bluetits it may be wise to buy a protector for the hole that simply fits over it to prevent woodpeckers from pecking at the hole to get at the baby birds.

Of course, ideally, site the next box where cats cannot easily gain access.

There are many different types of next box available. All the birds need is a simple structure that is well made, dry and large enough.

However, you can also buy simply beautiful next boxes that are decorated, look like houses or castles, have gardens everything! It all depends on how you want your garden to look.

The sooner you get your boxes up the more chance there is that the birds will be used enough to them to consider them as a nest site.

Home-Our Garden, Our Countryside, Our Crafts

In this blog I would like to by way of a diary, share my love of our garden and the wildlife within it. I would also like to share the country crafts and countryside around us that make this place home and special to us. 

This blog is set in a small country town in the north of England. Upon first glance into any garden, we may not be aware of the life and sheer numbers of wildlife that visit every day. The antics they get up to is an endless source of fascination. I hope to tell you about the birds and the hedgehogs, the squirrels and the insects that are our companions here.   

The changeable British weather is always going to have an impact on wildlife too so you will undoubtedly find me reflecting upon that as most Brits are born to do! 

The sort of crafts that we love and like to decorate our homes with is indeed a reflection of our countryside right outside our door and while not the most "crafty" person myself, I do adore our countryside crafts. 

I hope you enjoy exploring our garden and countryside and country crafts with me :)