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David Attenborough urges gardeners to attract robins and blue tits with one key task

The wildlife expert shares simple tips to attract robins, blue tits and more garden birds to your outdoor space this summer

[Sir David Attenborough]

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He explored wildlife in British gardens in a recent series(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC / Plimsoll Productions)

According to national treasure David Attenborough, "some British gardens are almost as diverse as tropical rainforests," and there is one simple way you can diversify your garden for birds this year.

Whether you own a sprawling plot, an allotment or a modest patch of grass, your outdoor space can make an enormous contribution to Britain's biodiversity. To bring greater variety to your garden, one quick and highly effective step can breathe new life into the nature around you.

At this time of year, wildlife enthusiasts are eager to attract more birds to their gardens, and creating a welcoming environment for them to flourish is simpler than you might think.

One reason birds may be avoiding your outdoor space could be down to your household pets, particularly cats. If you're a cat owner, you'll be well aware of their instinct to hunt birds and other creatures, and you may well have witnessed this firsthand cats in Britain are estimated to catch and kill 55 million birds each year.

[European robin taking rehydrated meal worms from a small garden water bowl]

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Birds need to be kept safe from any pets(Image: Getty)

By positioning your bird feeders higher up and well out of reach of prowling pets, you're giving birds a far better chance of accessing food safely.

Attenborough offered an even more straightforward solution, saying: "A bell on the collar 'reduces pet cats' hunting success by a third." So considering adding a bell to your cat this weekend could make your life a lot easier and allow you to enjoy the wildlife with less risk.

To entice these types of birds, it's important to know that they favour high-energy foods such as mealworms and fat balls, alongside a reliable supply of fresh water. Blue tits are particularly fond of hanging feeders, and both species depend on feeding boxes with compact, easily accessible entry holes.

[David Attenborough, Wild London]

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Blue tits love hanging feeders(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Passion Planet/Joe Loncraine)

Other straightforward measures recommended by Attenborough for your own garden include allowing your lawn and grass to grow freely. Many gardeners embrace 'No Mow May', dedicating an entire month to letting wildlife flourish within its natural surroundings but why stop at just one month?

The first episode of Attenborough's Secret Gardens featured a vole desperately trying to dodge a robotic lawnmower. This reflects the reality of life in your garden; regardless of its size, real living creatures inhabit it and can be better protected with a little effort.

Elsewhere in the series, a contrasting garden belonging to Henry and Sarah at a thousand year old Oxfordshire mill house is showcased, where they have allowed their grass to grow wild. In doing so, they have crafted a sanctuary for otters, kingfishers, and even mallards.

Attenborough claims: "Our gardens cover a greater area than all of our national nature reserves combined." It's also believed that 80% of people have access to some form of outdoor space, which can be adapted to welcome far more wildlife this summer.

[Daily Mirror Icon]

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