Member Advice on Bird Feeding

When the red red robin comes bob bob bobbing through YOUR garden this xmas, he has probably come for something to eat, so don’t forget to lob the little blighter a bit of festive fair, or he my not be here next year ! When winter has left trees barren and daylight hours are few, birds still fill our suburban landscapes. We marvel at the resourcefulness of wild birds as they search out food and warmth through the long winter months. However there is not always enough to go round and it would be nice to help them along with a bit to peck on till the worst of the winter is over. I ... more

Over the years we’ve put a lot of effort into attracting birds into our garden and feeding them once they’re there. The joys of watching the birds are tremendous, but there’s also a considerable downside as well. We started feeding the birds seriously more than a decade ago. It began one cold winter with a red net bag of peanuts picked up at the supermarket. We watched with amazement as the blue tits demolished the peanuts and returned the next day to do the same to the one that I’d hurriedly picked up from the village shop. An apple hung in a tree attracted some fieldfares and by the spring ... more

It’s cold out. It’s winter. Take a look outside. Where are all the birds? If they’re not it your garden, it may be because they’ve found richer pickings elsewhere. Or it may be that there are simply less birds to go round these days. Believe it. Many of our once common garden birds are in decline. We gardeners can do a great deal to help our feathered friends through the cold, hungry days of winter. November is the most important month to start feeding, when nature’s autumn harvest is beginning to wear thin. But once you’ve started (and I hope you have), you ... more

Firstly, why should we feed wild creatures like birds? Well feeding birds not only helps them to survive the winter, but helps them to be in a nice fit condition, so they can hopefully breed successfully. It also gives us an opportunity to see many birds, which you might only see fleetingly in flight. Do we feed all year? Yes we can, but the most important months to feed are the months between October and April, as this is when the birds natural food supplies are at there least abundant. In winter try to stick to a daily timetable of feeding, the birds will soon learn when food is going to be ... more

I thought I’d write this opinion to encourage you all to look after our native wild birds. I have been hearing disturbing stories in the news about how the wild bird population is decreasing and how birds, like the sparrow, that we all thought to be so common are disappearing. I only have a small urban garden but I enjoy feeding the birds and love watching them on the bird table and in the birdbath. My father made me a bird table from some spare wood, but you can buy one at any garden centre. It is better to use a table rather than throwing scraps out on the garden path as it offers some ... more