Robins will clock to your garden if you leave out one household item for them, experts say. Garden birds, including species like robins and sparrows, are a pleasant presence in your garden, making your plot feel full of life.
But they also play an important role, by seeking out pests that can cause damage and disease in your plants. Robins are often named among Britain’s favourite garden birds, beloved for their striking red feathers and curious personalities – as well as their willingness to help out.
According to the Woodland Trust, the easiest way to do this is to “provide a source of food”, including bits of fruit.
“Insects and invertebrates make up most of a robin’s diet, with seeds and fruit also eaten in winter,” the organisation explains on its website.
“Your garden will be even better for robins if you make it a home for their natural prey. Encourage invertebrates by allowing parts of the garden to grow wild.
“Planting trees and adding features like a log pile or compost heap will help too. These minibeasts will provide food for robins and a host of other wildlife.”
Like other species, Robins have a tough time during autumn and winter, when there’s less of their favourite foods around, with the frozen ground often preventing them from getting to the creatures they love to eat.
But there are still various ways of encouraging them back to your garden even as autumn sets in and temperatures turn.
Emma O’Neill, head gardener at gardenorganic.org.uk, previously explained tips for making your garden a haven for birds in October and the months ahead.
Ms O’Neill told the Express: “Don’t be too quick to cut everything down, leave plants that have seedheads, which birds love such as Echinacea, sunflowers and Eryginum.” Seed heads are key food source for the avian creatures in the colder months.
The expert also recommended leaving small piles of logs out in gardens as “habitats for insects so birds can forage for them”.
She also suggests leaving out some windfall fruit, if you’ve got a lot of it, which is “a particular favourite with blackbirds and thrushes”.
Ms O’Neill also stressed the importance of always leaving fresh water out daily.