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Nesting for birds/mice...

Kathy43Kathy43 Posts: 116
in Wildlife gardening

Morning all. With my garden looking so bare at the moment, its got me thinking. I would love for birds, wrens, blackbirds,or a little mouse, to take up residency in my border.

i have an ideal patch, under the honeysuckle, but i need to find a suitable evergreen, for them to live in.

I cant go big, 1.2 metre wide at the most,and maybe the same in height, (but i would like smaller height), and its shady. I love the look of berries,too.

I am struggling with availability , so the easier to get hold of the better.

Please help...I like the gaultheria mucronta bell seedlings, but it likes full sun

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Posts

  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093

    The RHS website says it likes full or partial shade. Certainly my wintergreen plant is happy in the shade image. Or maybe have small holly - the birds love those and you can keep them small if you keep them trimmed.

    If you want robins or wrens in your garden, you should have a look on the RSPB website for bird boxes. They can be low down on a fence behind shrubs for both these birds so no ladder climbing needed 

    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147

    Helpful advice about siting the different types of nest boxes for different types of birds here    https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/read-and-learn/helping-birds/nestboxes/smallbirds/siting.aspx 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Kathy43Kathy43 Posts: 116

    Yes, Ive looked on another website, and that says shade! I wondered why all the other gaultheria liked shade, but that one didn't! I think holly maybe too big. I saw a nice little one, but it won't produce berries. But it is lovely. I might get one, if I can find one, as my daughter is called Holly, and Hollyhocks won't grow in my garden!

  • Kathy43Kathy43 Posts: 116

    I wonder if I should put a box there, and just let the bush grow around it naturally...

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    philippa smith2 says:

    ...  They are often more picky when viewing a prospective property than we humans areimage


     Possibly 'cos we're a bit further up the food chain than they are Philippa image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Kathy43Kathy43 Posts: 116

    I found a drowned mouse in my old pond, so they are about! I've since revamped the pond, so it could swim out now

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147

    Philippa image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Kathy43Kathy43 Posts: 116
    philippa smith2 says:

    Dove - "further up the food chain" - frequently these days, I do actually wonder about thatimage

    Kathy - if it drowned, it's unlikely to be swimming anywhere now - you need another mouse to test the revamped pondimage

    See original post

     You know what I meant image  

  • Kathy43Kathy43 Posts: 116
    philippa smith2 says:

    I do - sorry about that Kathy - couldn't resistimage  Normally I would claim the sun   "got to me" but I don't think I could get away with that todayimage

    See original post

     Maybe its just windimage

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147

    image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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