5 top gardening tips to help birds in March and April

Although mild, it feels as though the dark dreary days of winter have been never-ending with each day seeming more drizzly and grey. Finally, spring has sprung with daffodils and snowdrops lining the verges, and a flurry of songbird activity to accompany it. The days are growing longer, and breeding season is off with a bang, as we see females off collecting nesting materials and males singing as loudly as possible to maintain territories and attract a mate. As we all begin to emerge from our houses and into our gardens, we give our top tips for how to garden for birds in early Spring.

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1. Provide nesting materials: As breeding season kicks off, you might be seeing females rooting around in your garden for nesting materials such as twigs, grass and leaves. If you are doing any pruning or grass cutting in March and April, consider leaving a small pile of off-cuts or even pack the grass and leaves into a wire bird feeder so that birds can take these precious materials back to their nests. If your garden is looking a little bare but you still want to help, you can provide wool or packaged nesting materials for birds. Maybe try planting long grasses like Miscanthus or Cortaderia for birds to use next year for nesting materials.

2. Minimise disturbances to nesters: We know that with the weather improving you might be tempted to go outside and do all the garden jobs you have been waiting for. But heed our advice to stop, watch and listen. Before conducting any garden work, look around you, do you already have birds nesting in the garden? Are they building a nest in a bush you were planning to prune? Take a moment to look around and check that your gardening will not negatively impact your nesters, as disturbing the area around a nest can cause birds to abandon it. If you're not sure, then its best to be safe than sorry.

3. Planting for wildlife: This is your time to shine if you have green fingers. Sow your hardy annuals in the springtime for a later flowering in your garden. You could try vipers bugloss or fiddleneck for a beautiful pop of colour whilst being kind to wildlife. This is also a great time to think about sowing and planting for autumn seedheads, sowing sunflower seeds with your little ones is great fun and will attract finches in the autumn; or nigella flowers for the fantastic nigella seeds which are great for fattening up birds in the colder months. Native wildflowers are in the prime time for sowing, but make sure the soil is poor quality and don't use any compost or fertiliser.

4. Provide a water source: No matter what time of year it is, we always recommend that you provide a water source for birds. A birdbath cleaned regularly or even a small dish will do, as long as the birds can get water. For a bit of fun you could also try making a container pond in your garden to encourage freshwater invertebrates. As spring warms up it is also important to know that house martins may be on the look out for mud to build their nests, so if you can, provide a small tray of wet mud to encourage them to build their nests in the area.

5. Careful pruning and tidying: Pruning your plants this time of year can help new buds to grow, but best to be cautious so that you don't over prune. Buddleja are in desperate need of pruning to ensure flower growth and keep the bees and butterflies happy. This is also a good time to prune and tie in climbing roses to your trellis to control the growth and ensure that you get lovely flowers and not just a leafy mess. Tidy up your ponds if you have one, and introduce new plants to keep your pond on top form.

By following these simple tips in early Spring you can set up your songbirds for success in the breeding season. Remember, these tiny eggs and chicks are the next generation of songbirds, and it is imperative that we treat them wit the most care and provide what we can in our own green spaces. Let us know how you get on trying to encourage wildlife into your garden.

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The SBS Team

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If you are a scientist and would like to shine a light on your recent research covering songbirds here in the UK, then let us know! As a supporter of our charity, if you have ideas for blog posts you would like to see and topics you would like us to cover on #theSBSblog, please contact us at dawn-chorus@songbird-survival.org.uk or our Research and Engagement Manager at charlotte@songbird-survival.org.uk. 

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