Creating A Bird-Friendly Landscape

30 Aug

Creating a natural and diverse ecosystem in our gardens is a great way to support native wildlife.

For years we’ve followed the idea that our gardens should be neat and tidy, but is there a better to support wildlife?

A shift in perspective can turn anyone who has an outdoor space into a wildlife gardener. You go from seeing caterpillars covering a tree as an infestation, to viewing it as a feast for native wildlife and sign of a thriving ecosystem.

Creating an Ecosystem

Creating an ecosystem in our gardens to contribute to a bird-friendly landscape starts with plants. Putting in appropriate plants and shrubs can help support wildlife year-round. Plants are nature’s birdfeeders; they provide seeds, berries, and nectar throughout the year. They are a great source of food and shelter for native birds and other wildlife.

Native plants co-evolved with native birds and wildlife over countless generations. By planting native trees and shrubs, we create ecosystems that support birds and other wildlife at each stage of their lifecycle.

Wildlife doesn’t only rely on vegetation because they eat it directly, often there are secondary benefits. Planting with pollinators in mind will also benefit birdlife because although they may not eat the plants themselves, but they eat the insects and other small animals that live on the plants. For example, Wrens, Robins and Dunnocks rely on a diet of invertebrates.

Planting flowers that are loved by pollinating insects will work wonders for your back garden ecosystem. Species such as such as lavenders, sunflowers, bluebells, and plants with daisy flowers with create the perfect “nectar café”. Hardy annual plants bring in insects, which, in turn, will attract birds.

The layout of your garden is important too. Planting bird-friendly flowers, shrubs, and trees in clusters allows birds to forage more efficiently and waste less energy traveling between different spots.

Grasslands are important for birds. Blackbirds and other species feast on worms, and areas of lawn managed as meadows boost invertebrate and bird diversity. Ant hills will attract Green Woodpeckers and Starlings will hunt for beetles in long grass.

In addition to the food, trees and shrubs also act as cover for birds and their young because birds need nesting and roosting sites as well as food sources. By choosing the right plants you can provide both food and shelter for garden birds. Tits and Flycatchers love hollows in trees, Wrens and Long-tailed Tits nest in dense hedgerows; Thrushes often choose climbers and wall plants, and Robins like to nest in small nooks.

Evergreen species provide screening and shelter for the birds, especially for winter roosting. Creating a dense leafy zone helps to benefit birds and their food supplies, and if there’s space for some undergrowth, that’s even better.

Holding off on cutting back borders in autumn will mean the seedheads are there as a buffet for sparrow and finches. Invertebrates will live in the dry herbage, which is a prime hunting ground for Dunnocks and Wrens.

Flying takes a lot of energy and winter is the toughest season for birds. If you have the option, it’s great to provide a succession of food by choosing species that go to fruit at different items of year. For example, Rowan trees ripen from August; whereas hollies have berries in January. This gives birds the support they need over winter.

Putting out water dishes and bird baths, especially during the summer, is a great way to help wildlife. With our recent drought conditions in the UK, natural water resources haven’t been at their usual levels, so a dish with some water in it in the back garden could be a lifeline for urban wildlife. Just like putting out food for wildlife, it is vital to keen water sources safe and clean. It is important to change the water every day, and clean the water container, to stop disease spreading. If possible, it’s better to use a running water source to reduce the risk from harmful microorganisms in standing water. Adding water features to your garden ecosystem helps to add more diversity. Different plants will thrive in wetter areas, which in turn supports different invertebrate communities and attract different birds. Diversity really is the name of the game in wildlife gardening.

What can we do?

Anything you can do to make your garden more wildlife friendly is worthwhile, but not everyone has the time and space to replace the habitat lost through human impact.

Putting out food for birds is another way to bolster the wildlife in your garden, however it is important to do so safely. There is no natural situation where large numbers of mixed species gather in the same place to feed and drink, so diseases like Trichomonosis are a real concern.

Keeping your feeders clean and stocked up is an important part of helping the birds in your garden. From autumn onwards, supplementary feeding for wildlife is particularly important, because the temperature start to drop and food becomes more scarce.

Benefits to humans

Creating a bird-friendly landscape at home has a wealth of benefits for all kinds of wildlife, but it also has benefits for humans. Spending time in nature is linked to benefits in physical health, mental health, and emotional well-being. A scientific study showed that spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. The pattern was consistent across key groups, and it did not matter how the 120 mins was achieved, whether several shorter periods of time, or all in one go. Potentially, the more remote and biodiverse the space is the better, but urban parks, gardens, and trees still had positive outcomes. Therefore, giving something back to the wildlife in our gardens also gives something back to ourselves.

Each action adds up

Every action we take for wildlife, on every scale, accumulates into something greater. Even a small garden can provide a selection of natural food sources for birds all year by using plant pots and letting grass grow long. Potted shrubs are another way to help wildlife, by providing cover for them to hide in. For example, growing compact varieties of Crab Apples in containers can help nourish wildlife in a small space and provide habitat.

We know that when we all take action, wildlife can start to recover. A great example is how urban Hedgehog populations are slowly starting to increase after campaigns like “Hedgehog Highways” strove to connect habitats and gardens.

Whether your personal version of creating a back garden ecosystem is rewilding your entire garden, putting up a safe and clean bird feeder, planting flowers in pots, or putting out water dishes for wildlife during the drought, every step we take makes a different to nature recovery.

What actions we take

Some of the most significant things that we could all do, on any scale, to help the wildlife in our gardens is to plant native species, put out clean water and forget about tidiness in our gardens.

Native plants and native animals have evolved together over millennia. Committing to planting native species in our gardens means that insects have the correct food plants to thrive, and in turn, birds have a food supply.

Putting out water, or creating water features, provide another vital resources for wildlife. Insects, birds, and mammals all benefit from having access to water. This is especially significant if the recent droughts we have experienced become more frequent.

In addition, throwing out the belief that out gardens must be manicured and tidy will do wonders for wildlife. Letting grass grow long will increase insect diversity and give birds like Thrushes more foraging grounds. Leaving more time before cutting hedgerows in autumn means berries are available further into winter.