The Benefits of Weeds: How They Help Wildlife in Your Garden October 26, 2021Tuesday, 26th October 2021 We all know that weeds have been a burden for gardeners for hundreds of years, but should we start to see them in a new light? They are...
Autumn routines October 26, 2021There have been a couple of warmer days this past week with a fair amount of sunshine and you could be forgiven for thinking that we’re not into the third...
An S.O.S for biodiversity October 19, 2021Before the Industrial Revolution, the UK was covered in dense forests that covered much more of the countryside than they do now. These massive areas of wilderness were home to...
Plenty of sunshine and plenty of birds October 15, 2021In a blog a few weeks ago I commented that the squirrel was coming for peanuts but was chewing them through the mesh of the feeder and wasn’t copying a...
Welcome! October 8, 2021In recent blogs I have mentioned that the jackdaws seem to have returned now we’ve moved into autumn and three are regular visitors at various times of the day at...
Natural Pest Control: Eco-Friendly Solutions for Your Garden September 30, 2021Thursday, 30th September 2021 We love all nature at Haith’s, even if that garden visitor has two, four or even more legs - or no legs at all - but we do...
Autumn has arrived September 30, 2021In the past few days there has been some rain in Kent and Sunday was the last really warm day when I could safely go out without a jacket on.It...
It didn’t take long September 23, 2021In many of my weekly blogs I have mentioned the bird feeding facilities that I have in the garden and for the last several months I have been placing a...
It looks very much like autumn September 17, 2021Although we haven’t had any particularly chilly nights at the back end of summer and then into the start of metrological autumn, the trees are certainly starting to turn colour...
Where Do Wild Birds Go During Bad Weather? Understanding Their Behaviour September 16, 2021You may have noticed that when it rains there is seemingly less bird activity and that birds seem to disappear during strong winds and storms. So, where do they go?...
Buzz buzz buzz September 10, 2021This past week has brought some much warmer days again across Kent although it is cooler today and we’ve had some welcome rain overnight.Bees have been busy in the garden...
Amusing to watch September 2, 2021My blog this week starts on a light-hearted note.In the past few weeks the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been taking place in Tokyo and I think the birds and...
Comings and goings August 26, 2021I have seen at least three blackbirds in the garden this past week, a male, female and possibly an adolescent.They are coming in the morning and as I’ve been putting...
This is hard work! August 20, 2021I enjoy watching the birds from various windows in the house when I’m working on whatever I am doing and a couple of days ago I was sitting at my...
This is hard work! August 20, 2021I enjoy watching the birds from various windows in the house when I’m working on whatever I am doing and a couple of days ago I was sitting at my...
Are there any foods starlings won't eat? August 13, 2021Starlings look black at a distance but close up they have glossy green and purple plumage and in groups, they can be very noisy - often scaring away the smaller...
A staycation with nature August 12, 2021Many of us this year will be taking summer breaks in the UK and myself included. I was fortunate to find a very quiet and peaceful place to stay with...
Business as usual August 12, 2021Over recent weeks I have been commenting about the young starlings, the young sparrows and the adolescent blackbird. Well during the past week I have seen one young robin, so...
Bird Feeding Basics: Essential Tips for Beginners August 6, 2021Friday, 6th August 2021 Bird feeding in your garden doesn’t have to be a lavish or expensive affair. In fact, the most basic of equipment is needed. In Haith’s wildlife garden we...
Haith’s New Wildlife Ponds: Latest Updates and Benefits for Birds August 5, 2021As promised, I am updating you on the progress we are making with our two wildlife ponds. What a difference a few weeks makes. I reported in June that we...
Plenty of activity August 5, 2021During the past week the squirrels have been very busy checking out my cobnut tree and I think they are now taking some nuts to store for the winter.However if...
That is mine! July 29, 2021The weather has been cooler this week and the birds have been tending to return to their normal routines although the feral pigeons still disappear from the roof at the...
Modified behaviour July 22, 2021The past week has brought very hot weather to much of the country and Kent has been no exception.I have still seen plenty of birds in the garden, but they...
Better weather for the birds and bees July 15, 2021The past week has brought some better weather to Kent with less incessant rain, although there have been some showery days and as the week has gone we have slightly...
Meet the family July 8, 2021During the week I have seen evidence of a lot of young birds coming with or without their parents. The starling group on some of the cloudy and cooler days...
Busy bees July 1, 2021The various types of bee in the garden, which I’ve mentioned before I’m not very good at identifying, have been very busy during the past week feeding on the various...
Plenty to look at June 24, 2021I’m very pleased to say that the woodpeckers are now daily visitors to the garden and I will either see one or two at a time.They have learnt that it...
Then there were three June 17, 2021In recent blogs I have been talking about a greater spotted woodpecker coming into the garden and onto the feeders, although I was never sure whether it was the same...
Bird Foods Blackbirds Avoid: A Guide June 16, 2021Blackbirds are one of the most common wild bird species in the UK and providing them with the right kind of bird food could encourage them to feed in your...
Creating Wildlife Ponds: Our Experience and Tips June 16, 2021It has been a few weeks since I wrote my blog about attracting wildlife to Haith's bird food centre in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. Where we've been handing over commercial space for...
Waste Not, Want Not: Sustainable Bird Feeding Practices June 15, 2021There are so many so-called waste-free, no-mess bird food mixes available in the UK we thought we’d take a closer look at the one that started it all – Huskfree...
Plenty of customers at the feeders June 10, 2021There have been some very warm days in the past week and the amount of food being eaten by the birds has not reduced and in fact with the longer...
Summer routines June 3, 2021The past few days in Kent and indeed in quite a bit of the country, have certainly seen a welcome boost in temperature and sunshine and things are looking much...
Welcome back! May 27, 2021I think it is fair to say that people as well as birds have been fed up by the strong winds, low temperatures and rain over the past few weeks,...
Busy parents May 20, 2021In my blog last week I mentioned that the baby starlings had arrived in the garden and there is still a lot of activity. It always amuses me with the...
Experience Nature: Tips for Getting Closer to Wildlife May 13, 2021Thursday, 13th May 2021 One in four of us will experience a mental health problem each year but thankfully mental health awareness is growing - and rightly so. ‘In every walk with...
The youngsters have arrived May 13, 2021On Sunday I saw the first young starlings of the year, four in total with their parents, but as the week has gone by more and more have been arriving...
That is New May 6, 2021Bird activity continues apace and I have now placed my new additional seed feeder in what I hope will be a suitable place for the smaller birds. The feeder does...
Why Handcrafted Matters May 5, 2021Everything is better when it’s made with love and attention to detail. Serve your family or friends a frozen, mass-produced pudding and yes it will ‘do’ but only the handcrafted...
Just hopping about April 29, 2021Bird activity continues to be high in the garden probably a result of some of the cooler days this past week, but also as I mentioned in the last couple...
A busy week April 22, 2021The amount of food that has been consumed by the garden birds this past week has certainly increased, partly down to the colder weather some days with overnight frost but...
That will do nicely April 15, 2021In my last blog I mentioned that the birds did not seem to be using the new bird bath saucer for bathing and I concluded that it was too shallow...
Business is brisk April 8, 2021Bird activity continues to increase in the garden and a crow is a regular visitor once again, which usually means that the other birds keep away until it has finished...
Just sitting around April 1, 2021There’s been a lot of bird activity in the garden this week with a pair of black birds coming and going at various times of the day, starlings making frequent...
Give and take March 25, 2021Nest preparation seems to be continuing apace with the birds this week and I have seen a female blackbird going away with a beak full of moss and then disappearing...
That’s new March 18, 2021The birds have had a new deep tray for a bird bath and water dish for about 10 days now and it’s taken them quite a while to pluck up...
Six Reasons to Enjoy Spring: Birdwatching and Nature Tips March 15, 2021To many people it’s their favourite season - spring heralds the promise of new life with fresh sounds and colours after the darkness of winter. What better time to venture...
That’s more like it March 11, 2021I’ve mentioned in my blogs before that I have a small seed tray size gravel tray down on the lawn for the birds to use as a birdbath. As the...
The Story of Daphne and the other birds March 4, 2021In my blog last week I mentioned the sparrows collecting material for their nest building and other birds have been doing the same during the past week.A couple of days...
Spring has sprung February 25, 2021During the past week the weather has certainly been spring-like with temperatures around 15 or 16 Celsius, around the 60 Fahrenheit mark, although overnight it’s still a little bit chilly....
Normal service is resumed February 19, 2021Last week was very cold in Kent with snow on the ground from the Sunday afternoon through until the following Sunday. The birds were more plentiful as it was very...
Do I need a bigger bird table? February 11, 2021The past week has brought a massive change in the weather here in Kent and for the last five days we’ve had snow on the ground, frosty nights and very...
Are sunflower seeds good for birds? February 10, 2021Are sunflowers good for birds? The answer is emphatically yes. They are packed full of fat, protein, vitamins and minerals, making them the ideal bird food for garden birds. There...
I counted them all landing February 4, 2021The past week has brought another mixture of mild weather, some colder days and plenty more rain. The birds are eating apace and of course last weekend was the RSPB...
That’s not quite right January 28, 2021In my blog last week I mentioned that I had a new bird in the garden and I assumed it was a fieldfare. Upon further investigation I have decided that’s...
A new visitor January 21, 2021The past week has seen the usual mix of birds coming to the garden and I think that either supplies of food in the countryside are starting to dwindle or...
Trying out new things January 14, 2021The jackdaws have been keeping me amused during the past week and four of them are coming regularly to my feeders at various times during the day.The other afternoon on...
New year and some new visitors January 7, 2021Since my last blog shortly before Christmas, the weather of course turned much colder and so bird activity at the feeders increased dramatically. The really wet days we have had...
Feathered friends December 21, 2020The past week in Kent has not been as cold and bird activity does vary from week to week according to the conditions, but that’s not to say that I...
Feathered friends December 21, 2020The past week in Kent has not been as cold and bird activity does vary from week to week according to the conditions, but that’s not to say that I...