Flower power! Birds take “wildlife-friendly planting” to the next level as they nest in garden plant pots

Nature at its best to start the week

Flower power! Birds take “wildlife-friendly planting” to the next level as they nest in garden plant pots - RSPB

Grey wagtail nest in a hanging basket (RSPB images)

The RSPB has heard from gardeners who found unexpected life sprouting in their flowerpots – baby birds! Andrée and Jeff from Kent spotted a collared dove nesting in their geranium pots, and Matt’s hanging basket in Nottingham, filled with winter pansies, ornamental grass and cineraria silverdust, is now home to a nest of grey wagtail chicks.

The images come as the UK’s breeding season gets underway, with gardens and greenspaces bursting with activity as birds to and fro with nesting materials and food for hungry chicks.

While it is not the norm for birds to nest in flowerpots, if they feel safe they may decide that your garden, balcony, or even windowsill is the best place to raise their chicks. UK gardens and balconies cover 4,000km2 altogether, an area more than twice the size of Greater London, which is a whole lot of potential nesting spaces!

Filling your outdoor space with wildlife-friendly plants is also a great way to provide a natural source of food and shelter to birds and other garden wildlife. While not all plant pots will bloom with feathered friends, the right plant in the right place can provide food and shelter to everything from pollinators such as bumblebees to hedgehogs and birds.