Itâs time now for the start of my 2018 Garden bird list 2017 showed most of the common British garden birds with a total of 34 birds, unlike 2016 where I had a few more unusual birds for a city garden and a total of 40.
Sadly Dystonia will mainly have me stuck at home again, update August 2018 I was studying horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh to learn more about making my garden wildlife friendly sadly I broke my ribs and tore my oblique muscles in February and then broke a couple of vertebrae in May it means my studies are on hold again. I may try and do a separate RBGE bird list as the gardens have a great diversity of bird species there and are fantastic to watch.
Kestrel â Feb 22nd â FOx2, only second time Iâve seen Kestrels over the garden.
Lesser black-backed gull â March 4th
Long-tailed Tit â Jan 2nd
Magpie â Jan 2nd
Oystercatcher â Jan 19th â FO
Redwing â March 3rd â snow on the ground.
Robin â Jan 1st
Rook â April 21st
Song Thrush â March 4th â snow still on ground.
Sparrowhawk â Jan 13th
Starlings â Jan 7th
Swift – June 12th
Woodpigeon â Jan 1st
Wren â Jan 10th
8 Species as of January 1st 2018. 12 Species as of January 2nd 2018. 14 Species as of January 3rd 2018. 15 Species as of January 7th 2018. 16 Species as of January 8th 2018. 17 Species as of January 10th 2018. 19 Species as of January 13th 2018. 20 Species as of January 16th 2018. 21 Species as of January 18th 2018. 22 Species as of January 19th 2018. 23 Species as of January 25th 2018. 24 Species as of February 3rd 2018. 25 Species as of February 22nd 2018. 26 Species as of March 2nd 2018. 28 Species as of March 3rd 2018. 31 Species as of March 4th 2018. 32 Species as of March 7th 2018. 33 Species as of April 21st 2018. 34 Species as of June 12th 2018. 35 Species as of August 30th 2018. 36 Species as of September 8th 2018.
Green Woodpecker Edinburgh. Not in my garden but I had to mention a life first and that is seeing a European green woodpecker Picus viridis in Corstorphine Edinburgh, Lothians, Scotland on 28th of December 2018. Â
Iâm currently working on a gardening website that will hopefully be up and running later in 2018, it will obviously have a fair bit about wildlife, and the book Sammy The Shrew for sale which is raising money for charities.
2018 RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch results, Saturday 27th of January. A very windy day, grey and over cast, yet warm. The first crocus of the year started showing today.
Blackbird x 7
Blue Tit x 1
Coal tit x 2
Collared Doves x 2
Dunnock x 1
Great tit x 3
House Sparrow x 17
Woodpigeon x 1
Chiffchaff
Chiffchaff due to being able to see emargination on the sixth primary
I know this site is dedicated to birds but one of the important things for birds is their food and a great way to help wildlife and hopefully attract more birds in to your garden is by increasing the number of insects. The fantastic people at Butterfly Conservation (savebutterflies on twitter) have put together a brilliant list of plants that are nectar rich and perfect for insects many not just for butterflies but bees, moths and some berry producing ones great for many birds.
Plants for attracting butterflies, bees and birds.Â
Iâve searched the internet for places that sell plants or seeds recommended by Butterfly Conservation, for those that I couldnât Iâve linked to suggested searches on ebay. I will be trying to grow many of these to attract as much wildlife to the garden as possible to help the wildlife and in the hope of being able to photograph birds, mammals and insects from home while Iâm not able to walk very well.
Painted Lady on Sunflower Vanessa cardui on Helianthus
Sadly I lost all the links to where you could buy the plants, I hope to fix this once my new gardening website is up and running.
Mini Meadow
Mini wildflower meadow Empathy mini wildflower meadow â Iâm going to be trying this one in my garden
Buddleia / Buddleja
butterfly bush Buddleja âLochinch’
butterfly bush Buddleja davidii âWhite Profusion’
butterfly bush Buddleja davidii âBlack Knight’ â I really like this one
Butterfly Bush Buddleja davidii âRoyal Red’ â RHS Perfect for Pollinators
Buddleia Nanho Purple 1 Plant 3 litre | Buy Plants, Shrubs and Trees Online | Shrubs
Mint
alpine mint bush Prostanthera cuneata â alpine mint bush
peppermint seeds Mentha piperita â peppermint
herb collection â mint, rosemary, thyme, parsley & sage or lavender Herb Collection â(6 Mixed Herbs)’ â mixed herbs
Tasty Herb Collection 12 Jumbo Ready Plants | Garden Vegetables | Jersey Plants Direct â mixed herbs
Black eyed Susan
black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia âLittle Gold Star’
black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia fulgida âEarly Bird Gold (PBR)’
black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia fulgida âEarly Bird Gold (PBR)’
Honeysuckle
mandarine honeysuckle Lonicera âMandarin’
early Dutch honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum âBelgica’
English wild honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum âHeaven Scent’
Daisy
shasta daisy Leucanthemum Ă superbum âSnowcap’
shasta daisy Leucanthemum Ă superbum âPhyllis Smith’
fleabane Erigeron âSommerneuschnee’
black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia âLittle Gold Star’
coneflower Echinacea purpurea âKimâs Knee High (PBR)’
coneflower Echinacea purpurea âWhite Swan’
coneflower Echinacea purpurea
coneflower Echinacea purpurea âVintage Wine (PBR)’
New England Aster Aster novae-angliae âVioletta’ â I really like this one.
coneflower Rudbeckia hirta âAutumn Shades’
pot marigold Calendula officinalis
feverfew â organic seeds Tanacetum parthenium
shasta daisy Leucanthemum âBanana Cream’
shasta daisy Leucanthemum âĂ superbum Sunny Side Up’
shasta daisy Leucanthemum âSante’
Teasel
teasel Dipsacus fullonum â be very good to get goldfinches in the garden!
sea holly (syn. Blue Dwarf) Eryngium planum âBlauer Zwerg’
Nyjer / Thistle seed â Nyjer / Thistle seed
Sneezewort
sneezewort Achillea ptarmica â(The Pearl Group) The Pearl (clonal)’
Onions â Iâve chosen ornamental onions, but obviously there are great benefits from standard onions â like being able to eat them!
giant ornamental onion Allium giganteum
ornamental onion Allium schubertii
Virginia stock
virginia stock seeds
Petunia â make sure theyâre single flowered as often the double arenât great for wildlife.
40 plus 20 FREE large plug plants Petunia âFantasia Mixed’
Petunia Surfina Classic (Trailing) Red 24 Jumbo Ready Plants | Ready Plants
Cotoneaster â these are great for birds too, I had a few small plants in my old garden and a fieldfare came and devoured all the fruit in one day. Was happy to see it!
cotoneaster Cotoneaster frigidus âCornubia’
cotoneaster Cotoneaster dammeri
Buttercup â 4000 seeds can cost around ÂŁ5:
buttercup seeds
Eranthis hyemalis â winter aconite
winter aconite â In The Green Eranthis hyemalis Buddleia is by far the best nectar plant and is first favourite with 18 species: Brimstone, Comma, Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Large Skipper, Large White, Meadow Brown, Painted Lady, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Copper, Small Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, Speckled Wood and Wall Brown.
Check ebay for more great wild flower and meadow plants & seeds:
wildflower
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