The approach of the nesting season (in the UK) reminds me of the time when a friend aked me to advise him on making his garden more attractive to birds.

He lives near Epping Forest on the outskirts of London, and his garden has lawns, flower beds, shrubs, a number of mature native trees, and is bordered on one side by a woodland pool. So what's the problem?

More than anything he wanted to match his neighbour's success in attracting occupants for his nest-boxes! He complained...

A neighbour has a neglected beech hedge about 3 metres high which retains most of its leaves throughout the winter, but some of the trees have been allowed to grow to 6 metres, and these shed their leaves in the Autumn.

The hedge overlooks my feeding station, and most hungry visitors use this vantage point to check for potential danger before approaching the feeders.

Over the winter months it is easy to observe their strategy. While doves use surrounding rooftops to scan...