Garden Birds Ireland
- Give garden birds a helping hand this winter! Have you put out the bird feeders yet? This is the time of year to start thinking about Garden Birds in Ireland. Colder and longer nights are on the way so put the bird feeders out in the garden now!
One of the easiest places to see birds is in your own garden. And one of the easiest ways to attract birds to your garden is to tempt them in with food. It doesn’t matter if you have a big or a small garden or a big garden, or a balcony in an apartment, birds will find food if you leave it out for them. October is the month to start putting bird feeders in the garden. feeders.
Feed the Birds!
Perhaps you could put out some bird feeders in your garden? You will be helping the birds, and you will get enjoyment for you and the family as a bonus. If you want to attract a good variety of garden birds, then put out seed feeders and peanut and feeders. These are available in your local hardware store and in garden centres. Get the kids involved If you have a young family and give them an early insight into nature and wildlife.
Not all of the birds in the top 30 garden birds survey will visit your garden. However, you will be surprised at the variety of birds that will come to the feeders. This is a great opportunity to introduce children to wildlife in Ireland. It is something they will enjoy and it is educational. Encourage the children to identify the different types of garden birds that come to visit.
Encourage the children to take an interest in gardening! Birds are attracted to habitats that are safe and that provide food. Flower borders, hedges, trees and shrubs provide shelter and food for birds. If you have the space you could leave a small section of your garden to grow wild. And if you have trees, you can put up a nest box.
Every winter, “Birdwatch Ireland” manages an extensive survey right across Ireland. The Garden Birds Ireland Survey involves over a thousand gardens in different parts of Ireland. Valuable information is obtained about the status of different birds throughout the country. Click here to see photographs of the top 30 garden birds in Ireland and see how many the children can recognise! All of the bird photography is my own and the photographs have been taken in the wild!
Winter can be a tough time for garden birds. Many insects hibernate or are simply less active. Birds will often go hungry because there is no natural source of seeds available, and insects are less plentiful. Additionally, the lack of sunshine and shorter days means that the birds have less energy. Therefore winter is a good time to consider leaving out food and water for the birds.
As a member of Birdwatch Ireland, I take part in the survey every year. All of the most common garden birds in Ireland are featured here in the photograph gallery. This will help you to identify the different species of birds that will visit your garden.
For a more comprehensive list of birds in Ireland, check out the Birds of Ireland A to Z gallery!
