Listen carefully
Nature is letting us know
Is it me or has the sound of birdsong got so much louder over the past week? There is definitely something in the air. There seems to be more urgency in the movements of the birds coming into the garden. It makes for a fascinating spectacle and one which can tell us so much about the lives of our feathered friends.
Some birds, such as long tailed tits, are already busy finding a mate, spending time checking out possible sites and building their intricate nests. Keep an eye our for birds carrying tiny twigs, moss or other materials for nest building. When we had retrievers, we used to leave out their hair from brushing and it was always taken very quickly to line nests with.
Wren
Feed the birds
It is still important to help to keep the birds nourished at this time of year. Many of the insects that are part of their diet in the spring and summer are just not around at the moment. They will need good food for the nesting season to keep their energy up. Seeds, suet pellets and fat-balls are reasonably easy to get hold of and devoured quickly by the busy and hungry. If you go out daily with food, they get used to the routine and will be waiting for it. I have a line of blackbirds on my fence at 10am every morning. I also put out shallow dishes with fresh water, particularly when there has been a dry spell or the ground is frozen from the lower temperatures.
Blue Tit
Put up nest boxes
If you have the space, now is a good time to put up nest boxes before the breeding season starts in earnest. Different birds need different styles of next box so firstly notice which birds visit your outside space, then do your research for which type of nest box is most suitable for that species and where it is best to place it. Last year I installed a box for blackbirds. The general advice is that it has to be up for a while before the birds will use it, so you will need to be patient. If it is not used straight away, it may be utilised in future years.
Blackbird
Sit and listen
If you can keep warm enough, it is a lovely thing to go outside and just sit quietly…watch and listen. Wrens, robins and dunnocks have particularly melodic voices. I like to close my eyes and try to and identify each one. Watching and listening becomes almost mediative, capturing the comings and goings of wildlife, in the moment….pure bliss.
Dunnock
Who can help us help them?
I have been a member of the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) for nearly a decade now and am very fortunate to have a RSPB site very close to where I live. I visit it often, for peace, for excitement at spotting something rare or unusual, for the exercise, for contemplation time. Nature is so good for us.
RSPB Saltholme
As well as their reserves, the RSPB have an amazing website (www.rspb.org.uk) with hints and tips for supporting birds and other wildlife all through the year. We can learn so much about how to support wildlife from amazing animal charities.
What if getting out proves tricky?
Here is a guided relaxation I have written for you, and especially for those who can’t get out but love the thought of being in the moment with nature. Let me bring nature to you.
Sit quietly for a few moments
Take some deep breaths
Now, reading with a soft, smooth rhythm
Imagine
It is a chilly, but sunny morning in mid-February
You are sitting on a wooden bench in a garden
You are wrapped up well
Only the evergreens are providing vivid colour
The rest of the garden is awash with tones of browns and creams
Seed heads left from the Autumn, sway in the gentle breeze
You close your eyes and listen….
You begin to notice birdsong filling your ears.
At first, a cacophony of noise
But as you tune in, you notice bursts of sweet trilling
Followed by moments of silence
You open your eyes to see a little robin on a fence post nearby.
Next a shriller sound, higher pitched and longer in duration than the robin
You notice a tiny brown bird in the hedge, a dunnock is calling to you
Then the loudest voice in the garden, a sustained melodic sound
With notes that burst out in tuneful rhythms
The tiniest bird .. a wren appears
Its tail at a sharp angle from its weeny body
It sits on the top of a stone and continues its call
Close your eyes again and see if you can recognise the different tunes
Stay here a while longer, taking in this special moment of peace and calmness
From being at one with nature.
I am curious:
What is you favourite bird and why?
What birds do you see the most?
I started digging the new pond last week and was so happy to hear the increase in birdsong. Including the parakeet 😆. And they are starting to squabble a bit. Spring is definitely on the way.
Too many faves to say, but I’d love to see the black cap that I can hear 🎶
What a lovely reading! I really enjoyed et visual meditation. I love blue tits and robins but my favorite birds to follow are crows. They are so clever and silly, always making me chuckle.