Treating the garden birds

Imagine attracting dozens of birds to your plot. Not just in numbers, but in variety too! One user of Richard Jackson High Energy Bird Food attracted an amazing forty-four different species of wild birds to her garden last year, and is still seeing new bird species visiting her feeders this year too. Garden owner Michele Green has fed the birds all her life. Her garden, on the edge of the countryside in Essex, is alive with wildlife large and small, but it is her love of the birds that keeps her inspired and entertained. Michele started using Richard Jackson High Energy Bird Food three years ago and since then her garden has been a magnet for a huge variety of birds.

“I just got inundated with different bird species”, she explains. Some of which I had never even heard of and actually had to look them up. It was a really bumper year last year and on my Facebook page people were asking what I’d seen in the garden this week. The ‘beast from the east’ blew in a few unusual species but I had also been feeding Richard Jackson’s bird food, last year I recorded forty-four different bird species in my garden. It was amazing.”

Exciting find

One of the birds that visited her garden last year was so rare it got the bird watchers very excited. In fact when Michele first saw it she didn’t know what it was and posted her find on a few wildlife sites for help. “The replies came back in seconds and said it’s a rose coloured starling, where are you? I had visions of a garden full of twitchers! I had to report that one as a rare bird sighting, because they shouldn’t be here.” This year Michele has been treated to another unexpected visitor. A Green Parakeet who paid a visit one gloomy Sunday morning in July.

But it’s not just the exotic birds that boost her spirits, the wild birds are just as exciting and Michele especially enjoys watching the woodpeckers. “My favourite bird is a little nut hatch, I’d never had them in the garden before, and I now have a pair of them that come in regularly, they are my favourite birds.”

Wildlife friendly

With a garden on the edge of the countryside, Michele has a variety of other wildlife that visits her garden and so she gardens with nature in mind. “I try to plant the garden so that it encourages bees, butterflies and insects. We have log piles and a mature buddleia bush that is great for pollinators. I also have water out for the birds and all the creatures that visit the garden, particularly during the summer when it it’s hot. I was putting water out all the time this summer and the birds were having a good bath as well as a good drink.”

Tailored feeding

Wild birds have very different needs, not just in terms of the food they need with some requiring a seed based food and others that eat mostly insects, but also in the way that they feed. Some birds can’t cling to a hanging feeder so Michele uses a variety of different ways to ensure her birds are well fed. “I’ve got feeders dotted all around the garden and lots of different types of feeders as well because some birds like specific types and they don’t all feed from the same place, I also have a ground feeder for those that don’t use the feeders.”

But when it comes to bird food Michele is a fan of Richard’s special bird food. “I like the fact that it feeds a variety of different bird species, and it is particularly beneficial when I’ve got the baby birds in the garden because it’s all perfectly sized for them. Richard’s bird food ensures that the babies can get that nutrition when they need it most, we get a lot of fledglings in the garden and it is definitely appreciated. I do put out other food for the larger birds, things like bigger pieces of nuts which are just fine for the bigger birds like the magpies.” Every year is different and this season has had its challenges for wildlife and gardeners alike. “I haven’t had the same variety of birds in the garden this year,” she says. “I think that’s partly because last winter was milder. Richard’s food has been popular with my regular garden visitors especially the fledglings. The hedgehog that visits my garden also enjoys the food if it falls to the floor under the feeders.”

Feed the birds

If you want the very best for your garden birds feed them up this autumn to help them survive the winter. We might be biased but we think Richard’s High Energy Bird Food really is the best. You can now buy it in small pack from our website to try it and if you are looking for a way to treat a friend or your garden birds, take a look at the new range of bird treats on our website here. If you’d like to share your garden story of one of Richard’s products, please do get in touch via our Gardening Club.