episode 180 | show notes & advice
episode description
The UK’s bird population are dearly beloved for their song, as much as their service in keeping slugs and snails at bay, so how can we best provide safe havens for them in our gardens?
Adam Nicolson’s next book, Bird School, sees him immersed in what’s best for birds and their important role in our gardens, so joins us on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ to share in his knowledge and journey so far.
In this episode, discover
- How to cater to different bird species’ needs by picking the right range of food for them
- Absolute cardinal sins for helping birds, from unhygienic feeders to unprotected bird baths
links and references
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Pots
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Veg
Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook | Sarah Raven
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Episode 180 advice sheet
Adam’s research, and birds’ roles in the garden (1:45)
Adam’s next book, Bird School, is the latest to benefit from his marvellous ability to immerse himself fully in a single facet of nature.
We start the podcast first learning how he found the desire to venture into the avian world, and share some first-hand, speculative experience on how Perch Hill’s thriving bird population may be helping us with this year’s strong showing of slugs and snails.
Tending to different species’ preferences (8:00)
If you’re looking to attract a particular species of bird, it might not simply be enough to throw up a feeder, put anything in it and hope for the best - birds have their preferences.
Adam notes that the finches love the sunflower hearts, while other birds prefer cereal grains like wheat and barley, so careful and considered feeding can generate an excitingly broad bird population.
The best ways to provide food for birds (15:00)
Our love for birds in the garden in the UK is no secret - after all we spend £250 million a year on bird food for gardens. We have to be careful to provide suitable, sanitised and squirrel-proof feeders for birds though.
When food isn’t being taken by squirrels and rats, it might be provided on feeders that aren’t kept clean, which is a grave issue. Across a 10 year period, feeder-based disease transmission caused the loss of 5 million greenfinches, so good feeder hygiene is paramount.
Nesting boxes and cardinal sins (17:45)
For those of us looking to provide homemade nesting boxes, careful placement of the hole is important for creating a cosy and safe environment, namely placing the hole high up on the box.
Bird baths also raise a point on helping in the right way, as both hygiene and safe placement are two oft-overlooked aspects of making such provisions.
