Chrip appeal

WANT BIRDS TO MOVE IN TO YOUR GARDEN? IT’S NOT ONLY ABOUT THE NESTBOX. THINK FLEDGLING-FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING, NESTING KNOW- HOW AND SOME INTERIOR DESIGN TOUCHES TO HELP TEMPT THEM IN

Words: FERGUS COLLINS

That first time a fluffy blue tit fledgling pokes its head out of the nestbox is a painful moment of joy and tension. I momentarily stop breathing. It’s always such a slow move, the parents noisily encouraging it, me silently urging. Finally, just when I’m about to give up and get another cup of tea, it finds the courage to launch – a weak fluttering that ends in an ungainly splashdown in a nearby bush. I cheer under my breath, as if I raised the little bird myself. And in some ways I have. I chose the nestbox, sited it carefully and tried to create the right conditions for the parent blue tits to breed. It’s so rewarding. By the time I’ve made that next cuppa, a second chick is…

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The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 2024

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