Winter Bird Care
Autumn is in the air and winter is fast approaching, so it may be worth giving a thought to our feathered friends!!
Alot of people like watching the birds in their gardens, but making sure they are cared for properly can be difficult and what sort of food to put out can be confusing.
Most of our native birds are rich, energy foods such as seeds, insects and suet. Suet is high in energy and a pure fat substance, essential in winter as insects are harder to find. Birds need alot more calories in the winter to keep their bodies warm, much the same as us!!! Suet can be fed in various feeders, ranging from cages to wooden feeders and not forgetting the good old fat balls.
Peanuts are also high in protein and fat, so offering peanuts in a peanut feeder is essential for our birds in the wintertime. But remember, peanuts should be unsalted, fresh and in good condition.
Winter berries and seeds are natures “natural” bird food, so why not leave your perennials to go to seed this winter, the birds will feast on them during the cold snaps.
A good ‘wild bird’ mix of seeds and grains can be bought in most garden centres but a good mix should include sunflowers, nyger, millet and maybe oats. I would recommend ‘Browns Wild Bird Mix’ which is a high quality mix of seeds that is tailored to their needs.
Birds also love fruit, such as apples, pears and soft fruits. They will also enjoy our kitchen scraps, like cooked pasta and rice, boiled potatoes and even cheese!!
But my personal favourite is the Robin and if you want these little cuties to come into your garden then treat them to some mealworms, they just cannot resist!!
Make sure they have clean, fresh water to drink and keep water bowls full and clean them each time they are filled. Many garden birds die each year through contamination of dirty feeders and water bowls.
Birds will seek protection from the elements and their are a number of ways to help, nesting boxes are the obvious choice, but also evergreen trees and shrubs will provide much needed cover from the wind and winter storms!!
Helping our birds can be as rewarding for us as it is for them. By using bird tables and feeders, we can bring the wild birds right up to our windows. Remember they are ‘just like us’, they need food, water and shelter. So this winter why not give your garden birds a little extra help and get a few bird feeders and boxes up, just in case!!!
See you soon,
The Wheatley Farm team