Garden without cover

[bearing]

Hi there, until recently we used to have many birds feeding in our garden but the main cover they used was from leylandii and fir trees next door now since the neighbour has had them removed we have noticed a rapid decline in the bird numbers to our garden to almost zero.

This may of course be due to the warming weather and possibly the increasing availability of wild food.

If it is solely down to the removal of the cover then what do we need to do in the garden to remedy the situation, the garden is a smallish garden approx 30' x 30'.

Looking forward to your suggestions.

[Ruth Daniel]

Welcome to WAB bearing!

Yes birds like to have somewhere to dive for cover when necessary so the removal of your neighbours trees could possibly have affected their numbers in your garden.

You could try moving the feeders to a different area where there is more protection or maybe invest in a few small trees/bushes.

Good luck.....do keep us informed of any improvement!

[chickenzown]

Rowen tree's are cheap, produce berries in autumn, grow quite quickly and do not take up much space. Scots pine are also quick growing but require a little more room but worth it as the finches love them.

[Picidae]

A privet hedge would be ideal to replace some of the lost privacy from the Lleylandi but especially in terms of providing loss of cover/nesting habitat and feeding opportunities and particularly beneficial to our declining House Sparrow populations. Buying some established potted ones at a garden centre and planting several along the stretch of fence will speed up the coverage. A Buddlia would also be good in addition, for attractive flowering plants, plenty of insects and caterpillars for food and fast growing. I hang my feeders from the Buddlia too as the branches are very sturdy within a short space of time. A Silver Birch also is an attractive indigenous tree, fairly fast growing, great source of food etc and while providing feeding cover, doesn't block out so much light as a fir tree, ( a factor which you may have to consider since the neighbours may well have removed the Lleylandi to get some light in their garden .... you don't want them telling you to remove a fir tree several years down the road!)

[Hedge Witch]

I like to study the sorts of tree that the birds round me will land in (this is a feature that seems to be lacking in my garden). At the front of the house there is a early flowering cherry type thing (no idea of the species, not a native). About 5 metres tall so not that big. It's a magnet for all sorts of songbirds. Possibly just the right height, orientation, density and thickness of branches, or whatever. In my garden they land on the apple tree and the robin sits in the dogwood.

There is a Scots Pine down the road - it always seems full of birds, but this is too large for a small garden.

Re. House Sparrows, I heard they like Berberis. I know they like Pyracantha. I've gone for Hawthorn though, time will tell.

[ron1863]

We have climbers growing on our fence - Jasmine, Honeysuckle and Clematis and they are all quick growers and provide excellent cover for the birds with the advantage that you can hang feeders from their branches.

[smartie]

I'd say plant a couple of small trees or dense shrubs. A hawthorn, perhaps? They are good cover and the berries are popular with birds.

In fact the most popular shrub in our garden is the snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus). It grows very rapidly and forms thickets which give good cover for the birds whether in leaf or not. It isn't particularly distinguished, and isn't native to the UK, which is a disadvantage. I've often thought of digging mine out, but then I look at the great cloud of bees and other insects that feed on the tiny flowers that cover it for 6 months a year, and see how the birds rely on it for cover, and I just cut it back and let it stay. The white winter berries are its most attractive visual feature, but aren't generally eaten by any of our native wildlife.

[bearing]

Thanks all,

Some great ideas had already been thinking of some trees, the wife has been toying with the idea of a Silver Birch for a while now. We have a Rowan in the front Garden which all the birds seem to like including a couple of Pigeons who built a nest in it last year.

Hadn't really considered climbing plants as giving much cover, but on reflection Sparrows etc. aren't exactly great big creatures are they!

Do like Snowberries, but have a 4 year old daughter and I know how tempting the berries look so I will perhaps give that one a miss for a few years.

I'll keep you updated on our plans.

Thanks again.