Spring/Summer is very busy time for garden birds and it's at this time of the year that garden birds will be most active in your garden. If you observe their behaviour during this time, you will witness several stages in their busy life's, including finding a partner, building a home and raising a family.

Remember that if you want to attract birds to your garden, you will need to make sure you make your garden is bird friendly. You can do this by doing things such as putting out bird food regularly, siting nest boxes and using bird tables. Remember that good hygiene is also vital, or feeding may actually do more harm than good. Also remember when putting out feed during the summer months that birds require high protein foods, especially while they are moulting.



Finding a partner



During the early part of the year our garden birds need to look and be fit, strong and healthy, thereby convincing their prospective mate of their capability to support and provide for a family in the busy months ahead.



Offer seed blends with a higher content of energy boosting seeds, like the sunflower. Remember to cater for the Softbills (Robins, Blackbirds and Thrushes), whose natural diet consists of fruits, insects and berries, many of which are hard to find at the end of winter and the beginning of Spring. They also need to supplement their diet with the ground and table mixes especially formulated for them that include high energy and fat-rich ingredients.



Building a home



An exhausting time for both male and female birds alike - constantly on the go from dawn to dusk. It's important to provide the families in your garden with a regular supply of nutritional, high-energy value foods. They will still forage in the wild for their normal foods but the more assistance you can offer the more successful and healthy they will be during this frantic time when all their energy is devoted to finding enough food for themselves and their young dependents. And if conditions are favourable they may even have a second brood!



A clean and fresh supply of water is also essential throughout the year.



Raising a family



By caring enough to provide the basics of food, water and shelter in your garden you will be lucky enough to witness and enjoy the immense pleasure of this stage in the life of your garden visitors. Entertainment guaranteed!