Organic + Wildlife
Making a Bird Table

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Making a Bird Table

If you want to encourage birds to visit your garden, why not make a bird table? By regularly putting out table scraps between October and April, birds will get used to visiting and you will have a good show almost every day.

Time to complete job: Half a day.
Approximate budget: £25.

You will need:

  • Exterior wood glue
  • Brass nails.
  • Exterior quality plywood or pressure treated softwood:
  • Base: one piece 18mm ply, 250 x 250mm (10 x 10")
  • Sides: 25mm x 37mm (1" x 1 1/2") square - two pieces 200mm (8") long, two pieces 250mm (10") long
  • Base supports: four 300mm (1') lengths of 25 x 37mm (1 x 1 1/2")
  • Pole : 7.5cm sq. (3"sq.) 2m (6' 6") long
  • Roof supports: two pieces 25mm (1") thick 75 x 225mm (3" x 9")
  • Gable ends: two pieces 25 mm (1") thick 75 x 250mm (3" x 10")
  • Roof: Four pieces 12mm (1/2") thick 100mm x 250mm (4" x 10")
  • One 45cm (18") length of beading
  • Spirit level
  • Brick
  • Hardcore
  • Cement
  • Wood preservative
It is easy to make your own simple bird table. The basics are given below but you can embellish the design according to your own skills. The photograph above illustrates a rustic version which can be constructed along similar lines.

The requirements for a good bird table are that it provides a safe platform so that predators (cats usually) cannot sneak up on birds when feeding. The table should be close enough to the house to be seen from a window in winter and at least 1.8m (6') from walls or trees.

A bird table looks great in either a Traditional Garden or a Cottage Garden. For further advice on attracting wildlife into your garden, see Wildlife Gardening.
Step 1: Making the roof

Click to enlarge

Step 1: Making the roof

Shape the gable ends by cutting off two corners to make the triangular shapes as illustrated.
Glue and nail the four roof pieces between the two triangles overlapping the bottom pieces slightly.
Glue and nail the beading covering the top edges and extending out one side by 150mm (8"). This will allow you to hang bags of peanuts.
Glue and nail the 75 x 225mm (3" x 9") roof supports to the gables.
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