Body, soul and soil - birdsong brings joy

Have you noticed an increase in birdsong yet?  By mid-March lots of our garden birds will have warmed up their vocal chords, ready for the dawn chorus to get going in spring.  In a few weeks, blackbirds, robins and song thrushes will be joined by wrens, blackcaps, and warblers who will join together daily in a rich and varied display of song starting at first light. 

Whether it’s a cacophony of noise or a single robin singing out from the top of a tree, birdsong at any time of day is a joyful thing.  Birds do it to attract a mate, or defend their territory, not to entertain the humans who happen to live on their patch - that’s just a happy coincidence.  Studies have shown that hearing birdsong relaxes us and reduces stress; the most restorative songs included those sung by dunnocks, greenfinch and blackbirds. 

To enjoy the benefits of birdsong more often, it helps to draw different species into your garden.  The way to do this is to provide food, shelter and places to nest. Place seed feeders and bird tables around your garden - these are particularly helpful in spring and winter when natural sources of food are a bit more scarce.  There’s also a wide variety of plants you can include for garden visitors, including teasels, echinacea and globe thistle for their seedheads; and shrubs like holly, elder and rowan provide berries as well as branches to perch or shelter. 

Encouraging pollinators has a knock-on effect too - if butterflies, moths and their caterpillars are invited in, the birds will follow in search of food for themselves and their chicks.

Trees, shrubs and climbers are great nesting spots, and you can also provide nest boxes for birds to roost in winter or nest in spring.  Look for well-made boxes which are waterproof and have a roof you can open for cleaning; site them out of direct sunlight and away from predators.