How to Stop Birds Flying Into Your Windows
Birds hit windows because they don’t see glass — they see the reflection of sky, trees and open space, and fly straight at what looks like a clear route. The…
Best Binoculars for Garden Birdwatching (What the Numbers Actually Mean)
If you want the short answer: 8×42 is the standard recommendation for birdwatching, and 8×32 is often better for garden use because it’s lighter and easier to hold steady. Resist…
Best Plants to Attract Birds to a UK Garden
Planting for birds has become considerably more important than it used to be — because current UK guidance asks people to pause seed and peanut feeding between 1 May and…
I’ve Found a Baby Bird — What Should I Do?
Most baby birds found on the ground do not need rescuing. If it has feathers and is hopping about, it’s a fledgling — that’s a normal stage, its parents are…
When to Put Up a Nest Box (and Exactly Where to Site It)
Autumn or early winter is the best time to put up a nest box, and you want it in place by mid-February at the very latest. Birds prospect for nest…
Bird Baths: Choosing One, Siting It, and Stopping It Freezing
Water is often more valuable to garden birds than food, and it’s the thing most people get wrong. Birds need it for drinking and — just as importantly — for…
How to Attract Goldfinches to Your Garden
Two foods reliably bring goldfinches into a garden: nyjer seed and sunflower hearts. The catch is that nyjer needs a specialist feeder — the seed is so fine it pours…
What Do Blackbirds Eat? How to Feed and Attract Them
Blackbirds eat earthworms, insects, berries and windfall fruit. They’re ground feeders — which is why the feeder you hung up is being ignored by them, and why the answer to…
How to Attract Blue Tits to Your Garden (Food, Feeders and Nest Boxes)
Blue tits are the second most commonly recorded bird in UK gardens, and among the easiest to attract. Put out sunflower hearts in a hanging tube feeder and you’ll usually…
How to Stop Squirrels Raiding Your Bird Feeder
Everything that works comes down to two numbers: a grey squirrel can jump roughly 1.2 metres vertically and up to 3 metres horizontally. Get your feeder outside that envelope and…