Gardening for Wildlife and Wildlife in the Garden

[Pippedydeadeye]

You know I would never break a rule like that.

[Cosmopolitan]

I'm keen to turn our concrete and pine tree travestygarden into something that is conducive to wildlife starting this year but knowing that it's going to take a while.
I've currently arranged for someone to take down a bunch of horrible pine trees with the intention of replacing them with more local, smaller, varieties - silver Birch, maple and maybe a cherry or apple tree. Gonna clean up the pond and cut everything back as much as possible and then do some planting soon plus add in more bird and bug homes. Advice greatly appreciated because I'm not great at knowing what to plant or what's local or what's easy.

[Rebel Pebble]

The conifers will have knackered the soil somewhat so the first thing would be to reintroduce some nutrients before planting more trees.

They may also have left it rather acidic, which would suit camellias, rhodies etc at any rate.

https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discus ... r-conifers
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discus ... oil-damage

Your garden has so much potential and great views!

[Cosmopolitan]

I was worried about that as well, the entire garden is full of conifers and they are all huge and ugly. Thanks, that's really helpful Rebs.

[Bat Macdui]

I cannot bang on enough about Kate Bradbury's book, it's a really good and simple guide to what to plant where and why and doesn't assume any previous horticultural expertise. This one

She talks a lot about whole life cycles of everything in your garden, so the right plants for insects and caterpillars, so then the right plants for birds to find food from etc. Nothing native will live or breed on a rhododendron, for example. Also, people tend to keep buddleia because they are great for attracting butterflies (nectar, pollen) but nothing native can breed on them so you're only providing for part of the lifecycle. Obviously, it's great to have anything that helps, but if you're thinking of redeveloping with wildlife in mind, there are alternatives that help keep everything going all the time.

If you can stomach it, I would keep a some conifers (or phase them out slowly as you get more tree cover) as there are a lot of birds love the dense cover and you will encourage more in. Sparrows, goldcrests and firecrests are great fans. We have leylandia at the end of our garden, which are hideous but I can cope with them because they're where the goldcrest lives and there were so many nests in them last spring - robins and blackbirds, I think. I'm growing Old Man's Beard clematis through them, so that the insects can feast on that, butterflies can lay on it and I can keep the privacy and cover.

[Cosmopolitan]

If you can stomach it, I would keep a some conifers (or phase them out slowly as you get more tree cover) as there are a lot of birds love the dense cover and you will encourage more in. Sparrows, goldcrests and firecrests are great fans.

Thanks, I'll definitely look at the book. We can't afford to get rid of all the trees at oncec so are focusing on a smaller area to start with and also cutting back some of them so we should still have a lot of birds in them.

[Ella77]

Obviously I’m sure you know this, but I like to fret... it will be nesting season very soon, so please do consider not chopping anything down that might be needed in the short term if you can.

[Cosmopolitan]

Currently nothing can nest in the conifers because there is no decent branches to build nests, hence one of the reasons to get rid of them. The arborist who came around said that nothing local will nest in them and they won't support the biome because no bugs will grow in them either. On the other side of the garden are a bunch of nesting boxes which seem to be well used, plus many many trees around us.

[Ella77]

Perfect. Sorry for the fretting.

[Bat Macdui]

I have purchased additional coconut feeders to boost my Garden Birdwatch numbers. I think I'm going to do a massive bulk buy from Love Garden Birds when I get paid, the buggers are getting though about a 4kg of sunflower hearts a week.

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch info here.

[Pippedydeadeye]

I’ve done two counts for the BGBW, yesterday and today, obviously only planning to submit the one.

I saw something this morning that I’m tentatively ascribing as a black redstart. It definitely had black/great face and more russety tail.

The bullfinch pair are back at last! I’m sad that the LTTs didn't show this morning though. And while it’s always nice to spot the sparrow hawk, quite glad it wasn’t here to scare the rest off this morning.

[Bat Macdui]

A black redstart would be a pretty mega tick for Garden Birdwatch, but you're definitely in the right place to have had one. I've only ever seen them when I've been abroad.

We had a good count, all the regulars bar the bullfinches. We had four of them hanging about all day Friday but they didn't deign to turn up yesterday.

[Pippedydeadeye]

I can’t think what else it could have been, its entire face was black/grey. Robin sized, quite rounded body. So I’m not mad and mistaking it for something else?

[Bat Macdui]

It seems unlikely, it's not one of those that's easily mistaken for something else, like marsh/willow/coal tit or any sort of warbler. And there's passing through ones and over wintering ones bolstering the UK's numbers this time of year.

[Bat Macdui]

My goldcrest didn't turn up for the Birdwatch, but popped by this morning.

[Pippedydeadeye]

Lovely! They’re so cute, I wish we got them.

[Cerise]

Oh how lovely! I had four goldfinches the other day. That’s a record!

[Duophonic]

Nothing much happening here but I'm sure I've spotted a bullfinch earlier.

Much excitement

[Ella77]

I’m not sure this thread is suitably inclusive because not all birds are in gardens, but anyway, I’ve been pleased to see this week that the cormorants seems back in force. I assume they spend the winter down in the estuary (where I think they have their chicks as well), but they’re back up in town in large numbers, doing stunt-flying to impress each other. I was getting a bit worried about them so it’s good to see them.

Also lovely to see are the black-headed gulls, who are getting their marital plumage ready for Valentine’s Day. They look so smart with their little black heads, I love them .

[Cerise]

I saw a black cap in my garden yesterday. That was a new sighting!