2014 Project Butterfly - Update!

                        Releasing one of the Painted Ladies in my wild meadow garden today

I'm so pleased with the progress of my "Project Butterfly", and wanted to update progress! My original post describing the project in more detail is here: "2014 Begins Project Butterfly".

My main aim is to raise and release more of our native Butterfly species, to help boost their numbers. In my area, there's been a notable decline in numbers in a relatively short amount of time. After a Winter spent researching, I completed planting not only the adult butterflies favourite food source but importantly also their caterpillars favourite food plants too. Once that was up and running, I ordered 3 species of Butterfly. I bought the chrysalis from reputable website WWB, while the Painted Lady kit came from Amazon. Although I have worked in the past as a vet nurse, a pet store assistant manager and even worked with reptiles and various other animals and insects, this is a totally new experience, so I wanted to start small and build my experience gradually. I feel more at ease getting the basics right then branching out. I began with a Painted Lady kit as they came with everything supplied and it seemed a good way to gain some experience.

The Painted Ladies are totally self sufficient in their kit, so the next day when the Peacocks arrived, my first task was to glue the Peacock chrysalis to a stick, so they could emerge properly. They arrived loose in a cardbox box, carefully wrapped in soft tissue. While they could successfully emerge loose, I prefer to replicate natural conditions as much as possible. Carefully learning how to do so first, I began gluing them to a suitable stick raised off the ground where I wanted them to emerge. (Indoors so I could keep an eye on them) It's important they hang free of any objects right away after emerging, as within seconds their wings begin to take form. I won't beat around the bush, it was nerve wracking taking them individually and gluing them! I kept checking and double checking they were facing the right way, as it's fatal to glue them wrong. If accidentally gluing them at the head instead of the tail, it means sealing them in. Fortunately it's easy to tell, so with great care, baited breath and slightly fiddly fingers, I securely fastened them, supported them while they dried, then lifted them in to the correct dangling position. 

The Peacock chrysalis remained unchanged for some time, then suddenly and simultaneously, their wing cases changed from lime green and yellow to pale orange. The next day, they changed to a mottled dark mix of shades as shown below:

The day after, they gained their wing patterns. They emerge with their largest set of wings folded over, so it's possible to identify the chrysalis if unsure:

Early the next morning, around 8am, crumpled, yet surprisingly strong, they emerged. One by one they burst out head first, arranging themselves to dry unaided. They emerge soundlessly, so witnessing it is lucky. It's amazing witnessing the speed of their emergence, and how quickly their wings expand. Within seconds their wings both lengthened and straightened. I thought it would take longer, yet the wings are very quick to form. Some small movements such as unfurling and furling their proboscis. One swayed endlessly from side to side, but the others were statue still. 

After an hour or so of rest, they began to exercise their wings and walk around, so I gently moved them into a butterfly netting area so they could recover some more in safety. At this point they aren't quite ready for release, their movements are a bit slow and they are still finding their way. But it doesn't take long!
 
It was the perfect day to release the Peacock Butterflies as it was forecast warm sunshine all day. As mid-day approached, they suddenly began flying around the cage in earnest. It was obvious they were ready, so I took them outside and released them in the wildflower garden. It was such joy seeing them take off! Some lingered, some fed and some disappeared almost immediately. Apparently it's a good idea to release them around midday on a warm sunny day, it gives them a chance to feed up, bask, orient themselves to the area and also find places to overnight before the temperature drops a little. I did wonder if they would breed this year, on taking advice I learnt they won't breed this year but they will busy themselves in the next few weeks feeding up ready to hibernate. Next year they'll come out of hibernation ready to breed. It would be fantastic to see some early Peacocks next Spring! Fingers crossed.

It has now been 6 days since their release, and in the days following, sightings have come daily. They enjoy feeding on the flowering Privet and various flowers in the wildflower garden mostly. A neighbour reported one almost coming indoors, and I'm hearing regularly of them out and about in the vicinity!

Today my Painted Lady Butterflies also emerged! One chose to emerge in the evening, the rest around 8am the next morning. With the kit, I could not choose which species I had. Although not native to the Uk, they do sometimes arrive from abroad. I witnessed it once, several years ago. A beautiful and considerably sized Painted Lady spent a couple of weeks feeding on Lavender, disappeared and I haven't seen one again. So while not my first choice as they do not tend to breed here or survive our winters, they were of interest and I would gain valuable experience watching them mature and change.

I thought the kit might be a good way for me to be introduced to raising butterflies, as it comes with relative safety. I received the 5 tiny caterpillars in the post, already in a pot with their gel-like food provided inside, on the 26th June 2014. At first they were motionless in a pristine pot, yet within 15 minutes they were moving around, eating and thriving. They successfully changed through every stage, shedding, eating and pupating on the paper just under the lid. At this stage I removed them and hung them in the butterfly net to emerge. They emerged and just like the Peacocks, were given time to recover before release. Just after midday, they became more active. I took them outside and had a successful release. They immediately fed on Yellow Long Strife and the flowering Privet. As I watched the Painted Ladies feed, a Peacock butterfly appeared alongside. It was amazing to see all 3 species of Butterfly together! They were too high above my shed to photograph, yet it was a wonderful sight. I can't remember seeing more than a rare glimpse of a butterfly in my garden for so many years, so this was a treat. It's wonderful to hear neighbours reactions too, there's something so uplifting about seeing them, especially feeding and pollinating our plants!

                      My Peacock Butterfly in the wildflower garden 20th July 2014

I highly recommend starting a project like this, it has been both rewarding and fascinating. I wasn't sure how it would go, but now I know how easy it is, I wish I'd got involved sooner!

There are 5 Red Admiral chrysalis arriving in the post at any time, no date given yet, as waiting for availability and they are a species that tends to appear later in the year. I don't know what the chrysalis look like, as I prefer a surprise when I unbox. I've filmed both unboxings so far, and hope to make a video of each species progress. I thought it would be nice to look back on.

I do have some more exciting and unexpected news to come - will update in a new post shortly.

A Summer of Garden Wildlife

                                                The wildflower meadow garden just beginning to mature

                                By mid-July, the garden has matured and attracting many pollinating insects

Recently my mini wild meadow began to flower in earnest for it's second year. Cornflowers are doing well, and have flowered first, along with Corn Chamomile, Borage and a smattering of Poppies. This morning I noticed an increase in insect visitors being drawn particularly to the Cornflowers and Borage, including two new species of Butterfly to the garden and a small Bee. Wasps and Hoverflies are spending all day checking the buds of the Cornflowers. I can't see anything on them, but there must be something there!

I want to photograph my finds as I monitor the different wildlife species visiting the garden this year. I think it will be interesting and fun look back at the diversity by Autumn.

I'll do my best to identify them, if you see any wrongly labeled please let me know!

Late June - spotted an unidentified solitary Bee

                               Small Skipper Butterfly feeding on Cornflower. New to the garden.

                      Gatekeeper Butterfly on privet nearby. My first time seeing one!

                          The Chinese Character Moth resting on Brugmansia,
                                              next to the wildflower garden 
  

 

Damselfly resting on Corn Chamomile
20/7/2014

2014 Begins Project Butterfly

Last year I noticed an unusual spiky black caterpillar feeding on Nettles in the garden. Checking online, I discovered it was the larva of a Red Admiral butterfly. Unfortunately, Ants invaded and I lost the caterpillar. I contacted a Butterfly House who explained Ants are a major source of caterpillar loss along with wasps and parasitic wasps. Chatting with friends, we noted butterfly numbers weren't what they once were. One friend hadn't seen a butterfly in years, while my garden only had the odd sighting. And so I felt inspired to see if there was anything I could do to help.

Ants play an important role in the garden, providing a valuable food source themselves - a Summer highlight for me involves watching them stream high into the air, looking for mates while attracting flocks of birds. Swallows, Swifts and even Seagulls suddenly appear in vast numbers, enjoying the feast. So nothing disastrous would be happening to the ants, nor the Nettles where they diligently farm their aphids. I'm even almost grateful to the Ants, as they inadvertently highlighted a topic I'd cast to the back of mind; our Uk butterflies aren't as common as they once were? I wasn't sure how to help, but I did want to do something about it. 

Gathering books and researching online, I spent the following winter evenings learning what it takes to help our native Butterflies. I received valuable advice from a gentleman in the USA, who'd successfully turned his garden into a butterfly haven. For many years his garden consisted of manicured lawn and pine trees and was devoid of butterflies. Like me, he would rarely see one fly over and then it was gone. He grew nectar rich flowers, which attracted a few butterflies, but they did not stay. Seeking help, he came to understand in order to attract and encourage butterflies numbers, he needed to provide a rich diversity that included not only the correct foods to sustain the adult butterflies, yet also, and maybe even more importantly also the prefered food plants for their young.
 
Butterfly species have specific food preferences, and while there can be some diversity in what food their young will comfortably take, generally speaking it falls to a specific type. Luckily, many also have similar needs and some are positively unfussy! Nettles and Thistles are great food plants for many caterpillar species, freely aquired and easy to grow. After the loss of the Red Admiral, I decided to grow Nettles in raised pots, away from soil. I filled unused pots with garden soil, planted small Nettles from the garden and situated them on slabs with bricks underneath. Now Spring has passed and early Summer, yet Ants are not visiting these Nettles. The leaves are clean and Aphid free. Ants protect Aphids, and keep predators like Hover Flies away. It's working really well. 

Even more encouraging, I discovered it's possible to purchase our native butterfly species, both caterpillars and pupae, online. There are professional buisnesses aswell as amateurs looking to disperse their large broods. Yet, this wouldn't be much use if I did not have both food sources for the adults and their young in place first. They needed somewhere to call home, with all mod-cons. Fortunately, they are singularly unfussy. They don't care for air-con or a power shower, but they do thrive on rich nectar and various wild plants of their choice!

I decided to begin with species who's needs are most easily met, beginning with Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Red Admiral. As I learn I would like to add more if possible, perhaps Moths also.

If you're interested in joining me, I recommend the book "Butterflies" by Robert Goodden and joining various insect forums where butterfly raising advice is beyond helpful. I particularly enjoy diaries, I've gleaned a great deal from others experiences.

Having zero experience, I began this year with a Painted Lady kit. They provide everything caterpillars need from start to finish, and I've found it a great start in gaining some experience first hand, with safety and success an almost cert. I received 5 healthy, young caterpillars on the 26th of June 2014, and by Saturday the 5th of July they had begun to pupate. All 5 are now in the pupae stage.

From a professional company I also ordered and received 5 x Peacock pupae. They arrive loose, ready to be hung. They will emerge shortly, and will survive until next year when they will hopefully breed.

                                           Peacock Butterfly Pupae

                           All 5 Peacock Pupae, shortly after arriving via mail
 
I also have on order 5 x Red Admiral pupae. They will arrive shortly. I think releasing 15 Butterflies my first year is a promising beginning. I really hope to share my experiences, and encourage others who are interested to try. It's a learning curve, and as soon as I'm confident I can successfully raise these, I will move on to the more difficult task of raising caterpillars with freshly picked food and even hopefully breeding them. I understand this to be difficult, yet worth a try! One of the most inspiring diaries featured a gentleman who rescued over 100 Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars from Nettles cut down by his local council. Raising them on cut Nettles stood in bottles of water, most successfully made it to the pupae stage. Just a couple of weeks later, he released around 115 Small Tortoiseshell butterflies in to the wild. Now that's a success story! 

My aim with this project is to increase local butterfly numbers by tackling it in 3 ways. I am growing the adults prefered nectar rich flowers, coupled with providing an abundant source of caterpillar food plants, while also raising and releasing healthy adult butterflies. Hopefully these 3 factors will see an increase in numbers in the following years. Only time will tell! This is an exciting project for me, and I'm really looking forward to releasing specimens in to the wild. I have everything crossed they will hopefully find wild mates, breed and soon sustain their numbers naturally.

Update: This year I was both surprised and delighted to discover Small Tortoiseshell butterflies thriving in the garden. I even saw a pair breeding on the garden fence - an uncommon sight apparently! - with a third chancing his luck! Due to seeing all three daily, I am not including this species this year. Hopefully this will become a common theme with many butterfly species in the near future!


 (photo's and video to come)

Say No To The Mow

A quick heads up! You may have heard of Plant Life. They're currently running a couple of interesting campaigns. One I'm participating in is catchingly titled "Say No To The Mow".

What's it about? Thankfully super easy, everyone can get involved and there's barely anything to do! Simply allow a section of lawn to grow wild, then record what you get. If it sounds like something you'd enjoy, check out the links above and when you're ready click here and submit!

And you can mow again in August.

Grow Your Own Wildflower Meadow!

I remember the day the RSPB catalogue arrived in the post. Packed with the most beautiful items for sale, I was mesmerised but nothing grabbed my attention more than a piece regarding wild meadows. 

97% loss of our wildflower meadows since the 1940's. The previous year, I'd dabbled with the idea of turning a section of garden into a wild meadow, inspired by my local conservation sites. There's nothing more intoxicating than walking hip deep in Meadow Sweet, Grasses, Wild Sage and even the prolific yet highly scented "alien" Himalayan Balsam, on a warm Summer's eve with the buzz of insect life all around. I wanted some of that at home to enjoy anytime. Gathering some wildflower seeds, I spread them on the site of an old pond, but nothing remotely wild meadowy grew. Simply described, it was merely a thick matted mass of dense grasses and low creeping weeds, stifling any new seedlings.

Thanks to the RSPB, I felt fuelled with the desire to start again. I began with no expectations of what was achievable. My only loose objectives were to create an authentic wild flower meadow to attract as much wildlife as possible, plus hopefully achieved in a cost effective way. I needed to complete the project on a budget.

I spent that Winter researching the wild flowers most favoured by Bees, Butterflies and Moths. 

I discovered to sow the site professionally would be expensive, so I gathered a list of seeds recommended and began ordering them, mostly online at auction sites. I discovered I could buy thousands of seeds for 50p! I found a reputable seller willing to not only add seeds I required, yet even kindly combine p&p. A flurry of seeds soon flooded through my letterbox; Blue Cornflower, Organic Borage, Water Mint, Wild Violets, Flanders Field Poppy, Mixed Poppy, Ox Eye Daisy, Corn Chamomile, Corn Marigold, Buttercup and Clover. I was thrilled when the Soil Association offered packs of free organic Phacelia seeds to anyone who emailed them within a certain date. They would prove to be a valuable asset.

As Spring approached, the real work began, digging the site, removing stones, unwanted plants, any remaining pond liner and preparing the soil for seeds. My soil is heavy clay, and not easy to work with, but the beauty of wild flowers is they don't care! It was a pleasure to skip adding manure, repeated soaking and raking to a fine till. That can be kept for the flower borders and vegetable patch. 

The fun part next! I mixed all the seeds together, then split into 50-50. I kept half of the seeds to sow in a few weeks, to provide ongoing colour throughout the Summer, and to fill in any bare patches. I mixed the remaining 50% with sand to ensure sowing is even and to add weight as it was windy for days. I raked very little, then watered. And that's the only effort it took!

Almost immediately, the soil sprouted countless healthy seedlings. While it's tempting to weed out obvious plants you might not want out of habit, I did my best to leave it be, fight it out, as nature does best.

My mini meadow grew easily and thrived. Each day it visually matured. I watered when very dry, yet only when the seedlings were tiny. It was self sufficient and required no feeding or training. I'd busy myself with the rest of the garden, then simply stand and admire the mini meadow!

Exactly 30 days later, the old pond site was lush with vegetation, tranformed, budding, and on the verge of blooming. As it bloomed, every day felt special.

Wildlife moved in immediately. It's true what they say, if you build it, they will come. Previously, the only butterfly visitors were Cabbage Whites and occasionally a Tortoiseshell. Now, several Speckled Wood butterflies danced amongst the foliage, Common Blues spent entire afternoons feeding on the Field Marigolds and it became alive with a myriad of Bees, Hover Flies, bejewelled Beetles and all manner of wee beasties from sun up 'til sun down. As a keen nature photographer, I was spoilt for choice! Ladybirds attracted to aphids on Corn Chamomile quickly moved to the veggie garden, especially the runner beans, where they bred like crazy, saving me the job of hand removing black fly. The site became a riot of colour and activity, a joy to behold. After dusk, the site came alive with Moths. It was by far, the greatest gardening decision I've made.

Originally I grew wildflowers to benefit wildlife, yet as it exploded into life, it became a place of healing and upliftment for people, too. For some time I tried to figure out it's magical quality, before concluding nature is just good for the soul! I didn't expect to enjoy it quite so much. Visitors reactions were similar. Nobody could get enough. It was just beautiful! Every morning new flowers opened, new colours, shades, shapes, and sizes. Brilliant new gifts. It altered daily, and often revealed new surprises, whether flora or fauna. I delighted in the huge Elephant-Hawk Moth caterpillars, following their progress as they fattened on Willow Herb. The site took on a life of it's own. A buzzing community.

There's nothing like starting the day with a cup of tea, in the quiet softness of early morning light, watching wildlife already productive, enjoying fresh new blooms that weren't there yesterday.

When I considered writing this blog post, I wanted to show how easy it is to complete a project like this, how cost effective it is and how rewarding. This is only my second year, yet having gathered so many seeds from last year, my only outlay came from choosing some new varieties, which I didn't need to do. Wildflowers generously shed seeds. It's possible to gift or even sell them, which all helps to spread these flowers. Mini wildflower gardens are addictive too, everyone who witnessed it said they are keen to start! Just one or two seed pods will likely replace your initial purchase. And I must confess, while seed collection isn't my fortay, I enjoyed it this time around. Maybe it's the delightful seed head shapes, who knows.

I hope you feel inspired to give a go! I promise you will enjoy it. I'm a gardening novice, some of my experiments in the garden have been more miss than hit. This has been a pleasure from start to finish.

Last Summer it came to my attention some council's have taken to growing wildflowers on verges and roundabouts, not only helping wildlife but also slashing their mowing bills. I think it's inspired. Newport council, not far from me, have done an incredible job.

I'm also hearing increasing numbers of people are growing wild flowers, even without space or a garden, making use of window boxes and pots. When I think of our combined efforts as a birds eye view, all these mini wild meadows must add up to a glorious percentage returned! I really hope so. If you're thinking of growing your own but you don't have space, it really doesn't matter how small, it will prove invaluable.

I'd love to know if you're thinking of growing your own!

(more pics to come)

 

Rare Wild Linnets

Following on from my last post about Feeding Wild Birds, I quickly wanted to share that sometimes you can attract and feed even red status birds simply by doing less!

During the Summer of 2013, my garden Forget-Me-Knots attracted a pair of Linnets. They fed exclusively on the tiny black seeds over several days, and I managed to film some shaky footage from a window.

Linnet numbers have decreased by 57% and the RSPB lists them as Red Status. Wales has been particularly hit, so it was doubly pleasing to see the Linnets here in Wales!

It's good to know simple non-actions such as leaving weeds can provide a feeding haven for rare birds! My Forget-Me-Knots were not planted by me, they spread from a nearby property.

Which brings us neatly to, sometimes "unsightly" weeds can be a bonus! Just as my drying, seeding Forget-Me-Knots became a fantastic free bird feeder, not being too meticulous in the garden can reap fabulous rewards for your wildlife. Wild plants such as Thistles and Nettles may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you do have space tucked away for them, you may be surprised how much wildlife they attract! This year I have Nettles growing in raised pots. I'm hoping a variety of butterflies use the pots to lay their young. Last year I had a Red Admiral lay on nettles in the garden but ants killed the caterpillars. I'm hoping pots work in two ways, keeping the plants ant free without resorting to powders which would put the Butterflies off laying anyway, and preventing them from spreading through out the rest of the garden. If you're nervous of growing fast spreading weeds, why not try pots? 

Let me know your favourite method of growing `weeds` in the comments!

(Click on highlighted text to view the Linnets)

How To Attract Wild Birds To Your Garden

   I used an old table as a feeder, and laid a fallen branch for interest and perches.

Since I was a little girl, I've loved feeding wild birds! I thought I'd share my tips. If you're new to feeding birds, I hope you'll find this both enjoyable and rewarding!

As you provide birds with valuable resources, the pleasure is returned multi-fold as you view a fluttering feast for the eyes right outside your window! Greenfinch, Blackcaps, Bullfinch, Woodpeckers, Linnets, Goldfinch & a whole host of other spectacular species are just some I've viewed from the comfort of my window, for very little pence.

My last Winter count amassed an astonishing 42 different species! Some feed for mere seconds, re-fuelling on their way to new pastures, while others linger from season to season and make your garden Home. It's always a delight seeing something new! I honestly don't think anything beats seeing a rare species enjoying your feeders. Medical studies have even proven bird watching improves both your health and overall well-being, reducing stress which in turn boosts your immune system! It's a win-win hobby!
 
There's a bewildering array of feeders available at garden centres and other suppliers. But I've learnt the simpler they are the better! You can even use a simple tree stump with treats sprinkled. The most important factor is how easy they are to clean. That's why simple, is golden.

You might also feel overwhelmed deciding what food to give your birds. The price varies wildly in my experience. if you're in it for the long run, buying in 20-25kg sacks might be cost effective. Alternatively, you don't need spend a lot, a little shopping around can net big savings! I buy good quality wild bird foods from any local Poundstretchers, Pound land or any budget shop for.. 1 pound! They also sell refillable fat slab holders for 99p, inc the fat slab. So you don't need to spend a fortune. BUYology stores sell enormous fat bars the size of church candles for 79p. Since I began to shop around, I've cut the cost to a quarter while maintaining quality (black sunflower seeds are really all the same) and the birds love it and polish it off regardless! My birds are pretty fussy eaters, so if they eat it, the quality is there. The only time they've refused food is certain grains in wild bird mixes. Don't be concerned if that happens, they will pick out their favourite pieces. With the cheaper mixes there can be more waste, but for the price it equals out. I used to buy a no waste seed feed, but it was so expensive it didn't figure out. Plus the birds still refused to eat some bits! 

One of the simplest ways is to grow your own Sunflower seeds! Plant a few seeds in the ground at the back of borders. Enjoy the Summer blooms, then allow them to ripen for a zero maintenance feeder over Winter. Remember to keep some seeds back for next year, and it won't cost a penny.

You can make your set-up as diverse or simple as you choose. That's the beauty of it.

 
A few Simple Guidelines:

Move feeders regularly. Areas below feeders can become stagnant and even harbour disease.
 
Clean feeders regularly with a bird safe product. Fill & clean feeders wearing gloves for your own health.

Now we've got that out of the way, time for the fun stuff! What are your favourite birds? Go through bird books or online to find what food they prefer. To gain more species, provide food on different levels and include as much variety as you can. Just like fish are bottom feeders, top feeders, and everything in between, the pattern is similar in birds. Some species such as Dunnocks, Blackbirds and Wrens really favour ground feeders. Others prefer hanging feeders and others are opportunistic, happily accepting food wherever it is, such as Sparrows. Providing food on different levels also allows shy birds access to food when competitive birds are dominating feeders.

 
Birds often have specific food preferences. A more varied selection vastly increases your chances of rarer or more uncommon species. Try to be really patient with new foods and feeders. Sometimes birds come immediately, sometimes it takes a while but once they know they'll be consistent unless passing through. It took me weeks offering Nyger seed to attract Goldfinch, now they were plentiful and this food even attracted glorious Redpolls. It's worth the wait when your patience is rewarded with something new or unexpected! There's nothing quite like racing for a bird identification book and adding a new species to your expanding list of visitors! If you're feeling dispondent remember birds want to eat as much as you want to feed them, and they will come if you build it, or something ;) 
 
Recent information recommends against stopping feeding birds after Winter. Spring is a vital time for birds to refuel ready for the important breeding season. Males are busy singing for territories, while females build their fat storage to create eggs. Studies have shown it is the fat levels of a female that determines the number of eggs and even repeat nesting in many species. If a female has a nest predated, she will only lay again if she has enough fat reserves. Your offerings can make a really big difference!
 
While processed white bread has been a popular bird feeding choice, it contains very little nutritional value. Avoid salted or roasted peanuts, plain are best. Anything in a shell takes more time to open, using up valuable energy reserves especially in Winter with snow on the ground, so try to feed shelled where possible. Monkey nuts may look cute hanging up but plain peanuts are preferable.
 
To encourage your birds to visit and remain nearby, provide a water source. While food is essential, water is vital for both drinking and bathing. On a hot day, natural sources easily evaporate. There's a vast selection available, I use a simple clay tray used initially as a large pot stand. Anything that holds water will suffice, providing it isn't too deep. 2 inches is the recommended depth.
 
While high fatty foods are generally frowned upon in the human diet, fat is a vital part of bird food. Birds do not become over-weight and it helps them stay warm and active. If birds have regular access to fat in your garden, particularly in Winter, it can make a big difference to their survival.

                             Bargain! Buy boxes of 100 fat balls for just £4.99 each, during Summer

Fat balls are my number 1 tip to start. They're extremely popular with many species of birds, from Sparrows, Blue-Tits, Starlings, Great-Tits, Greenfinches and Long-Tailed Tits, and may always remain one of your most popular feeders! You can make your own, there are many easy recipes online. If buying pre-made, they're cheaper in bulk. I purchase tubs of 50 pieces for around £5-£6. Certain times of year they're on sale, so that's a good time to stock up and store. I'll always go for fat balls without netting, if not remove them yourself and place them in a fat ball holder, I buy mine for around 1 pound from Wilko's and they last years.

Remove fat ball netting, commonly used to hang balls from branches before offering and always use your fat ball holder. It's unlikely to happen yet there have been too many reports of birds getting their delicate claws entangled. Safe fat ball holders designed to hold 4 or 5 are perfect, easy to hang and so dispense with the netting. Often large tubs of fat balls come sans netting. Encourage those sellers.
 
Choose which feeders you prefer not by looks but by how easy they are to clean, you'll thank me later! Peanut holders need 6mm gaps in the mesh to prevent whole peanuts being removed, so birds do not choke. 

Some feeders look amazing and novel, but are almost impossible to take apart and will wreck your nails and cut your fingers in the attempt, no matter how hot the water is! I've wrestled with more feeders than I care to name, and in the Winter when you want a quick job outside, that's not fun! All my feeders are now chosen purely on their ability to come apart easily, and be simple in design. No nooks or crannies!

Clean weekly with hot water, rubber gloves and a good bird friendly disinfectant. Dismantle perches, lids and tubes and wash with clothes and brushes just for that job only. 

My absolute favourite feeders cost just 99p and are strong red plastic in one piece with no places to hide crumbs / bacteria from hot water, the sort that hold peanuts. They are perfect to clean and what you want. If a feeder is too complicated, is sealed or glued together, doesn't come apart or has unfortunate gaps for food to slip down between layers, give them a wide berth. I've seen people use feeders with seeds growing up the sides. Washing once a week is really important and it doesn't take long. Some people who never clean have to stop feeding as their birds picked up diseases and were spreading it via the feeders. It doesn't matter how beautiful they are, they must be functional, and cleaning should be top of your list. After all, we love our birds! You don't want to fix one problem (provide food where it may be scarce) then create another (spread or cause disease) Let's keep birds healthy, and feed year around!

                          Look at these beauties! Not caring about a home-made bird table

If you have space why not make or put up a bird table. Apparently bird tables began with German nobility, today you can find them in almost every size and shape and sold everywhere. Making your own cuts costs considerably. Add a raised rim around the edge to prevent your food blowing away. The rim should have a gap in all four corners, to allow rain water to flow away and avoid puddling. A roof is not vital, but useful. You can add a lot of different foods to a bird table, I wouldn't be without mine. It's very relaxing and the birds love it too!
 
If overwhelmed by choices, begin small. I began with one or two handing feeders for two different types of food. Good choices could be fat balls and plain peanuts. Each require a different style feeder. Feeders should be labelled in the store. Once you've got the hang of two feeders; filling them regularly, moving them every so often, cleaning etc, add more! Sunflower hearts/seeds are popular, plump for Black which contain a higher oil content. Again, these require a different feeder style than your first two. In this way, you build your knowledge, confidence and different bird visitors and takes the stress away.

I touched on it earlier; birds prefer to feed near cover. If you have trees, shrubs or bushes, hang them close. My hanging feeders are high enough from the ground that cats can't jump, and near enough to shrubbery they can quickly hide from aerial predators like Sparrowhawks. 

My lower feeders are a little away from shrubbery so cats can't pounce so easily. Ask neighbours with cats to add a bell or keep them indoors from dawn to dusk if they're being a nuisance at your feeders. As a vet nurse I know the majority of road traffic accidents occur at night or dawn, it's also the time they attack birds more, so it could be a nice titbit of info to pass on! 

With a little thought your birds will stay longer on your feeders, giving you more viewing time. If feeders are very exposed, birds will tend to take food away to eat in the cover.

 Look at this absolute bargain! While I prefer to feed live meal worms freeze dried are great too if you're squeamish about wrigglies!

Once your garden becomes a mecca for birds, expected surprises! Sometimes it doesn't matter how carefully you plan your feeders, fantastic birds can be attracted to you in unexpected ways. Last year my flower border of seeding Forget Me Knots (Myosotis scorpioides) attracted a pair of rare Linnets! Fortunately I was able to grab a few bits of video from my front room window. It's always wonderful to see what's out there, and that leaving a little patch of weeds can make all the difference to a feed or not.
 
So providing wholesome food can sometimes be more simple than we think. Ants in a lawn provides welcome food for Green Woodpeckers. It's beneficial refraining from reaching for the ant powder! Instead turn a blind eye to any small mud mounds in grass if you can! My neighbour has a large garden yet he's extremely busy and has taken to allowing it run wild. He regularly has a Green Woodpecker visitor. This Spring his accidental garden of Eden was filled to bursting with Dandelions, as they went to seed I saw two new birds swooping low to eat the seeds, every evening during dusk. I'm working on identifying them still, as the light was so poor. One sang in a nearby tree, it's call loud and unique with only two tones. My neighbour taught me that even those with little free time can still help birds by simply not caring about being too tidy! We've also had a bumper crop of hedgehogs, butterflies and moths, which I'm sure he has helped. Seeing a hedgehog happily chasing a moth (unsuccessfully!) made my evening! Every time it sat still, the hedgehog couldn't see it. They danced together for quite some time before the moth flew away. Priceless!
 
Listen daily. It's easy to miss new species visiting your garden. Large numbers of birds pass through our gardens without our knowledge. Listening becomes a vital tool. I've added a list of bird sound tracks to my channel so you can learn more. Birds chatter wherever they are. If you provided a water source, you'll hear them socialize as they gather around to bathe, and of course arguing over food! Once you become accustomed to the various calls of your birds, it will stick out when something new arrives. I heard my Linnets before I saw them. The same for my neighbours birds and a few others. Be aware, you'll likely pinpoint new species through hearing before sight! You can look up likely birds at the RSPB website.
 
One last note! Birds can be fussy! Getting to know other bird feeding enthusiasts via groups or online can be useful. I've swapped food stuffs with friends after my birds began to dislike food they previously enjoyed. Talking with fellow bird lovers, you'll discover some birds are fussier than others (even with same species, just like us!) while others will eat almost anything. My blackbirds refused to eat their favourite food half way through a bag. I gifted it to a friend whose Blackbirds ate the lot. I received some mealworms in return which mine gobbled up! Once you have general knowledge of accepted foods, don't be surprised or think you're doing something wrong if birds suddenly reject food they once enjoyed. Try a swap or something new. If the food is fresh and uncontaminated, it's just one of those things! Don't be discouraged, you didn't do anything wrong. I had Sparrows do the same thing. I also had my birds demolish a fat slab, once replaced they didn't touch it so it went mouldy and I threw it away. You can never tell what they want, or if food is perhaps inferior, for whatever reason, don't be too concerned, swap and change and stay positive and soon they're feeding again as normal.

I hope my hints and tips are helpful and you enjoy many years of Happy Bird Watching. Please share in comments your experiences!