Bird box news!

Fancy saving 10% on your next order for garden bird food? Of course you do! Well, simply visit Garden Bird Supplies and at checkout enter the discount code BY9WAADX

Valid until 31/05/2009

The results of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch survey indicate that the long-tailed tit (pictured) has made it into the top 10 of spotted birds for the first time.

The bird charity suggests that the increase in the amount of these birds being spotted is due to a series of mild winters. It is also suggested that the bird has also adapted to feeding from garden bird feeders.

This years top 10 of noted garden birds is:

1. House sparrow
2. Starling
3. Blackbird
4. Blue tit
5. Chaffinch
6. Woodpigeon
7. Collared dove
8. Great tit
9. Robin
10. Long-tailed tit

The RSPB says that the recorded numbers of the top 3 garden birds have fallen significantly since the very first Garden Birdwatch back in 1979.

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Former childrens wildlife TV presenter Chris Packham (official website) has been named as the new co-presenter of the BBC’s Springwatch.

Packham replaces Bill Oddie, who decided to leave the show to “take a breather” earlier this year. Packham will join regular presenter Kate Humble on Springwatch and also Autumnwatch.

I think I’m correct in saying that Springwatch started out as a childrens TV programme on the CBBC channel – my own two children enjoyed watching it. Nowadays the programme is also broadcast in the early evening and is popular viewing with adults wanting to watch the nesting birds and other animals.

The Telegraph reports that domestic cats are to be tagged Satnav style in an attempt to discover how damaging they are to urban bird populations. With up to 626 cats per square kilometre, researchers conclude that as an urban cat kills 16 animals a year that equates to 92 million animals a year, 27 million of which are birds. Using GPS tracking tags on cats it is hoped that researchers will have more information about cats hunting habits.

We mentioned previously about using a bird box plate to try and keep out predators – though I doubt that cats manage to get inside a bird box. If you know otherwise please do leave a comment.

From now until the 21st Feb you can get 10% off a bird box when you
buy online here at the RSPB shop. It’s part of the RSPB efforts to support National Nestbox Week.

You’ll also find a wide range of bird food ideas such as:

• bird cakes
• suet balls
• sunflower mix
• coconut shell treats

An inexpensive bird box plate is simply a piece of metal – aluminium typically – with a circle in it. You fix this plate over the front of your bird box, aligning the hole in the plate with the hole in the box. The plate protects the entry hole from being made bigger by predators.

Simply fix the plate to your box ensuring that your fixings are not longer than the thickness of the wood – you do not want to risk injury to the birds inside.

Garden Bird supplies currently offer an expensive plate with a 30mm hole – click here.

The RSPB has warned that novelty bird boxes in the shape of farm houses, windmills and fruits are putting birds lives at risk.

The Society warns that novelty nesting boxes are generally unsuitable. A colourful box may attract predators and a material such as metal roofing could literally cook young birds if the bird box is in direct sunlight. The RSPB recommends traditional, wooden nest boxes are the best – and often the most cost effective too.

Happened to visit Ness Gardens on Easter Monday – out of the cold wind it was lovely. Spotted these two bird boxes as we did the egg hunt.

Here on The Wirral we have a popular area called Royden Park that is partially owned by the National Trust. There’s a walled garden area within which I spotted these two bird boxes: