Plenty to do in preparation for joy of spring

This time of year can sometimes be a bit depressing; an anti-climax after the excitement of Christmas and a feeling of disappointment that there’s still a way to go before an end to dark mornings.

All is not lost, though. It’s a wonderful time to see some charming birds, and if you ensure your garden feeders, tables and bird baths are topped-up, you won’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home to see them.

A cold snap can be disastrous for birds, so they need all the help they can get when temperatures plummet. The RSPB suggests calorie-rich foods like mixed seed, nyjer seed, fatballs, suet sprinkles, sunflower seed and good quality peanuts, as well as kitchen scraps, like mild grated cheese, rice and porridge oats.

These high energy snacks will ensure the birds can keep warm and are fighting fit when the breeding season begins – as parents out there will know, it not easy bringing up a family.

A supply of water is also essential for bathing and preening. In freezing conditions birds become more dependent on water provided in gardens, since many natural sources are frozen over.

The most effective way to keep the water in your garden from freezing is to pop in a light ball that will be moved by even a gentle breeze and keep a small amount of water ice free – a ping-pong ball is ideal.

Alternatively, pour on hot water to melt the ice to make sure the birds can get to it.

If you can tease yourself out from in front of the fire, grab your spade and do a bit of digging.

Turn the soil over to expose some tasty worms and you’ll soon be visited by a hungry robin – they seem to have a sixth sense about these things. The digging will also benefit your soil by helping to break up the bigger clods.

Ensuring you feed and water your garden birds will not only make sure they stay healthy and looked after, it’ll also encourage them into your garden just in time for you to take part in the world’s biggest wildlife survey.

I hope you all enjoyed taking part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch. A mixture of weather conditions up and down the country – from snow, to rain, sunny spells and everything in-between – might mean you spotted some interesting birds in your garden.

Visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch for details.

Some birds that don’t often frequent our backyards are forced in when natural food sources become scarce, and those of you who put out supplementary food and water may be rewarded 
with some more unusual visitors if the cold weather returns.

As February draws to an 
end and the light slowly creeps into more of our 
days, you may start to 
think about spring and the jobs you can do.

If you have a sunny windowsill you can keep 
seed trays on, try sowing 
some early vegetable seeds this month, and if you can brave the cold, plant early potatoes and onion sets in 
the garden. You’ll feel even more spring-like when you notice the increase in birdsong while you’re out there.

This is a good time to test your bird-listening skills. There will only be a handful of the common residents singing and with no leaves on trees and bushes they are easier to see and identify.

For example listen out for the “teacher, teacher” call of the great tit and the fluting tunes of thrushes like blackbirds, song thrushes and mistle thrushes on sunny days.

Lots of us will start the 
green fingered season with a spring clean of sheds and cupboards.

We might take one look at the congealed lid of the weedkiller and want to throw it in the bin, but it’s really important to use and 
dispose of garden chemicals properly, or they could cause serious harm to wildlife.

Don’t buy more than you need, always read the label and check for restrictions on where to use – ie not near ponds or fish tanks.

It’s also a good idea to 
spray early in the morning or late in the evening when bees and other insects are less active and to spray in calm conditions. And 
never dispose of unwanted product, diluted product or rinsings in household drains or ditches.

For more tips and information on how to 
create the perfect 
wildlife garden, visit www.rspb.org.uk/homesforwildlife.