Barratt Homes and RSPB encourage South Yorkshire homeowners to invite birds into their garden
The national wildlife survey event is taking place from 28th to 30th January and encourages everyone to join the millions taking part in counting the birds across the country.
In preparation, five star housebuilder Barratt Homes has teamed up with the RSPB to give its top tips on how new residents can give nature a home and ensure they have plenty of feathered friends close by to document.
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Hide AdThe activities are simple and easy to do, yet can help transform a brand new garden into a wildlife haven for birds.
Gavin McCarthy, Sales Manager at The Hedgerows and Evolution, said: “The Big Garden Birdwatch is such an exciting event and we wanted to encourage homeowners to get involved and invite birds into their garden.
“The top tips we have chosen are all fun activities that the whole family can enjoy, creating new memories in their new homes as well as a haven for birds to visit.”
Provide plenty of food
With the frosty weather in full force and the ground often frozen, it can be hard for birds to find their own food. To ensure the birds pay a visit to your new garden, be sure to lay out plenty of food to entice them, including seeds and suet which can be put in a bird feeder or on a roofed bird table.
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Hide AdMake sure to top up your bird feed regularly so the birds will keep coming back, but other than that this is a perfect, hassle-free way to enjoy watching birds from the comfort of your own home.
Create a sparrow street
Introduce a nestbox into your garden and give somewhere for house sparrows to raise their chicks.
Sadly, the UK population of house sparrows has halved in recent years, so the RSPB is encouraging people to build sparrow boxes and put them up in their gardens, providing shelter and a home for the birds. This can be done using materials such as wood, rubber, nails and screws, or for those who don’t have the time to make one, the bird boxes are available to buy from the RSPB website.
Sparrows like to have their friends nearby, so why not encourage a colony of them in your garden by building a sparrow street and putting a row of them together?
Plant a tree in your garden
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Hide AdTrees play a vital part in offering birds a home, so why not invite them into your garden by planting your very own tree? They offer song perches, nesting sites, safe retreats and highways in the sky, so there’s no reason why this wouldn’t help bring some wildlife into your own garden.
This is a perfect way to get involved in bringing wildlife to your home and works for gardens of every size, and can be much easier and more affordable than you think. This works with trees of all sizes, so don’t think because you have a smaller garden you might not be able to take part, as apple trees are a perfect choice for those with less room.
Birds may not flock to your garden immediately, but if you sit back and watch how your tree blossoms, they’ll be nesting in there before you know it.
For a simple step-by-step guide to each of these activities, visit the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch page here: https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch
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Hide AdFor more information on any Barratt Homes near you, please call the sales team on visit http://www.barratthomes.co.uk
For more information about any of these top tips or to become a member, please visit the RSPB website http://www.rspb.org.uk/
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