I saw contrasting images last week which made me think of feeding birds with plants from the garden.
I first observed the Rowan (Sorbus) tree outside, now stripped bare of it’s berries, before noticing some Cotoneaster
and Ivy (Hedera) full of berries. Clearly the pollinators had been busy during the Summer and Autumn months.
Along with supplementary food, on the ground and bird feeders, birds can also rely on trees and other plants in the garden for food in winter. Along with the examples already mentioned there are other berries, fruit, seeds and nuts which are enjoyed by birds.
Some other plants providing fruit and berries are;
Hawthorn (Crataegus)
Honeysuckle (Lonicera)
Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus)
Dog rose (Rosa canina)
Berberis
Bird cherry (Prunus padus)
Crab apple (Malus sylvestris)
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
Pyracantha
Sarcococca hookeriana
Mahonia
Plants providing seeds and nuts include;
Oak (Quercus)
Beech (Fagus)
Hazel (Corylus)
Spindle (Euonymus europaeus)
Teasel (Dipsacus)
Sunflower (Helianthus)
Miscanthus
Bergamot (Monarda)
Verbena bonariensis
Lavender (Lavandula)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Asters
Leaving seedheads on perennials not only provides food for birds, they also give shelter to beneficial insects. In fact a little bit of leaf litter also has this affect which in turn helps feed birds who eat the insects.
Common birds to see in winter include;
Redwings (Turdus iliacus)
Waxwings (Bombycilla)
Starlings (Sturnidae
Blackbirds (Turdus merula
Robins (Erithacus rubecula
Chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs)
Bramblings (Fringilla)
Goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis)
Bullfinches (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Dunnocks (Prunella modularis)
Goldcrests (Regulus regulus)
Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus)
Coal tits (Periparus ater)
Great tits (Parus major)
Fieldfares (Turdus pilaris)
The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, which takes place on the 25-27th Jan 2020, has been going for over 40 years. Surveying birds visiting your Garden or local park for one hour is calming and enjoyable. This citizen science continues to give the charity useful information on the numbers of birds in the UK.
Further information on feeding birds can be found in the book, ‘RSPB Pocket Bird Feeder Guide’ by Robert Burton (published by Dorking Kindersley) or on the Gardeners World website.
Bee in the Moment 