When we took on these meadows nearly three years ago there were so few small birds. Plenty of Magpies, Jays, Crows, Wood Pigeon and Seagulls but really short of anything smaller. Today the hedgerows are alive with little birds and that is because of a combination of reasons. Not routinely cutting the hedgerows but leaving them to grow wild and untidy with plenty of fruit is a big factor along with not cutting the meadows either so that there are seeds and insects there as well. Digging the ponds and planting more mixed native trees has also helped along with providing a range of food types in the feeders.
The improvement is really noticeable and is so pleasing as evidence that all our efforts are making a difference. However, we are not the only ones who have noticed these birds:
Sparrowhawks are regular here along with the sorry little piles of feathers that result from their visits:
But thats all part of how it all works and if the Sparrowhawks find it worthwhile to hunt here then thats evidence of a healthy ecosystem.
As we walk near the feeders these days, a billow of birds go up. Here is a trap camera photo that we have on a set of feeders:
The hide looks out over these feeders and the new pond and here are some photos I took from there yesterday:
