I’ve been pleased over the last few years to have started attracting more birds to the garden with regular visits from long-tailed tis & goldfinches as well as my resident robins, wrens, dunnocks, blackbirds & coal tits. My blue tits originally arrived with the long-tailed tits and seem to be part of their extended family.

Both dunnocks & blackbirds feed at the feeders which is unusual although the dunnocks spend most of their time on the ground. The gooseberry bush, which is one of the first things that I planted in 2004, is a favourite place for the smaller birds. They used to like the jasmine for its cover too. The native hedging that I’ve put in this winter is going to take a while before it can provide as much cover.

Although the feeders are still in place in the rowan tree & the original pole, I have lost my bird table. I have a new set of feeders to put up now which will go into the other side of the Magic Garden.