Springwatch is back! Join the team for three weeks of live animal drama in glorious high definition!

Once again the Springwatch team will be celebrating the best of our wildlife bringing you news and action live from across the country. As in previous years you are invited to get involved as your input makes the Springwatch programme so much more special and rewarding.

For extra insight into some of Springwatch's big stories and your chance to give your views take a look at the Springwatch blog. If you prefer you can stay up to date via RSS or ATOM feeds. If you are not familiar with RSS take a look at the ProBlogger guide.

If you love the UKs wildlife and in particular the wide varieties of birds which live in or visit the UK why not become a member of the RSPB and help them protect our wonderful birds.

RSPB membership is a wonderful way to enjoy nature and the great outdoors with free entry to over 100 beautiful nature reserves across the UK, a free quarterly magazine and free joining gift; the beautifully illustrated RSPB Handbook of Garden Wildlife. This fabulous book is full of information on our most familiar garden wildlife and offers practical advice on attracting wildlife to the garden.

In the last few years the Springwatch website has shown us indepth coverage from within the nest boxes dotted around the estate. Here is a link to the Springwatch Webcams.

In the meantime iff you want to get close to the birds which choose your garden to lay their eggs and roost why not consider your own camera nest box.

Garden Bird Supplies have an ingenious multi-species nest box is fitted with a high quality, video camera designed to give sharp images with its in-built infrared lights.

The box has a hinged lid giving easy access to the camera unit without disturbing the birds, and is convertible to different species: With copper hole protector on - blue tit, marsh tit, coal tit, wren, with hole protector off - great tit, sparrow and with panel removed - robin, wagtail, spotted flycatcher.

• Join the RSPB Today - The RSPB are passionate about wildlife and with your help and support they can continue to save birds and wildlife, save and recreate special places for nature to flourish and to campaign and influence policies to help save the environment.Tweet ...
• Kate Humble appointed President of the RSPB - Television presenter Kate Humble has been appointed as President of the RSPB. We hope that Kate’s infectious enthusiasm for wildlife and wild places will inspire millions of people to get closer to nature.Tweet ...
• Wildlife Nest Boxes - Now is the time to put up nest boxes for the birds. Other wildlife in your garden also benefit from have homes provided for themTweet ...

The RSPB are passionate about wildlife and with your help and support they can continue to save birds and wildlife, save and recreate special places for nature to flourish and to campaign and influence policies to help save the environment.

Join the RSPB today and receive the following:

• FREE entry to over 100 beautiful RSPB nature reserves in the UK
• FREE magazine, four times a year, packed with fantastic wildlife articles
• FREE joining gift including this "RSPB Where to discover nature" book if you join by 17th May
• If joining as a family you will receive the "RSPB Wild Families" welcome pack with booklets to help you and your children enjoy nature including FREE gifts and regular magazines for each child
• When charges to RSPB nature reserves apply, members get in free of charge

If you love garden birds and other wildlife then join the RSPB today to help our environment.

To help support RSPB conservation the RSPB also have an Online Shop which offers a great range of high-quality, environmentally friendly products.

They sell quality bird food, feeders, nestboxes, and from July to December, they also sell excellent quality Christmas cards, decorations and gifts.

100% of profit go to RSPB conservation

• Kate Humble appointed President of the RSPB - Television presenter Kate Humble has been appointed as President of the RSPB. We hope that Kate’s infectious enthusiasm for wildlife and wild places will inspire millions of people to get closer to nature.Tweet ...
• Springwatch - Springwatch is back! Join the team for three weeks of live animal drama in glorious high definition! Once again the Springwatch team will be celebrating the best of our wildlife bringing you news and action live from across the country. As in previous years you are invited to get involved as your input makes the Springwatch ...
• Do your bit to save our bees - The British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) is running lots of projects to raise money to fund research into honey bee health, and education programmes for beekeepers.Tweet ...

• I had bought four coconut feeders a few weeks ago so once they were empty I washed them out to use as my containers. Once they are empty I'll reuse them again.
• I melted 250g of lard in a saucepan.
• Whilst waiting for the fat to melt, using a food processor, I mixed up a couple of slices of bread, peanuts and sultanas until the size of breadcrumbs.
• To the dry ingredients I added some mixed bird seed and some dried insects until I had 500g in total.
• Once the fat had melted I added the dry ingredients and mixed well.
• I spooned the mixture into the containers then put them in the fridge until set then hung them out for the birds to enjoy.

You don't need to follow my method to the letter, the dry ingredients can be anything you like as long as you don't use anything salty i.e. no bacon and no salted peanuts. Bits of apple or green vegetables such as cabbage or broccoli would be good too.

Avoid using bread or whole peanuts during the spring when young birds are about or when parents may take food into the nest.

Also, if you don't have used coconut feeders you can use clean yoghurt cartons; just put a hole in the base, thread through some string and knot it below the base to keep it in place. When filling the pots ensure that the string lies down the middle of the mixture with enough left over to enable it to be tied up.

In all I think it took me 15 minutes to make four feeders which I think is time well spent.

To make your own fat feeders you will need supplies; Garden Bird Supplies always have good quality feed at good prices:

• Feeding Garden Birds - A beautiful, well maintained garden is a wonderful thing but what makes it special is the birds. You can attract birds to your garden throughout the year with very little effort.Tweet ...
• Join the RSPB Today - The RSPB are passionate about wildlife and with your help and support they can continue to save birds and wildlife, save and recreate special places for nature to flourish and to campaign and influence policies to help save the environment.Tweet ...
• Wildlife Nest Boxes - Now is the time to put up nest boxes for the birds. Other wildlife in your garden also benefit from have homes provided for themTweet ...

The British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) is running lots of projects to raise money to fund research into honey bee health, and education programmes for beekeepers.

If you want to help make a difference why not sponsor a beehive in your local area. When you register you will receive an adoption pack containing A Certificate of Adoption, a welcome letter from the President of the BBKA, a factsheet about the honey bee, a newsletter with an update about your honey bees in spring, summer & autumn, a BBKA window sticker, a BBKA fridge magnet, a wooden honey dipper, set of six postcards and a choice of either a ½lb (227g) jar of British honey or 100g jar of honey mustard. All this for just £29.50 and the peace of mind that someone is doing something to help our honey bees.

I have adopted a beehive from Hannah in Liverpool and am looking foward to receiving my adoption pack, and eating the honey mustard which I've never tried before.

You can see a list of all the projects the BBKA is aiming to fund by clicking here.

You can now buy a range of other products including products of the hive such as pure honey bees wax, candles and honey lip balm in the luxury adoption set, as well as cards, notelets and bee related items for the home and garden.  Click here if you would like to browse the BBKA shop.

Everything you buy from the BBKA website, no matter how small, will be raising funds for research and education to support the honey bee.

• Join the RSPB Today - The RSPB are passionate about wildlife and with your help and support they can continue to save birds and wildlife, save and recreate special places for nature to flourish and to campaign and influence policies to help save the environment.Tweet ...
• Feeding Garden Birds - A beautiful, well maintained garden is a wonderful thing but what makes it special is the birds. You can attract birds to your garden throughout the year with very little effort.Tweet ...

News from the RSPB:

"Television presenter Kate Humble has been appointed as our new President. We hope that Kate’s infectious enthusiasm for wildlife and wild places will inspire millions of people to get closer to nature.

RSPB members at Saturday’s AGM in London’s Queen Elizabeth II conference centre, voted for Kate to become their new President (3rd October). She is only the second female President since we were founded in 1889 - the first, the Duchess of Portland, served for more than 60 years.

Kate is best known for presenting programmes such as Springwatch, Autumnwatch, Animal Park and The Frankincense Trail, and for her recent appearance on Who Do You Think You Are? Her interest in wildlife stems from a childhood in the country and travels abroad in her late teens.

Kate says: 'I’m not an academic or a specialist, but I do love learning new things and asking questions – I’m never afraid to ask. If I can communicate some of the amazing things I learn about wildlife on an almost daily basis and spark the same interest in others, that would be great.

'I’m extremely proud to be asked to be President of such a highly respected and popular organisation. With over one million members behind it, the work of the RSPB is rightly renowned for making a huge difference for birds, other wildlife and the environment.'

Kate’s TV appearances have made her a hit with everyone from serious naturalists to everyday wildlife enthusiasts, a spread that reflects our membership.

In her new role, Kate aims to increase support for our work. In particular, she aims to get more people enjoying wildlife first hand, whether feeding birds in their back garden, walking in the countryside or visiting nature reserves. She will also be promoting our campaigns to stop the illegal killing of birds of prey, to save albatrosses from extinction and to protect tropical rainforests.

Graham Wynne, RSPB Chief Executive says: 'Kate has a long held passion for nature and wildlife, plus a knack for spreading her enthusiasm to others. She is a great choice for RSPB President.

'We are delighted that Kate has taken on this role. I know she’ll make a huge contribution to our conservation efforts over the next five years.'

Kate takes over from Julian Pettifer, who has given outstanding service, having served two terms as RSPB President. Julian is a distinguished journalist and broadcaster who has written and presented many wildlife, conservation and social history programmes."

You may have seen the launch of this year’s Autumnwatch on BBC2 on Friday bringing birds, wildlife and nature back to our screens and into the public’s hearts. With the series now spanning the whole of autumn, each weekly show seeks out the heart of the action as this rich and dynamic season progresses. Click here to support the RSPB

• Join the RSPB Today - The RSPB are passionate about wildlife and with your help and support they can continue to save birds and wildlife, save and recreate special places for nature to flourish and to campaign and influence policies to help save the environment.Tweet ...
• Springwatch - Springwatch is back! Join the team for three weeks of live animal drama in glorious high definition! Once again the Springwatch team will be celebrating the best of our wildlife bringing you news and action live from across the country. As in previous years you are invited to get involved as your input makes the Springwatch ...
• Do your bit to save our bees - The British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) is running lots of projects to raise money to fund research into honey bee health, and education programmes for beekeepers.Tweet ...

I want to encourage butterflies in my garden and have a patch of nettles. At which time of the year is it best to trim the nettles as they do spread about a bit and I don't want to ruin the butterflies by chopping the nettles down at the wrong time of year for them?

Answer:

The best time to cut back the nettles is March and again in October. Visitors to nettles are the Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Comma butterflies. The eggs and larvae of these butterflies are present on nettles between April and June, with adults emerging between May and October. Adults either hibernate in sheds, attics or shrubs and hedgerows through the winter.

I don't know if you are aware that nettle leaves can be used to make liquid manure which is great for your garden. The best time to start is in the Spring so that you can use the feed throughout the summer period.

You will need four things:
• nettles
• watertight container such as a large bucket
• water
• a weight

Here's what to do:
• Cut down the nettles bruise them slightly then chop or tear them into pieces
• Fill your container with water and immerse the nettles
• Place the weight on top of the stems to keep the nettles under the water
• Leave to brew for three to four weeks
• The brew will get quite smelly so you may want to place it away from the house
• Before using, the brew should be diluted around one part liquid to ten parts water
• Just water it around the base of your plants throughout summer
• Continue to top up your container with more nettles and water throughout the year
• In autumn put the remainder of the feed and the sludge in your compost heap and start again next spring

• Butterflies in your Garden - A well designed and maintained garden is a joy but what make a garden complete is to have it full of bird song and the fluttering of butterflies.Tweet ...
• Plants for Butterflies - Shrubs are used to add structure to a garden and can provide interest all year round. The shrub most loved by butterflies is Buddleia but they also like Choisya, Ceanothus, Ceratostigma, Hebe and Lavender. For acid soil try Hydrangea.Tweet ...
• Coastal Plants in Containers - I live on a barge on the river Medway and would like to plant in troughs or pots around my deck area. I’d like to know what plants would stand a salty wind and what kind of soil to use.Tweet ...

• Springwatch - Springwatch is back! Join the team for three weeks of live animal drama in glorious high definition! Once again the Springwatch team will be celebrating the best of our wildlife bringing you news and action live from across the country. As in previous years you are invited to get involved as your input makes the Springwatch ...
• Join the RSPB Today - The RSPB are passionate about wildlife and with your help and support they can continue to save birds and wildlife, save and recreate special places for nature to flourish and to campaign and influence policies to help save the environment.Tweet ...
• Feeding Garden Birds - A beautiful, well maintained garden is a wonderful thing but what makes it special is the birds. You can attract birds to your garden throughout the year with very little effort.Tweet ...

Did you know that a mature oak tree is home to about 200 species of insect? Every year we plant native trees around the UK. They're just saplings at first, but they will grow into valuable homes for birds, insects and wildlife, and they're brilliant at removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Order any good natured gift, and you will also receive a FREE Wildlife on your Doorstep booklet. While stocks last.

• Join the RSPB Today - The RSPB are passionate about wildlife and with your help and support they can continue to save birds and wildlife, save and recreate special places for nature to flourish and to campaign and influence policies to help save the environment.Tweet ...
• Springwatch - Springwatch is back! Join the team for three weeks of live animal drama in glorious high definition! Once again the Springwatch team will be celebrating the best of our wildlife bringing you news and action live from across the country. As in previous years you are invited to get involved as your input makes the Springwatch ...
• Kate Humble appointed President of the RSPB - Television presenter Kate Humble has been appointed as President of the RSPB. We hope that Kate’s infectious enthusiasm for wildlife and wild places will inspire millions of people to get closer to nature.Tweet ...

• Rescued Hedgehog - On returning home today I found a hedgehog wondering around my drive. By this time of year most hedgehogs will be hiberating so I knew that something must be wrong with this little fellow. I found a cardboard box and bought it indoors while I called Freshfield Animal Rescue. The lady there told me that for ...
• Hedgehog Update - My lovely hedgehog settled in for the night in a bed of straw. However by mid morning today it still hadn’t had a drink nor eaten anything. I decided, therefore, to take him to Freshfield Animal Rescue where he will get the care and attention he deserves. I’ll give them a call in a few days to see ...
• Giraffes at Chester Zoo - Well, I know it’s not gardening related but I’ve just found out that Chester Zoo have a webcam in the Giraffe paddock. Giraffes are my favourite animal and I spent a day as a “Keeper for a Day” with the Giraffes during a very cold November last year. It was a great day and I’m even ...

Take at look at the RSPB's Top Tips for attracting birds to your garden:

• Introduce a bird table
• Put out high protein seed mixes & kitchen scraps such as animal fat and soaked, dried fruit
• Put out hanging feeders for black sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts, sunflower-rich mixes or unsalted peanuts
• Ensure a supply of fresh water every day
• If it is very cold use tepid water but don't use any antifreeze products
• Supply apples and pears for blackbirds, song thrushes and other members of the thrush family
• Fat blocks rubbed into the bark of trees is a great help for treecreepers, goldcrests and others
• Put up nest boxes to provide roost sites for the smaller birds; they will then be used for breeding later in the year.
• Plant berry-bearing plants such as hawthorn, rowan, holly, cotoneaster and berberis in your garden
• Leave wild, weedy or shrubby areas in the garden; these provide a natural seed source, cover and a supply of small insects
• Feed live foods such as mealworms and waxworms to attract a wide range of species.

There is a wide variety of bird seed mixtures available from pet shops and the big DIY stores. The better mixtures contain plenty of flaked maize, sunflower seeds, and peanut granules. Mixes with nuts are suitable for winter feeding only. Small seeds, such as millet, attract sparrows, finches, and collared doves. Blackbirds love flaked maize. Tits and greenfinches seem to prefer peanuts and sunflower seeds.

Wheat and barley grains are only suitable for ground feeding pigeons and doves. Avoid seed mixtures that have split peas, beans, dried rice or lentils as again only larger birds can eat them dry. Mixtures containing green or pink lumps should also be avoided as these are dog biscuit, which can only be eaten when soaked. Black sunflower seeds are an excellent year-round food and sunflower hearts are very popular as well as being less messy. Nyjer seeds are small and black with a high oil content and are particular favourites with goldfinches and siskins.

Peanuts are rich in fat and are liked by tits, greenfinches, house sparrows, nuthatches, great spotted woodpeckers and siskins. Crushed or grated nuts attract robins, dunnocks and even wrens. They can be high in a natural toxin (aflatoxin) which can kill birds, so buy from a reputable supplier.

Fat balls are an excellent winter food. If they are sold in nylon mesh bags, always remove the bag before putting the fat ball out as the soft mesh can trap and injure birds. To make your own bird cake, using a one-third fat to two-thirds mixture, pour melted fat (suet or lard) onto a mixture of ingredients such as seeds, nuts, dried fruit, oatmeal. Stir well and pile into a container such as an empty coconut shell or plastic cup. Allow to set. Live foods such as mealworms are loved by robins and blue tits, and may attract other insect-eating birds such as pied wagtails. Mealworms are a natural food and can be used to feed birds throughout the year. Birds need high levels of saturated fat, such as raw suet and lard to keep warm in the worst of the winter weather.

Blackbirds readily take dog food, and even feed it to their chicks but dry biscuits are not recommended as birds may choke on the hard lumps, soak it first and ensure it stays moist during hot days. Never give milk to any bird, regardless of species or age as it can result in serious stomach upsets or even death. Birds can, however, digest fermented dairy products such as cheese, and mild grated cheese can be a good way of attracting robins, wrens and dunnocks. Any breakfast cereal is acceptable, although you need to be careful only to put out small quantities at a time. It is best offered dry, with a supply of drinking water nearby, since it quickly turns into pulp once wetted.

Always remove any stale or mouldy food promptly as stale food provides a breeding ground for salmonella bacteria, which can cause food poisoning.

It is also most important that you provide a source of clean water. Birds need water for drinking as well as bathing but remember that it may freeze during the winter so check your supply regularly during cold spells. During the summer the water will quickly evaporate so, again, check it regularly.

Now you know what to feed the birds but where do you feed them? Consider the following as you decide where to site your bird table.

If possible your bird table should be placed where the birds will not be disturbed by humans but don't place it so far from the house that you can't see it. It should be in an open, safe place where the birds can see that they are safe from predators and placed where it gets neither too much sun nor too much cold wind.

A small bush about two metres from the table gives the birds somewhere safe to perch while they look to see if it is safe to feed. Birds prefer different feeding places so provide a raised table placed on top of a post, hung from a branch or a bracket but also provide some ground feeding stations.

The most important thing to remember is to keep your bird table or feeding stations clean as dirty tables can harbour dangerous bacteria left by sick birds and start an outbreak of disease. Brush off debris every time you put out fresh food and scrub the table with a mild disinfectant solution every few weeks. Each autumn clean the table, tighten/replace screws and make sure it is still a safe place for birds to feed.

• Do you need to feed the birds? - I have always been a big believer in feeding the garden birds throughout the year. However, I stopped feeding a few months ago as the feeders were attracting vermin. Since then I have only provided saucers of water; they together with the Ivy and other bird loving plants still attract a good number of birds.Tweet ...
• Bird Tables and Bird Accessories from RawGarden - RawGarden bring you the best of bird tables and accessories. The perfect festive gift! They’ve got FSC certified bird tables and nesting boxes as well as Bird Feeding Stations that are excellent products to attract, feed and water all types of birds. All of these bird products are from the trusted and well known company ...
• Why should you feed the birds during the winter? - Until your plants establish the birds are relying on you to provide them with the resources they need to see them through the long, cold winter months. Here’s what you need to keep your garden birds happy and healthy this winter.Tweet ...