“Winter gardens can be a real haven for our wildlife,” says Adrian Thomas, RSPB wildlife gardening expert. “At the harshest time of year, when natural food sources are scarce or hard to access and temperatures are brutal, our gardens can offer both food and shelter to everything from tiny insects to birds and small mammals.”.
To encourage your children to watch birds, RSPB spokesperson Helen Moffat suggests you help them practice listening. “We’ll often hear birds before we see them and listening out for them helps us track where they are. Try ‘elephant ears’ where you cup your hands around your ears and turn your head slowly. It really does work.”.
Do some prep. “Look at pictures of some of the garden birds you hope to see and get your child familiar with them. It can give them a great sense of achievement to not just spot a bird but be able to name it,” she says. Help your child become familiar with binoculars, if you have them, before you do your birdwatch. Also, make sure that they are comfortable when looking for wildlife, because if they are cold and uncomfortable they are unlikely to enjoy the experience.
Find somewhere to sit and maybe take an old cushion or two, and be prepared with a few snacks, and wrap up warm, she advises. But how can you maximise the chance of birds visiting your garden?. Thomas offers the following tips:. Plant shrubs and trees. Plants help provide food and shelter for wildlife and some structure in your garden.
