How To Create a Birdwatching Hub in Your Own Back Garden

Do you enjoy a bit of birdwatching? Maybe just through your window at home? Or perhaps you are a hobbyist and venture out with your binoculars? I must admit since we began feeding the birds in our garden I have become a little bit obsessed with watching what they get up to. I feel as though I can now really appreciate seeing wildlife here whereas before it wasn’t something I was overly aware of – probably because it was so nature depleted! But now we have a variety of birds visiting it’s brought this space to life. We even took part in the RSPB Big Bird Watch this year for the very first time! We have a fairly small garden so we tend to watch from the house windows but if you have the space outside you could create a birdwatching hub. On top of this you could also take a few more steps to attract the birds to your garden and here are a few ideas…

Garden Room Birdwatching Hub

To be able to watch all those birds you are about to start attracting to your garden you will need the perfect birdwatching hub and one of the best ways of doing that would be to install a garden room. The reason for this is that you will be able to build it in the optimum position and have a different view than say your upstairs window will have. You will have warmth and shelter allowing you to birdwatch throughout the year and most come with large bi-folding doors giving you a “birds eye view” of your garden. It can also have trees, plants, bushes, climbing plants and a lawn surrounding it so it blends in with your garden and thus encourages the birds to come closer to this building than they would to your house, plus it is a quieter spot – unlike your home! Which again, will mean that the birds will be happier to come a little closer. A Garden Room can also be a place to store your binoculars, notebooks, charts, computer for identification, wildlife camera monitors and so on.

If you have a garden shed you could create a similar set-up here but just take note that it will probably be quite chilly in the winter and at certain times of the day.

If you are fortunate enough to have a spare room in your house you could turn this space into your birdwatching hub. You will benefit from setting up wildlife cameras, maybe even Wi-Fi ones that you can watch a live stream from and of course binoculars to gain a better view.

Whatever your hub looks like be sure to create a comfortable area with cushions and throws, easy access to drinks, a place for snacks and for storing all of your birdwatching must-haves.

Attracting More Birds To The Garden

Planting

In order to attract more birds to your space, you will want to begin by taking a look at how wildlife friendly your garden currently is. With many modern gardens using more and more hard landscaping, plastic grass, fake plants and so on, we need to turn these things around in order to get birds visiting and staying. A real lawn is key because birds need access to those yummy worms and bugs that live just under the surface. A real lawn that is allowed to grow will bring dandelions and daisies, which will attract more insects and provide more food for birds – having a circular eco-system really is key.

Next up, let’s take a look at those flowers, plants, bushes and trees. You want a good mix of all of these as they will provide seeds, berries, shelter and places to possibly nest. A few great examples are flowers such as sunflowers as the birds can help themselves to the seeds, Hazel which provides woody shells with seeds inside, Holly bushes that have their bright red berries for birds to enjoy and if you can, add a tree because they provide many seeds as well as a place to perch or nest.

Food

Offering additional food is also a must in order to attract birds to your garden. Use hanging feeders in trees, tables on your lawn or even make your own eco-friendly bird feeders by placing seed inside an orange peel like in this blog post here. Another great feeding station idea is the ones which stick to your windows. By adding these to the doors and windows of your birdwatching hub, you will get the best view of your visitors. Carefully selecting the types of bird feed you use can help attract a wider range of species of birds to your back garden.

Shelter

As mentioned above, bushes and trees can both provide shelter for birds but some species love bird boxes or birdhouses as they are extremely private and warm. Tits and Robins in particular will come to nest in these as long as you choose a spot that is high up, that will make them feel safe and is accessible. Angle your birdhouses so you can easily see them from your birdwatching hub.

Water

Birds will flock to your garden if you provide them with water. This can be in the form of a pond, a bird bath or just a small dish with water inside. They will use this for drinking, washing, cooling themselves and even playing. It is such an easy way to attract them and will make for a wonderful way in which to watch them.

By just taking these very simple steps you will soon have a wonderful wildlife garden that will be brimming with life and providing lots of exciting things to watch from your birdwatching hub.

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