Member Article

Barratt Development joins RSPB’s ‘The Big Garden Birdwatch’

New homeowners across Doncaster are being encouraged to invite birds into their garden this month by Barratt Developments as part of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch.

Five star housebuilder Barratt Developments Yorkshire East, which includes both the David Wilson Homes and Barratt Homes brands, has teamed up with the RSPB to give its top tips on how new residents can give nature a home and ensure they have plenty of feathered friends close by to document. The activities are simple and easy to do, yet can help transform a brand new garden into a wildlife haven for birds.

Paul Hogan, Sales Director at Barratt Developments Yorkshire East, said: “The Big Garden Birdwatch is such an exciting event and we wanted to encourage homeowners who own a brand new property to get involved and invite birds into their garden. “The top tips we have chosen are all fun activities that the whole family can enjoy, creating new memories in their new homes as well as a haven for birds to visit.”

1. Provide plenty of food

With the frosty weather in full force and the ground often frozen, it can be hard for birds to find their own food. To ensure the birds pay a visit to your new garden, be sure to lay out plenty of food to entice them, including seeds and suet which can be put in a bird feeder or on a roofed bird table.

Make sure to top up your bird feed regularly so the birds will keep coming back, but other than that this is a perfect and hassle-free way to enjoy watching birds from the comfort of your own home.

2. Create a sparrow street

Introduce a nestbox into your garden and give somewhere for House sparrows to raise their chicks.

Sadly, the UK population of House sparrows has halved in recent years, so the RSPB is encouraging people to build sparrow boxes and put them up in their gardens, providing shelter and a home for the birds. These can be done using materials such as wood, rubber, nails and screws, or for those who don’t have the time to make one, the bird boxes are available to buy from the RSPB website.

Sparrows like to have their friends nearby so why not encourage a colony of them in your garden by building a sparrow street and putting a row of them together?

3. Plant a tree in your garden

Trees play a vital part in offering birds a home so why not invite them into your garden by planting your very own tree? They offer song perches, nesting sites, safe retreats, and highways in the sky, so there’s no reason why this wouldn’t help bring some wildlife into your own garden.

This is a perfect way to get involved in bringing wildlife to your home and works for gardens of every size, and can be much easier and more affordable than you think. This works with trees of all sizes, so don’t think because you have a smaller garden you might not be able to take part, as apple trees are a perfect choice for those with less room.

Birds may not flock to your garden immediately, but if you sit back and watch how your tree blossoms, they’ll be nesting in there before you know it.

For a simple step-by-step guide to each of these activities, visit the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch page here: https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch

Paul continued: “As a leading housebuilder, we want to work closely with our residents to ensure our British wildlife is preserved at our developments across the Midlands as this is extremely important to us.

“Birds are absolutely mesmerising in their behaviours and this is something that, as a nation, we should be able to appreciate more. We hope these tips will help to encourage wildlife into people’s gardens and give birds a home this season.”

Barratt Developments was proud to announce their partnership with the RSPB in 2016.

With 60% of plants and animals in decline and as the country’s urban wildlife struggles, the partnership between the major housebuilders and the conservation charity will help to give nature a home in new build developments.

The partnership will also see Barratt Developments working with the RSPB to raise employee awareness of wildlife-friendly best practice across its sites on a national level.

Adrian Thomas, Communications Officer at the RSPB, said: “The Big Garden Birdwatch gives us a great snapshot of how our garden birds are faring and we need to know this information for new-build houses as well as older properties.

“With just a bit of effort, we know new homes for people can be great homes for the nation’s favourite birds too.”

For more information on any Barratt Developments near you please visit www.dwh.co.uk/ www.barratthomes.co.uk

For more information about any of these top tips or to become a member, please visit the RSPB website http://www.rspb.org.uk/

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Richard Savage .