As any casual watcher of birds know, they love trees. Trees allow them to set up nesting high enough to provide them with safe spots above the ground where they can rest as well as keep a lookout for easy food. And, if your garden has no trees, you can give them similar benefits by setting up perches in your yard. Although, primarily used by pet owners as a resting place for their bird when outside of his cage, bird perches are perfect accessories for the birds visiting your garden as well.

Seriously consider planting some annuals in your garden. They will add brightness and color to it. but, in addition, the seeds from them serve as food sources for many birds. But, once the flowers are spent, don’t trim them off as many gardeners do. Leaving them natural will ensure that when the summer rolls to its end that the birds have plenty of seeds from the annuals to help them prepare themselves for the winter.

The perfect bird garden has tons of bushes and trees. For the most part, these plants should be located on the garden edges and sides. As for the center, leave it as primarily a lawn or grass area. This center area provides the birds with plenty of room to be out in the open where they can hunt for insects while, at the same time, making it hard for predators to sneak up on therm because of the wide unobstructed grassy area.

You might try keeping a stack of old logs at the perimeters of your garden also. Having a pile of old logs on the edges of your yard is nice touch also, A lot of  insects and bugs are attracted to wooden structures. The birds in your yard may find this one of their favorite eating places once they notice many of the bugs congregating there.

A compost device is a great way of producing natural fertilizer for the plant life in your garden. Birds love them as well. They will take full advantage of some of the food scraps that you throw on the composter pile.

Plus after you have gone to all the trouble to create the perfect garden for birds, don’t forget to enjoy it yourself.

If you are a really serious bird lover and bird watcher, you have probably already set up your yard with bird houses, feeders, bird baths, and all sorts of other amenities to attract birds to your yard. You might also seriously consider buying a desk diary and documenting the birds that you see in your garden.

Keep a bird diary. Track the species of birds, how many there are, the time of day that they show up, and the date. Also, take pictures and store them along with the diary. You may be surprised at the fond memories that these give you in your later years.

A well stocked bird table should be the focal point of any bird friendly garden. You can buy bird tables in many different designs so you should be able to find one to suit your garden. Traditionally bird tables were made of wood but they now come in other materials such as metal, plastic and even glass which are easier to clean and will last longer.

Make sure your bird table is positioned somewhere quiet so the birds are not disturbed when they are feeding and site it away from bushes and shrubs where predators like cats and squirrels can lurk.

You can put all sorts of food out on bird tables such as kitchen scraps like animal fats, cheese, fruit, rice, bread and peanuts. You can also buy ready made bird food mixes some of which are designed to attract a particular species of birds.

A bird feeder is a great addition or alternative to a bird table especially if you don’t have much room in your garden or only have a balcony. Again think about where you hang your bird feeder so that the birds can feed in peace and predators can not attack.

You can buy bird feeders which hold seeds or fats or it is quite simple to make a your own by filling an old plastic bottle with melted fat mixed with seeds and other ingredients. Making a bird feeder is a great way of getting children involved and teaching them about nature and the environment.

A bird bath will provide much needed water for bathing and drinking and is especially important in the dry summer months and the winter when the birds’ usual supply of water may be frozen over. It is important to clean your bird bath regularly to prevent the build up of algae and parasites that could be harmful to birds.

You should never use antifreeze or other additives to thaw water in a bird bath.

Over recent years home improvements have meant the decline of natural nesting places such as holes in buildings particularly in urban areas so a bird box will provide somewhere for birds to nest as well as shelter in the winter. It may take a couple of seasons before birds use a new nest box for breeding so put it out in the autumn so they have time to get used to it.

You can buy different types of nest boxes for different species of birds; you may want to consider getting some special “sparrow flats” as these are one of the species of birds that have declined in recent years in the UK.

Plants will not only provide fruit for birds but will attract insects that thrushes and blackbirds feed off. Plant berry-bearing shrubs like rowan and holly and flowering plants like sunflowers and teasel and leave the stems long to provide shelter too.

If you have a problem with cats chasing or even killing birds in your garden then you can buy special cat deterrents in the form of ultrasonic devices, sprinklers, scented pellets and fence protectors.

By turning your garden into a mini nature reserve for birds you will be doing your bit to help local wildlife and get the enjoyment of seeing wild birds close up.

You can find out more about creating a bird friendly garden at British Bird Lovers.