Over the years I’ve had countless discussions with my non-birder friends about why they are, indeed, non-birders. Over the years, the replies I’ve received have changed little. The saddening truth is that most people seem to be under the impression that UK wildlife isn’t ‘exciting’ or ‘exotic’ enough. Having been birding for nearly six years now, I can wholeheartedly declare that this is totally not the case! Wherever each of us lives, from the city centre to the middle of nowhere, we can look out of the window and see a world full of avian beauty.

As has become my mantra recently, you just have to open your eyes.

One bird that holds a special place in my heart is the blue tit. Hearing their jubilant trills always paints a smile across my face – there is something quite human about their conversational way of proclaiming territory. Especially on these late winter days, where we taste the first rays of warmth reminding us that spring is gently swaying back towards us, blue tits really live up to their name, sporting crowns of striking sapphire and ultramarine flight feathers. This is because they undergo a body moult before courtship begins in winter; shedding worn, drab feathers in exchange for these richly coloured ones. Their fresh palette incorporates quite the array of other colours too, however. A washed-out lemon belly ripens to butter-yellow on the breast, whilst the mantle (upper back) develops a uniform layer of forest-moss. There is no debating that blue tits are a striking species!

Perhaps the blue tit’s most attractive aspect to gardeners and budding birders alike is their propensity to become faithful to feeders. For many, the fact that blue tits often begin to visit bird tables within a week of their installation shows people how their actions benefit nature. To me, it seems these early colonists are the main reason people don’t give up feeding their local birds. The reliability of having one species which you can see every day appeals greatly to many. Could it be that this is the reason so many people began contributing to the Big Garden Birdwatch during lockdown? 

In terms of attracting this enigmatic species to your garden, start by leaving out sunflower hearts or suet cakes. This should be somewhere visible, but sheltered on some sides, like on an emerging tree branch or fence corner. Ensure the feeders are topped up before they run out, as otherwise they won’t be treated as a reliable source.

If you want to develop your bird café further, a great next step would be to buy a variety of seeds and foods to attract a wider scope of species. The introduction of nyjer seeds to your garden could attract such gaudy residents as goldfinches -- their cheerful, rippling song, and confetti-like burst as a flock scatters from the canopy, can really put a skip in your step on an early spring morning. 

Goldfinches may be the most elaborately plumaged bird in Britain, sporting bright crimson on the head and deep mustard wing patches. Especially if you live in farmland or on the urban fringe, they can be a very abundant, charismatic and often gregarious species that becomes an inalienable part of garden life.

Sprinkling a handful of mealworms on the ground outside should tempt the local robins to drop in. If you get to know them as individuals and let the birds come to you, robins often allow humans they know and trust to feed them by hand. Of course, don't forget to wash your hands rigorously with soap and water beforehand and afterwards, to avoid transferring disease.

Such a personal connection with your local birds could easily be the first stepping stone on a lifelong path of wonder at the natural world. 

More on preventing the spread of disease

I cannot stress enough how important regular cleaning is for preventing the spread of disease. You should thoroughly scrub them with disinfectant on a weekly basis -- in a spot where perhaps hundreds of individuals spanning many species are feeding everyday, it would be impossible to eliminate all risk of pathogen transfer, but this weekly maintenance goes a long way in keeping your garden residents safe from harm.

Being a conservation champion will bear lots of fruit, but it's imperative that people learn the signs of illness in the local avian population, and are able to respond quickly. If you see a bird that has been still for too long, is 'hunched up', and has closed its eyes whilst out in the open, it could be that disease has struck. Another symptom of what is becoming an increasingly abundant disease (trichomonosis) is the presence of a deformed bill and ruffled or malformed feathers, especially on the face. This looming threat to our wildlife must be controlled at all costs: it has caused a 62% decline in the now red-listed greenfinch, and unless we all act together as one ecosystem army, that number will keep going up.

There are plenty of rescue services, such as the RSPCA and more locally Runham Wildlife Rescue, that give great advice for helping sick or injured birds, and can come out in person in emergency cases. If you do find an ill bird near or on feeders at home, immediately stop putting out food for at least the next month. This may seem cruel, but it truly is the best course of action for ensuring the disease doesn't spread. Once this period is over and your feeders have been disinfected with care, by all means begin to put out seed again, but the local fauna may take a while to adjust to the food source again.