Finches
I have a problem with gardening, especially at this time of year.
The inner me would like to see a lawn of neat newly-cut stripes and tidy borders but I know that we can do more for wildlife if I relax a little.
As apples fall and seed-heads glisten with dew, it is time to think about birds and other wildlife, preparing for the winter ahead.
Most of the food that they need between now and next April has already been produced and the autumn tidy-up consigns much of it to the compost heap, which is a bit of a waste.
In our garden, we have lots of herbs in our borders and seeds of species such as lemon balm and marjoram are readily taken by finches.
Greenfinches love to feed on the seed-heads of cranesbills and geraniums, house sparrows eat grass seeds and goldfinches poke their tiny beaks into the heads of teasels to find food. Interestingly, this last species will probably not turn to gardens for food until the very end of the winter, in March or April.
Herbaceous borders do not just provide food for birds, they are also places of refuge for insects and mammals. The bugs and beasties that will be the parents of next year's grubs and caterpillars (which will provide food for young birds) need to hibernate for the winter. They will choose the nooks and crannies within the dry growth from this year – and you may see blue tits working their way around the flowerbeds looking for them.
In bigger plants, with thick growth at the base, you might find the winter nests of small mammals; created out of dry foliage and designed to provide insulation.
Berries are important, too. Although this is a good time of year to cut hedges, try to leave the haws on your hawthorn, for redwings and other thrushes. Fruits that last well into the winter are particularly valuable; rose hips will still be available in March and April and the fruit of the ivy does not ripen until after Christmas. To give some extra support, you could put some apples in the freezer now and put them back out in the garden for your blackbirds when the nights are long and cold or when there is snow on the ground.
If you are interested in gardening and wildlife than why not become one of the BTO's Garden BirdWatchers? You will receive a free book called Gardening for Birdwatchers (which retails for 9.99) when you join, and four issues of the
informative magazine Bird Table each year. Most Garden BirdWatchers send in records of the birds they see in their gardens each week but others just enjoy learning more about birds and other garden wildlife. Membership costs 15 per year.
To learn more about Garden BirdWatch or the other work of the British Trust for Ornithology, pop into The Nunnery to pick up a leaflet or call 01842 750050.
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Weather for Bury St Edmunds
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -2 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: North east
