It may be too wet to garden, at least for those on the clay seam that cuts across Tatsfield, but there are still things we can be doing, apart from tidying up what the gales have left behind! Despite the rain and wind, the relatively mild weather over winter will have benefited a number of species, assuming we don’t get a nasty cold snap in March or April. Bird boxes are easy to put up and not expensive to buy – they must face the right direction though or you will be wasting both time and money. They are best put up in the autumn as that gives them time to naturalise, but you can still do it now with a chance of a 2014 brood! Where to site a nest-box depend on the species it is intended for. Boxes for tits, sparrows or starlings should be fixed two to four metres up a tree or a wall. Unless there are trees or buildings which shade the box during the day, face the box between north and east, thus avoiding strong sunlight and the wettest winds. Make sure birds have a clear flight path to the nest without any clutter directly in front of the entrance. Tilt the box forward slightly so that any driving rain (not that we ever get any of course) will hit the roof and bounce clear. House sparrows and starlings will readily use nest-boxes placed high up under the eaves. Open-fronted boxes for robins and wrens need to be low down, below 2m, well hidden in vegetation. Those for spotted flycatchers need to be 2-4m high, sheltered by vegetation but with a clear outlook. Woodpecker boxes need to be 3-5m high on a tree trunk with a clear flight path and away from disturbance. Fixing your nest-box with nails may damage the tree. It is better to attach it either with a nylon bolt or with wire around the trunk or branch. Use a piece of hose or section of car tyre around the wire to prevent damage to the tree. Remember that trees grow in girth as well as height, and check the fixing every two or three years. The quickest way to attract birds to the garden is by feeding them · Insects for tits · Berry based feeds for finches · Finely chopped animal fat and grated cheese are welcomed by small birds, like wrens · Sparrows, finches and nuthatches enjoy prising the seeds out of sunflower heads. Also, leave seed heads on herbaceous plants overwinter · Niger seed for goldfinches · Peanut based food for starlings, parakeets, nuthatches, jackdaws · Fruit is favoured by thrushes and blackbirds. Scatter over-ripe apples, raisins and song-bird mixes on the ground for them. Consider planting berry-licious shrubs and trees, including favourites such as Malus, Sorbus, Cotoneaster and Pyracantha. Be aware that feeding birds can result in unwanted visitors. Peanuts certainly attract squirrels, which are avid nest robbers, and tend to destroy feeders too! So unless you are prepared to deal with them, it may be best to stick to squirrel proof feeders. Magpies and wood-peckers are also renowned for taking nestlings. Difficult to judge, as they are birds after all! If you are putting up bird-boxes, make sure holes are small enough to stop these larger raiders helping themselves to breakfast. Wood-peckers will even enlarge holes in bird-boxes to get at the contents if they can! Next month’s column will be focused on insects – which are a key part of the food chain and will, in turn, attract other species, including birds, bats and amphibians (especially if you have a pond).
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Jon Allbutt presented at the January Garden Club, and the session was ably reported on by Peter Maynard.... Another interesting and varied talk, on sustainable gardening, was given by Jon Allbutt to an audience of nearly 20 at the WI Hall on 14th January. He started off by explaining what biodiversity is – all the plants, animals and microbes in a given area, which might be as small as a garden, or as large as the UK, or Tatsfield, and all their interactions. He always used to be a tidy gardener, but now encouraged us all to leave some areas for wildlife. A closely mown lawn, for example, is a desert as far as most wildlife is concerned, but from his own experience (at his house in France) he knew that wildlife was just itching to take over, if only it was given a chance. He explained that all County Councils must have a Biodiversity Action Plan, but this did not have to be very detailed – the Surrey plan did not even mention Tatsfield, or indeed the Hill Park Estate (off Chestnut Avenue). He gave us a lot of tips for gardening to increase biodiversity. When he originally came to Tatsfield, he was disappointed with the number of birds that came to his garden but now, after expelling the squirrels – or tree rats, as he called them – there was a great number, and a great variety, of birds. Hedges are very valuable as ‘green corridors’, but they must be managed. This might involve laying the hedge (a very skilled job) which would initially have a negative impact, but in a few years would be very positive for wildlife. Ponds are a very complex subject. They need to be sited correctly, and to be maintained properly, but are a very valuable resource for all kinds of wildlife. Nest boxes – for both bats and birds – are also very valuable, although (as Jon explained) some are just not liked by the birds despite being sited correctly. They must have the correct diameter hole for some birds, although others (eg robins) prefer an open-fronted box. Almost as important as nest boxes is somewhere to drink and bathe. Bees can be encouraged by planting pollinating plants, eg antirrhinums, and even in winter – when most bees are hibernating – primroses, daphne and mahonia perform a valuable task in feeding early bumblebees. Grass snakes and slowworms are commonly found in compost heaps, so these must be turned or emptied carefully. Mice and shrews like long grass, so leave a longer area in your lawn. This will also encourage many other plants like orchids. Trees are an undervalued resource. The common oak is home to up to 350 species of mini beasts, so (if your garden is large enough) why not plant one? Or possibly grow small native trees as a hedge. Jon was very encouraged to see many Leylandii hedges failing, as these were very poor habitat, and hoped that they would be replaced by bullace, sloes, spindle and similar local species that grow so well in the wild. As usual, Jon answered all questions as they arose from those present. I am sure he could have gone on for another couple of hours, as he is so interested in sustainable gardening, which is a real and positive change from when he was trained. Everyone can do it! It is no more onerous than ‘traditional’ gardening, but gives much more pleasure. Peter Maynard |
AuthorGuy Deterding Archives
November 2018
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