Veteran gardening presenter Alan Titchmarsh has shared four ways for Britons to attract birds to their gardens as the days get shorter and temperatures start to drop. The 77-year-old, a long-standing member of the BBC Gardeners’ World team, recently began sharing advice on his own YouTube channel. It was on that channel this time last year that the Love Your Weekend presenter revealed how to transform gardens into a more bird-friendly environment. His tips also help support wildlife, which can struggle in colder months as natural food supplies dwindle.
Tip 1: Install Bird Boxes
Alan’s first piece of advice was to install bird boxes in one’s garden. These little boxes are normally put in trees and make sheltered places for birds to stay. Addressing the matter, he said: “At this time of year, in Autumn, although it’s not nesting time in terms of rearing young, it’s a very good time to give them some form of shelter, to allow them to roost to shelter at night.” By roosting, Alan meant to rest, and he referred to some birds, such as blue tits and wrens, who may appreciate a bird box for that purpose.
On where to place a nest box, Alan advised: “There are a couple of things worth bearing in mind. Make sure it’s out of the reach of cats…so above head height generally. And the other is to put it in a sheltered spot.”
Tip 2: Install Bird Feeders
Alan’s second recommended step was to install bird feeders—little structures full of food for birds to eat. He explained they were especially crucial as winter sets in. He said: “Because of the diminishing supplies of natural food, anything you can do to improve the diet of birds in winter is really worthwhile. Robins and blue tits in particular love balls of fat or lard you can get in a special container.” Although the bird table is a classic feeding structure, Alan suggested it was prone to being used by squirrels, so he said he’d installed some wire mesh to stop those creatures from getting in.
Tip 3: Adding Bird-Friendly Plants
Alan’s third tip focused on adding plants to your garden that would be “friendly” for birds. He advised that people should “plant things that they [birds] will find useful, particularly in terms of food.” In terms of what type of plants, he added: “At this time of year, berried plants give them lots of sustenance.” An example he gave was the ‘beauty berry’, or Callicarpa. He said: “It looks artificial….Robins and sparrows love it. Stick it at the back of a border where it’ll be background for most of the year, but then, come autumn, look what it does.” Alan also recommended Firethorn, Cotoneaster horizontalis, hawthorn, Barberry, and Holly. Some plants, such as Holly, Alan said could serve a dual purpose of providing food for birds and shelter from predators.
Tip 4: Get a Bird Bath
Alan’s final tip was to create or buy a bird bath. Bird baths are traditionally used by birds to drink from or wash in. On the importance of their deployment, Alan remarked: “Fresh water is as vital to birds in the garden as fresh food. That dual purpose thing means it gets mucky quicker. All you need is a flower pot and a saucer.” Alan then suggested using silicon to make sure the saucer sticks to the upturned flower pot, before adding some pebbles for the smaller birds. He said replacing the water was as simple as tipping the dirty liquid out before putting fresher water back in.
Alan returns to the UK’s screens this morning (October 9) with Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh at 9.30am on ITV 1.
