Winter seedheads to attract birds
Winter seedheads to attract birds
Although we don’t spend as much time in the garden through winter, our wildlife is still out there and needs looked after! These plants will provide food for seed and/or insect-eating birds throughout winter and will look great too.
Asters
Asters provide a bright splash of late summer colour to borders, but once the flowers fade it’s tempting to cut them back to neaten the appearance of the plant. But if you leave them, they form small ‘pompoms’ which contain little seeds which are perfect for hungry seed-eating birds. The tangled stems also make a great habitat for spiders and other insects, which provide food for foraging insect-eating birds, such as wrens and blue tits.
Cardoon
A favourite of the humble bumblebee in summertime, the flowers of this plant turn into large seed heads full of soft fibres. They don’t just provide seeds for birds but are also a great place for small birds to forage for insects in the colder months. Remove them when spring arrives as the spring rains make them sag and look untidy.
Pennisetum
Pennisetum have soft seedheads which sparkle throughout the colder months. There is a huge range to choose from and, as well as looking fantastic in your border, they provide a wonderful foraging ground for small birds, such as blue tits. Cut them back before they start to grow again in February.
Turkish sage
Turkish sage copes well over winter and the seeds provide food for small birds, such as goldfinches and siskins. The seedheads are preceded by rings of sunny-yellow flowers that are attractive to bees.
Sedum
Sedums are one of our most popular plants – and are also a favourite of butterflies and bees in summertime. Their attractive seedheads catch the snow and frost due to their width, insect-eating birds will enjoy the spiders and overwintering bugs they shelter.
Teasels
Another popular flower for butterflies and bees in summer, their seedheads will last all winter. Seed-eating birds love the seedheads, especially goldfinch, which have beaks adapted for finding seeds in the spiny head.
Seed-eating birds to look out for in your garden
Bullfinch
Shy bullfinches aren’t often seen at feeders, but they can be attracted with sunflowers and other seeds. Their diet is mainly seeds and they prefer wild plants and trees for their food.
Bullfinches have distinct black caps, and the male has a bright pinky-red breast that’s a much stronger colour than a chaffinch’s. The female is a duller blush colour.
Greenfinch
Greenfinches live up to their name and blend in perfectly with foliage so can be hard to spot. However, the males have bright flashes of yellow on their wing and, as they sometimes form small flocks, it makes them easier to spot.
Goldfinch
Tiny goldfinches love seeds and will visit feeders full of sunflower or niger seeds. They also love teasels and lavender left in the border. They’re easily identifiable by their red faces and yellow patches on their wings.
Siskin
These small finches have a forked tail and a long narrow bill, quite distinct from other finches. The male has a yellow-green body and a black crown and bib, while the female is striped brown and cream, just tinged with yellow.
Sparrow
Not as common as they were, these little garden birds will eat almost anything. They particularly love seeds. They prefer to feed on the ground but will happily forage among borders. They are normally in small flocks. The males are brown with black bibs, and the females have less-striking markings.
We would love to know what birds you have in your garden. Remember we’ve lots of different fatballs and seeds to keep your garden birds happy and well fed.
*credit RSPB
*image credit – John Bridges
