My latest bird diary

Hello All,

It seems so many watch for my latest news. Problem is this is probably very long...can you read whilst having a cup of tea?

I was tempted to split it up into three shorter one's but that just speads it out.

I did post some of this elsewhere because some posters have not come over here...yet! But we are working on that and of course some here are no longer reading the old place and would miss out so please forgive this slight duplication.

Its rare that this will happen.

I'll try and give a brief outline for any new readers

As gardening is now difficult for me, I decided planting bulbs and shrubs is the easiest option as they will come out each year and if the right ones are chosen, they'll bloom at different times and hopefully some colour will be available across the whole year.

My friend Curmy had said that her garden needed a little help and I'd suggested some of the above.

Unfortunately, I'm sure its not often thought of but another poster mentioned something worth thinking about perhaps.

Many plants, flowers etc...are poisonous and harmful to many animals especially cats and dogs
resulting in illness or death.

I looked on the net and was amazed at what I found out.

Not having pets to hide a fence I managed to plant some shrubs that seem a good selection and will offer colour in the border to break up the appearence of a new fence erected by neighbours which I also hope will give protection as they establish for the birds that visit.

My garden is meant to appeal to wildlife. I'm no expert and I really do not know or understand all the latin names for the flowers planted.

I have planted six shrubs today that I hope will offer colour at various times throughout the year.

Now I have not had time to see how safe these are but when they arrived the catalogue that was delivered with them showed me some shrubs ideal for borders but they actually offer berries at various times that appeal to birds.

But they look good too. So anyone who has never thought of supplying some food for birds other than bought feed might like to consider the following as again they take little or no work to keep them in order.

The first one may be the best because the information says the flowers and berries are non poisonous. Where I have my information from you get 4 for £11.95 Three of them are female and the fourth is male but by keepit near the females, they will produce lots of berries in both the Autumn and Winter and during May it has lots of flowers. Also, this place offers the female plants so you have three different colours of berries, pink, white and red. Its an evergreen. I'm thinking of putting them in a corner.

Now this is one set of shrubs that could give a pleasing colourful addition to any garden and you know that the birds will be happy and the animals etc are safe. Its called Pernettya(its an evergreen)

The final selection are ok for the birds but would need checking out again for the safety of animals.

A Holly Collection 4 for £12.95 again 3 females and one male(that you keep close to the females but hide at the back of them)Green in the Summer berries available in the Winter again and perhaps another that may work well against a fence or in a corner.

Finally, Skimmia Collection(one male and two females) £11.95 Fragrant flowers in April/May but berries all the Winter.

I hope all these may be available at a garden centre or you find them in some catalogues available by mail order. At similar prices. Or you find something else.

Its something I cannot believe that I have never thought of, its giving me pleasure but could again offer some help to the birds.

All the above seem to work in any soil.

If only the non poisonous one is chosen and put around the garden its something worth doing...The important thing is little if no work is required, once planted that's it.


Thanks for your patience

Gildy

Hi there Gildy.

I have done a similar planting with wildlife in mind too. A little pond, lots of stones and logs for toads and salamanders to hide beneath, moss and ferns galore. Flowering plants for our hummingbirds and holly for robins and others.

There are patches of millet, many sunflower varieties, blueberries and strawberries that the birds really love here and there in our yard!

I really love it that this year we had Mallard ducks coming daily for a visit as well as a few herring gulls. We had 18 hummingbirds counted this August and so many birds nesting in or near our yard.

I hope they come back next year!

C3D

Hi Gildy,
Your'e garden will be a haven for the birds.If you can,try planting some Lavender as bees love it ,also Buddlea(sp) as the butterflies love that.I have been completely organic in my little garden and the insects just love it,no pesticides mean I get aphids(not me personally you understand!!) but the blue tits & sparrows make short work of them.Good luck with it,
All the best,Judo.

Judo,

Funny you should say that...because I was looking at Lavender too I'm not familar with Buddlea by name but might know it by sight and since reading your post I have spotted another couple of possiblities for birds. I would like to possibly help Butterflies so even a little of what you mention would help. I have seen some Cabbage Whites but only two Red Admirals

Considering the length of my post to be fair I have to let someone else pass an opinion and suggestions.

I've had people ask me for advice since taking up this interest in garden birds and I'm like many...I've just picked up a bit of knowledge or used commonsense, nothing more.

What I wish, is that I had done this sooner. I could've been doing this for the last 20 years. All the time I've lost. My Father enjoyed seeing the birds and used to put strung monky nuts out for the Blue Tits, how he would've enjoyed the choice I now have visiting.

My other worry would be that one day I find myself forced into another area perhaps without a garden because of economic reasons, so I'll enjoy what I do while I can. Such worries may be un-neccessary. The important thing is to enjoy it today!

Another poster(elsewhere)mentioned that some items I have mentioned have thorns but if planted in corners or as hedges should be pretty safe and have the added bonus of offering natural defence against intruders who may climb over a fence and it can put them off before they even try.

I think a couple of the shrubs I put in yesterday have flowers during the Summer so may attract Bees and Butterflies.

Thanks :smt049

Gildy

Post pics Gildy! We love looking at gardens
Sounds like you did a good job.

Good Idea Eraze,

It may give others ideas and they may have some for me, I suppose it allows people to imagine what I am talking of.

Its so basic and yet does the trick.

Maybe being basic makes a change(and I'm not having a go honest)from a garden based on the ideas something like a tv makeover show would suggest.

Maybe, next year I may try to improve the lawn but many people say to keep the animals, birds and insects happy its best to leave as part of the overal plan.

If so its a good excuse to do very little

G

This is just a test as much as anything but to make it valid...

Picture one was taken with a digital zoom and had to be taken through double glazing which means its a poor picture. I'd love to get closer and might at a future date.

Picture two was taken by someone who I have forgotten the name of to give credit but the important thing is, it could've been taken in my garden as the setting looks so similar.

When you get these in your garden its mixed feelings as it is nature and normally I suppose you'd have to live in the countryside or watch a documentary on tv.

Gildy

Wow - great pics. (Have you found the trick for putting them on full size as well as thumbnail? I won't try to type it because it won't let me put up the code - do a search or shout for a mentor to give you the link.)

We have a sparrowhawk visit quite often but he takes his spoils off to munch

Other 'seedy' plants
sunflowers - dead easy to grow, some very nice dwarf ones available now, and if you keep the seed heads there's lots of winter food there
teazle - goldfinches just love the seed heads and they are very nice - quite 'architectural' in the borders.

Keep posting the pics!

Edited to add - You'll find the instructions for posting pictures in the third pinned post in the Sponsors Only section.

Hello Dinahsmum and all,

I want to study what you say and I'll have to work out how not to use up my allotted picture storage and at what point or how they should be removed so I can get the space back to post more in the future. This should've had pictures with it but they did not upload though I believed that they had or maybe the task had not completed. Maybe they are too big but as far as I know they are the same size as the previous ones.

My garden is very basic at the back. To be honest we've not sat in it much which perhaps is a pity and tended to say as long as the lawns are cut, that will do.

I mentioned weeds in the garden lawn, to be honest most have been caused by the seeds fed to the birds. I sometimes think of putting feeders up with a tray to catch the stray seed but what falls helps those that will not use the feeders and some larger birds such as doves.

Its funny, you mention Sunflowers, I realise its probably going to easier than I thought and a few stray seeds that have fallen this year have turned into plants. The first time I spotted this was when Mum said we had a large yellow flower in amongst a hanging basket at the front of the house, the last was looking at neighbours garden 3 doors away and in his tub of flowers was a Sunflower. I have a feeling my birds may be responsible

I'll see if I can improve on the pictures of the birds and squirrels that visited or at least if they still remain a bit poor, it shows what visits. The problem may be my picture editing software.

Might be fun to see how things change but how many years will that take

Gildy

Gildy, if you go to www.photobucket.com you can sign up for a free account where you can upload and host your pics, and you can link them to here. That's what I've done and I have about 100 or so pictures on my photobucket account, so there's plenty of scope for showing off lots of your handiwork!

Fluffy :smt115