My Garden

I live on the Northern edge of the city of Nottingham in a typical 1960's estate with distant views of the Nottinghamshire countryside.  My back garden is rectangular and measures approximately 14 meters by 13 meters. The front garden is irregular and measures 11 meters by 14 meters (maximum).  This gives about 300 square meters of usable space from a bird's point of view (excluding the house).  Both front and back have lawns which cover about half the available area, the remainder being planted mainly with small to medium sized shrubs and trees (see below).  The picture shows part of the back garden with its new water feature.

Birds seen around my garden this year (2003)

Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Wren, Dunnock, Blackbird, Robin, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Greenfinch, Goldfinch. (Total =18)

Birds seen around my garden since 1985
I have included all birds seen either in or from my garden, including flyovers.  The highlight has to be a flock of  90 Waxwing on 6th March 1996.  These were perched in the tree about 200 meters away.  At the time, this flock included the famous Nottingham Cedar Waxwing, although as I could not pick it out at this range I have not counted it on my garden list.  Also of note for such a small garden in a city location were two Yellow Wagtail on 18th August 1988 and single Wheatear on 1st September 1985 and again on 27th April 1997.

The full list since July 1985 is as follows: Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Mallard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Swift, Skylark, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Pied Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Goldcrest, Waxwing, Wren, Dunnock, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Robin, Wheatear, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Siskin, Goldfinch, Linnet, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting. (Total =48)

Changes in the bird population have been quite marked for some species.  I used to see Reed Bunting reasonably regularly, but have not seen one on the garden since 23rd March 1989.  I used to be woken up very early most Spring mornings by a singing Song Thrush, but now the appearance of this species in the garden is a cause for celebration.  On the plus side, sightings of Sparrowhawk have risen from once or twice a year at the beginning of the nineties to once a month on average in 1998 - they occasionally fly straight past the bedroom window.

Plants to attract birds
Not being a particularly capable gardener, I chose to plant non-exotic species when I moved to this house in 1980.  As my interest in birds grew, I tried to add a selection of bird-friendly shrubs, trees etc.

I have a Mountain Ash in each of the front and back gardens, originally so that the berries would attract thrushes.  The Blackbirds seem only marginally interested most of the time but the Starlings attack these berries in quite large flocks from time to time.  In severe Winter weather (which seems to have become a rarity), I have seen both Redwing and Fieldfare feeding on them.  The back garden tree is most useful for hanging feeders (see right).

A beech hedge in the front garden does not seem to attract many birds, but it is full of spiders and various insects which I suspect feed wrens, blue tits etc.  A 4 meter high conifer (probably Leylandii) offers the only greenery in the front during the Winter months and has attracted Coal Tits and Goldcrest.  At the back, Forsythia offers cover for sparrows and finches while they approach the feeders (as well as providing the first splash of colour in the Spring) and the common ivy which has taken over the fence at the back of the property is well stocked with spiders and various insects which attract Wrens in particular.  Other berry producing plants include Pyrocantha (which attracts Blackbirds in particular) and Viburnum Opulus (which  produces many berries but none of the birds seem to like them).  A large Buddleia attracts a variety of butterflies including Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Peacock and Large White.  A 2 meter high Magnolia is a central feature but is only of use to small birds as a perch while approaching the feeders.  The Honeysuckles produce copious supplies of berries which have attracted a number of species including Bullfinch.

In the feeders I use Feeder Seed (25 Kg bags) and Premium peanuts (4 Kg bags), both from CJ Wildbird Foods.  Both are consumed, but the Greenfinches in particular tend to eject the sunflower seeds which are then eaten from the ground.  Despite the lack of truly frugiverous species in Britain, most fruit which I put out (including grapes!) is consumed.

In the absence of space for a pond, a small bird bath attracts many species including House Sparrow, Starling, Greenfinch, Collared Dove and Woodpigeon.  I keep a small scrubbing brush in the garden (visible in the feeders picture above) and it is a good idea to give the bird bath a thorough clean about once a week as well as replacing the water daily.