Birds Archives - Primrose Blog

Big Garden Bird Watch 2021

From the 29th to the 31st of January the RSPB is holding its 2021 Big Garden Bird Watch – your chance to discover the wildlife on your doorstep. And all it takes is an hour of your time.

All you need to do to take part is :

Choose a time
Count the birds you see in your garden over an hour period
Submit your results here

It’s the world’s largest bird survey and by getting involved, you are helping to uncover the secret lives of British wildlife.

Why You Should Get Involved

British birds are in decline – since 1979 the Birdwatch has recorded the decline of several bird species. By getting involved, you can help track the trends and help conservationists reverse the trend.

It’s a fun way to get in touch with wildlife – Every garden is different, and getting to know the unique wildlife in yours is a great way to getting the most out of your outdoor spaces.

What might you see this year?

House Sparrow

One of the most common birds in the UK. Found in 63% of gardens

Robin

The most recognised bird – 83% recorded seeing one in 2019

Dunnock

Only found in 43% of gardens, this beautiful bird is in decline. Can you help find where it’s thriving?

Waxwing

One of the more elusive birds in the country, the waxwing is out there, but can you find it?

Goldfinch

This small bird is common but hard to spot. Can you be one of the 34% who did see one last year?

Blue tit

Seen by 77% of people, this common bird is drawn to a well-stocked bird feeder.

Starling

The fantastic speckles of the starling might not be around much longer. They’ve seen an 80% drop since 1979.

Wren

You’ll hear the wren before you see it, and only 21% did in 2019 – spot them near woodlands.

See what you can find this year, and see how your garden stacks up against the rest of the nation.

Birds, Flowers, Gardening, Gary, Scott, Wildlife

The Changing Garden Of Summer

We can’t ignore it anymore – summer is finally here. As the days get longer, and flowers bloom nature kicks into full gear. But the changes you see in in the garden go way beyond more sun and some blooming flowers. If you take the time to look at the natural world around you there is plenty to see.

Pollinators

The first and most noticeable thing about the coming of summer is the colour that appears as plants come to life all around us, but in the background, a small army of critters and insects are working to pollinate these plants and keep our countryside vibrant. Keep an eye out when your in your garden or out for a walk and see if you can spot any of these underacknowledged pollinators at work.

Ants – not as effective as the pollinating powerhouses such as bees and wasps, they do however have a limited role in pollinating your garden. Next time you see some in your garden, see if you can see where they are walking.

Bees – did you know that the UK has around 250 different species of bee? Bees are some of our best pollinators and not only for our gardens. They also have a big role in pollinating a lot fo the food we eat.

Butterflies – always a happy sight in the garden, this month you may spot the Painted Lady Butterfly. It has a distinct rusty red colour with black wingtips spotted with white.

Moths – when they’re not flying around your house to try and get to the lightbulbs, these little creatures spend a lot of their time outdoors pollinating plants, but because it happens at night we never see it. If you have fragrant flowers like jasmine in your garden it’s likely a moth that is doing the pollination work.

Beetles – known as mess-and-soil pollinators, Beetles will eat parts of a plant and pollinate through their droppings. If you’re out for a walk, take a closer look at some of the plants and you might see a beetle at work.

New birds

The dawn chorus is one of the sweetest sounds of summer, and a lot of those voices come from birds who have come over for the summer. If you keep your eyes and ears open when you sit outside or take your daily walk there are a lot of new birds to see so keep your eye out.

Most birds will be feeding their young on insects this time of year. Below is a list of birds you might spot in your garden:

Sparrows
Blue Tit
Robin
Starling
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Common Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler

Flowers

There are many kinds of wildflower that will begin to emerge and bloom this time of year. See the list below for some of our favourites; how many have you spotted?

Poppies
Cornflowers
Marsh Marigold
Meadow Buttercup
Forget-Me-Nots
Foxglove
Yarrow

Birds, Gardening Year, Planting, Scott, Watering, Weeding

June Gardening Jobs

In June you will often get the longest days of the year, which means more sun and more growing time for your garden plants. You can achieve a beautiful abundant outdoors in June if properly managed and planned. Be wary, the extra hours of light will also be helping weeds so it’s important to keep on top of things to enjoy the best of what June has to offer your garden.

General

Water your lawn: an inch of water a week on your grass will be enough to keep it from going brown. Deep watering once a week is much better than regular watering every day.
Control weeds: use a handheld fork to remove individual weeds from the root.
Plant summer beds: get your summer bedding plants into the soil so they can take advantage of the extra hours of light.
Check and water: check the soil around your plants regularly, digging your finger into the soil to see if there is moisture underneath. Water accordingly when the soil appears too dry.

Plants

Protect from pests: most aphids can be dealt with using a spray bottle filled with a simple solution of water and a little washing-up liquid. This will deal with greenfly and aphids without damaging to the plant.
Plant out summer bedding: fill your flower beds and borders for a colourful display. Discover our selection of summer bedding plants.
Grow sunflowers: now is a great time to grow sunflowers from seed; a fun project for getting the kids involved with the outdoors.
Sow Nigella seeds: these unusual looking flowers can fill an area of your garden with charming blue whilst providing pollen for bees and butterflies.
Sow Nasturtium seeds: these colourful plants are fast-growing and will quickly fill any gaps you have in your bedding. They can also be trained up trellises and such to provide interest at different heights.

Animals

Top up birdbaths: keep your birdbath topped up to provide a place to drink, wash and cool down.
Top up bird tables: this time of year most birds will be collecting bugs for their young (a bonus for pest control) but bird tables and feeders are still needed for a quick energy top-up for parents as they do this.
Avoid trimming hedges: be careful when trimming hedges as birds can be nesting inside
Allow some weeds to flourish: letting a small part of your lawn to grow wild will be incredibly beneficial for all sorts of wildlife. I can provide a habitat for insects which in turn will support the growth of birds.

What June gardening jobs have you been up to this month? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram!

Scott Roberts is a copywriter currently making content for the Primrose site and blog. When at his desk he’s thinking of new ways to describe a garden bench. Away from his desk he’s either looking at photos of dogs or worrying about the environment. He does nothing else, just those two things.

See all of Scott’s posts.

Birds, Bulbs, Flowers, Gardening, Gardening Year, Gardens, Grow Your Own, Planting, Plants, Scott, Wildlife

March Gardening Jobs

With Spring truly on its way now and the clocks going forward, there’s plenty to be doing in the garden. March gardening is all about setting yourself up for the return of warmer days. With a little preparation, you’ll have an outdoor space filled with colourful blooms and happy wildlife. This is an important month for wildlife when insects start becoming more abundant, birds begin working on their nests and smaller mammals come out of their winter hibernation.

General

Mulch to protect soil: bare soil is in a vulnerable state as it’s coming out of frosty weather and heading into drier, warmer days. This means water will start evaporating from the soil; to ensure that doesn’t happen too much, a good layer of organic mulch can keep water in and also help stop the growth of unwanted weeds.
Begin mowing the lawn: grass will now start growing more steadily. A lawn will stay greener the less you take from it each time you mow so little and often is ideal this time of year.
Plan your summer planting: start thinking ahead to summer and begin planting your summer flowering bulbs.
Protect plants from pests: warmer weather means more pests will be coming into the garden. Try to stick to natural pesticides where possible and if chemicals are required be sure to use it late in the day when the majority of beneficial insects will have made themselves scarce.

Plants

Plant summer bulbs: you may be enjoying some colour from spring bulbs but now is a great time to think about summer planting. Plan out your arrangments now to ensure you get the full benefit of their colours come summer.
Plant in containers: lots of plants can successfully be grown in containers; a great option for when space is limited to perhaps just a balcony or patio area. Hardy plants like roses can be an excellent choice for providing dramatic colour without taking up lots of space.
Relocate shrubs: if you want o re-arrange the layout of your garden a little, now is a great time to move evergreen shrubs. The shrub will not have begun taking water from the soil yet so moving it now will give it time to recover and prepare for a good growing season.
Control weeds: use a fork or hoe to get ahead on clearing garden weeds. This can help prevent more serious outbreaks later in the year.

Produce

Prepare seedbeds: break down large clumps of soil before raking over to create a ridge effect. Apply an organic fertiliser two weeks before sowing any seeds and your bed will be ready for growing success.
Plant shallots and onions: a perfect grow your own project that can be used in all sorts of dishes. Onions can begin growing in march and finish off in the summer.
Plant early potatoes: seed potatoes can be planted in trenches with an organic fertiliser to get off to the best start.
Sow herbs: hardy herbs like chives, dill, marjoram and coriander are perfect for sowing this time fo year. Plant seeds into drills and pant out when large enough o handle.

Greenhouse

Plant summer seeds: you can propagate summer blooms like marigolds in the greenhouse in preparation for warmer days in summer when they can be transplanted outside.
Clean the glass: with the warm weather returning you can give the glass a good clean to remove the marks left by winter and maximise the amount of light getting through.
Plant summer vegetables: courgettes, cucumbers, squashes and sweetcorn are ideal for planting in the greenhouse ready for transplanting to the outside when the summer warms the garden properly.

Animals

Prepare for hedgehogs: hedgehogs will start coming out of hibernation. Having food and shelter in your garden as well as easy access in and out can make your garden a preferred hedgehog spot.
Feed the birds: this time of year can see a scarcity of wild food for birds who will be working hard to build nests in preparation for chicks. Give them a helping hand by putting out appropriate foods.
Provide a home: butterflies and bees will begin to emerge. Having bug hotels and feeding stations in your garden can make your space a sanctuary for these important pollinators.
Top up birdbaths: make sure the birds in your garden have open access to water for cleaning and drinking.

Scott Roberts is a copywriter currently making content for the Primrose site and blog. When at his desk he’s thinking of new ways to describe a garden bench. Away from his desk he’s either looking at photos of dogs or worrying about the environment. He does nothing else, just those two things.

See all of Scott’s posts.