You can help protect baby birds this breeding season

The RSBP says you can help all nesters but particularly watch out for ground nesting birds many of which are under threat

Springtime means breeding season for our birds and you’ve no doubt noticed an increase in their activity on and around your plot in recent weeks. It’s a busy and exhausting time for them, not to mention fraught with danger. But there are ways you can adapt your own activities to help keep chicks and adult birds safe and well, both on your site and also whilst you are out and about.

LEARN ABOUT THE DIFFERENT STYLES OF NESTING

A big part of this is understanding where birds nest. It’s common to associate this with trees, but in reality, lots of our common garden birds search out other places, preferring a thorny hedge, a nook in an old building or even just laying their eggs on the ground.

Active nests are also protected by the law - it’s illegal to disturb them, which is why it’s best to get hedge-pruning and tree-lopping jobs done in the colder months. Hedgenesters commonly include Dunnocks, Robins, Bullfinches and Blue Tits, each preferring different parts to settle in. Blackbirds, for instance, often nest quite close to the ground.