The populations of many of our favourite birds have been on a gradual decline for several years. Since 1970, many species have suffered such significant loss in number that they are on red alert and face the threat of extinction. A cross-poll of all British bird species shows that populations are averagely down by 11%. … Read more
One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is where have the garden birds disappeared to, and why are they no longer emptying my feeders? It is never more prevalent than during mid-late summer. Balmy evenings finally have a pleasant temperature to sit out and enjoy the company of our feathered friends – and there … Read more
I have recently returned from a break in a lovely cottage on farmland in North Yorkshire. The early morning sounds and the view from the bedroom window were spectacular, none more so than the tall hedgerow about 12-feet away from the window. Many bird species were darting in and out of the hedge, but the … Read more
There are two species of sparrow native to Britain; the house and the tree sparrow. As their names suggest, the first is happy in urban settings near to humans, and the second prefers the peace of rural life. If you think that might be the only notable change, you’d be wrong. ‘What is the difference … Read more
Nesting boxes are a source of new life and bring much joy to bird lovers. Given enough free time to watch, you could see the birds gathering material to line the box, the female staying in to incubate the eggs and the male tirelessly foraging for food to feed the hen and their chicks. Your … Read more
Garden birds seem permanently busy. No sooner than chicks have flown the nest, it is time to concentrate on preparing for winter. It is easy to feed the birds in the summer when we already spend much of our free time in the garden; you need to be dedicated to trudge out in the rain … Read more
If you’re a regular garden bird feeder, you have probably been visited by the coal tit. They are common across all of the UK and Ireland; there are 600,000 breeding pairs. They are one of the smallest members of the tit family and easily overlooked, if not for their loud, repetitive song – “teachoo-teachoo-teachoo” If … Read more
Nuthatches are one of the rarest visitors to my feeders, and I have never had the pleasure of hosting a breeding couple. Although they aren’t native to Ireland, and there are few in Scotland, they are common in England and Wales with around 220,000 breeding territories. If like me you’d love to know how to … Read more
Whenever I spot a bird that I haven’t seen in a while, I always wonder if it’s because its population is decreasing. It happened the other day when a nuthatch sat among one of my clematis plants, singing merrily away. I know that numbers of many songbirds are suffering, are nuthatches in decline too? Nuthatches … Read more
There are more than 2.5 million breeding pairs of great tits in the UK they inhabit huge swathes of the country. I love seeing them at my feeders, although for their size they are tough little cookies; they dominate the table against much bigger songbirds. Blue tits use my bird box regularly, but I’ve never … Read more
