How to make compost and attract wildlife to your garden

2 min read
How to make compost and attract wildlife to your garden

With compost day just around the corner, we're giving you some tips and tricks ahead of time so you can get started in your garden right away! Composting is a quick and easy way to improve your carbon footprint, recycle and attract wildlife to your garden. If you’re new to composting, find out some tips on how to start composting, some handy tips, along with the do’s and don’ts and the many benefits composting has on your garden. 

How to start composting

The easiest way to start a composting heap is to buy an open bin - sometimes these can be obtained from your local authority. Throw all organic material inside the composting bin to start! It is good to aim for a mix of brown and green materials. Brown materials supply carbon whereas green materials supply nitrogen and moisture.

Brown materials can include: 

  • Dead leaves 
  • Twigs 
  • Manure 
  • Recyclable packaging - A Little Bird Company’s packaging can go in your compost bin and contribute to your brown mix! 

Green materials can include: 

  • Grass clippings
  • Vegetable waste
  • Fruit scraps 
  • Coffee grounds

How to use your compost

Compost mix takes around 6-9 months to mature and turn into usable compost. Turn the mix occasionally throughout this time to introduce air and speed up the process. 

The fine, rich compost in your bin is ready to be spread onto your soil! This will enrich your garden soil and improve the soil’s ability to hold nutrients. 

The benefits of composting

Not only does composting help you recycle better, but you will also make your garden more wildlife-friendly. Compost helps to improve soil structure and increases water retention, providing food for decomposers. This in turn attracts birds and mammals. 

  • Make recycling easier and more efficient 
  • Good use for food waste 
  • Enriches garden soil helping to retain moisture for plants 
  • Reduces the need for chemical fertilizers
  • Promotes healthier plant growth 
  • Combats climate change 
  • Reduces waste 
  • Saves money
  • A great alternative to peat-heavy compost blends

These are just a few of the amazing benefits composting has on your garden and on your lifestyle, and we’re not even at the best part yet… 

How does your compost attract wildlife?

The different layers of compost attract different wildlife species. The fresh material usually found in the top layer of compost is home to snails, slugs, white-legged millipedes and fruit flies. Some of which are a great food source for other wildlife including mammals and birds. 

The second layer of compost, usually in early decomposition, provides a daytime retreat for toads and wood mice who can live and breed in compost heaps. 

Lastly, the third layer of compost at the advanced decomposition stage is home to earthworms and centipedes. 

Some wildlife found amongst your compost heap attracts birds to your garden, looking for a source of food. 

If you’re looking for a reason to start composting and introducing many species of wildlife into your garden, here is your sign to do so… Happy composting! 

Clare Cahill

Thank you for reading!

Clare Cahill is an bird enthusiast with a passion for observing and learning. While she definitely doesn’t have a formal degree in ornithology, Clare has dedicated hours to reading birding books and exploring nature, constantly expanding her knowledge and deepening her love for wildlife.

For Clare, birdwatching brings a sense of calm and connection to the world, offering a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. She believes that the more we connect with nature, the more we can do to protect and conserve it. Through her writing, Clare hopes to inspire others to take a moment to pause, look up, and appreciate the calm and connection that comes from letting a little wildness into our everyday lives.

About A Little Bird Co.

The seasonal bird food brand

We're a little company, supporting little birds. Find out more about what sets us apart.

  • What to feed the birds in summer

    Seasonal

    Birds have different dietary needs throughout the year, from nesting to moulting and surviving colder months. To support these changes, we’ve created seasonal blends – order a Seasonal Bird Food bag, and we’ll adjust the blend to match the season, making it easy to do something great for the birds.

  • Sustainable

    Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We don't farm, process, and transport cheap filler ingredients that birds simply kick to the floor. Instead, we focus on premium ingredients they love. Our packaging is compostable, and our bird feeders and nest boxes are tested for durability and longevity.

  • Songbird

    We design our food and select our range of feeders with little birds in mind. Every ingredient in our blends is chosen because small birds love it, simplifying your bird feeding routine. Our feeders provide safe access to food while helping to keep out larger, more dominant species. Look out for robins, blue tits, wrens, finches and more visiting your garden for our food.

  • Support

    With birds in your garden, you’re never alone - they’re the friends who always visit. Feeding them supports wildlife conservation while bringing joy and calm. Whether spotting a new species or simply watching their daily routines, just ten minutes a day strengthens your connection with nature and boosts your wellbeing.

When life feels busy, the birds keep it simple.

There’s something lovely about how feeding the birds becomes part of the rhythm of your day. A scoop of seed, a clean dish of water - and then a pause, just to watch who turns up. It doesn’t have to take long, but those moments can be surprisingly grounding. A little burst of mindfulness, fresh air, a chance to notice your garden as it changes throughout the seasons, and the cheerful flutter of wings - it’s good for the soul.

Join our flock of bird enthusiasts who share a passion for sustainable and thoughtful bird feeding.

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Shop our bestsellers

From our popular seasonal bird food to the Squirrel Buster squirrel resistant bird feeder, our range is designed to help you to create a haven for little birds in your garden.