As we enter a new year, it's common for many of us to think of new ways (and resolutions) to make this year better than the last, and your garden is a great place to start. With so much incredible wildlife on your doorstep, now is the perfect time to get acquainted with them and learn how to help and attract more species. For January, we've come up with 12 easy resolutions for birders and wildlife lovers to achieve in 2023.

1. Try a new bird food and feeder

If you are looking to attract new birds to your garden in the new year, trying out new foods and feeders is a great place to start. Different bird species have their own preferences on what they eat and how they eat it. So don't be afraid to add something new to your Ivel Valley Bird Food cart in 2023.

2. Plant flowers or a tree

Planting a flower or tree may seem like a small act, but it has an amazing impact on the surrounding wildlife and planet. All creatures, great and small, from insects to hedgehogs, will greatly appreciate the extra food source and habitat they can get from plants and trees. If you want to get a little more adventurous with your bird feeding, planting certain flowers and trees can be an absolute game changer to up the garden activities. Wild birds such as Bullfinches and Waxwings favour Rowan berries above all, so if you would like to see the rarer species in your outdoor space, don't be afraid to get the gardening tools out. Not only will you be helping your garden wildlife, but you'll be helping the planet too!

3. Run your very own bug hotel!

Biodiversity should be encouraged in any outdoor space, and you don't need to be a wildlife expert to do it. By simply placing a bug hotel in your garden, helpful insects like bees and ladybirds will soon take up residency. You will also be helping essential pollinators who are facing a population decline.

4. Keep bird feeders and bird tables clean

If you are someone who loves to tend to your garden birds and keep their feeders regularly full, it's crucial you pay close attention to the hygiene levels as well. Feeders left unsanitised could leave your birds with nasty diseases, and you may find yourself having fewer visits from your feathered friends. So keep your feeding stations squeaky clean this new year to help your garden birds stay healthy and strong.

5. Keep track of bird species you see

We all have a personal bucket list of what wild birds we'd love to see with our own eyes, and like with any bucket list, it's fun to tick them off as you go! The RSPB Pocket Guide to British Birds is the perfect tool to do this as it contains detailed illustrations and key information on the 310 most common birds spotted in the UK. So grab a guide and a pen and get circling this 2023!

6. Venture out into your garden and beyond!

With your pocket guide bucket list in hand, make the most of nature around you. Not only is it fantastic for your mental health to spend more time outside with fresh air, but you'll have a better chance of seeing more and different birds and wildlife. Take advantage of your local RSPB nature reserves and find out what spectacular wild creatures live there that you may have never seen before.

7. Be a trusting water supply

No matter the season, your garden wildlife needs a clean supply of water all year round. It's a great way to attract birds, hedgehogs, and many more wildlife to your garden if they know where the good grub and thirst-quenching drink is. If you want to make your water source even safer for your garden wildlife, fill it up with (clean) stones or rocks, which give all animals a perch to stand on and easy access in and out of the water. You don't need a fancy bird bath or water fountain to offer your thirsty friends a drink; any old shallow bowl is better than no bowl.

8. Opt-in for more eco-friendly choices

We could all do with making greener choices for us and the planet. When it comes to caring for our birds and wildlife, there are so many opportunities to make eco-friendly choices, starting with where you purchase your bird food and accessories from. Since the beginning, Ivel Valley Bird Food has been on a journey to find eco-friendly alternatives to achieve 100% recyclable packaging and is pleased to announce that we hit the 95% mark this year. Not only does this make us happy to know we are playing our part in saving the planet, but we also want to give added pleasure to our customers, knowing they are making green choices when buying from us. On top of that, We also have a wide eco-friendly range of bird feeders and accessories made up of recyclable or biodegradable materials.

9. Let your garden birds know they can count on you

The wild bird population is declining. With wild habitats being taken over by new builds and neater parks with fewer trees and vegetation, it's resulting in fewer natural resources to feed and home wild birds. Which is where us wonderful wildlife lovers come in. By simply keeping our feeders full of high-quality bird food (with no filler ingredients), you will be providing wild birds with a lifeline, and they will be more inclined to visit your garden frequently.

10. Put up a nest box

Even if you have a nest box already in the garden, this one still applies to you because you can never have too many. With natural resources dwindling for our birds, it means they have fewer homes to nest in and can't bring in the next generation of wild birds. So by placing a nest box in your outdoor space, you will be providing birds with shelter, safety, and the perfect home to raise a family. 

11. Be an early bird

Waking up earlier is a habit many of us like to obtain in the new year, and you'll indeed thank yourself later for doing it. While most of us are still asleep in bed, wildlife is still very much active in the early hours of the morning. Before sunrise, grab yourself a warm beverage and stand outside (or even by an open window) and listen to the most amazing natural experience nature has to offer, the songbird chorus. You may even catch a glimpse of the nocturnal animals still out playing like owls and foxes.

12. Encourage others

Let's face it; feeding birds can be a wonderful and exciting hobby that others should experience too. If you, a friend or a family member have any birthdays coming up, treat them to one of our gift bundles that contains everything they'll need to attract wild birds to their garden. Not only will you be giving birds an extra pair of hands of help, but it can also be an excellent topic of discussion amongst friends and loved ones.