Garden birds are getting hungry but it won’t cost the earth to feed them, says the RSPB.The wildlife charity is urging everyone to get their aprons on and their leftovers out ready for its annual Feed the Birds Day.
You don’t need to be a wildlife expert or a top chef to provide a nutritious meal for your garden birds and most ingredients can be found in your kitchen cupboards.
The RSPB’s Feed the Birds Day is on 29th October and is a reminder that garden wildlife needs extra help during the chillier months.
As the clocks go back and lush green leaves turn golden brown, the extra food, water and shelter we provide for birds and other garden wildlife could be the difference between life and death.
Birds appreciate our help with extra food all year round, but now is the prime time to step up the feeding in back gardens in time for the cold snap.
The RSPB suggests throwing diets out the window when it comes to feeding your garden visitors. Calorie rich foods like mixed seed, nyjer seed and peanuts as well as kitchen scraps like mild grated cheese, cooked rice and pasta, unsalted bacon and cooked potatoes are great for birds, and provide them with energy in the winter months.
A supply of water is also essential for bathing and preening. Birds need to keep their feathers in top condition to ensure they insulate effectively and a dip in a clean bird bath will ensure no debris or dirt prevents this.
The RSPB suggests sprucing up your garden too. A few inexpensive garden plants can be a real investment for wildlife and the appearance of your outside space. A simple climber such as honeysuckle or bushes rich in fruit like rowan and hawthorn will provide extra food and shelter.
Elaine Holderness, Feed the Birds Day Manager says: “You don’t need to spend lots of time and money to provide a slap up meal for garden birds – in fact, providing them with tasty, beneficial food couldn’t be easier.
“A mixture of seeds, some leftover kitchen scraps and some water is our equivalent to a three course meal and it’s a lifeline when the seasons change and food becomes scarce.
“And you could attract all sorts of dinner guests – in addition to the more common species you could see things like fieldfares, redwings and blackcaps as they leave their usual countryside feeding areas to come to gardens with good supplies of natural and supplementary food.”
The RSPB will be hosting over one hundred events nationwide to get everyone involved in the annual celebration, which marks the clocks going back and the arrival of winter.
By doing your bit, you could see a rapid rise in the number and type of birds visiting your garden, no matter what size it is.
To help people find out more about garden birds and what can be done to help them, the RSPB is holding over a hundred Feed the Birds Day events during the weekend of 29th/30th October. There will be fun, family events all over the UK with activities such as bird cake making and nest box building. For more information visit www.rspb.org.uk/feedthebirds where you can also find out how to make your garden or window box as good for wildlife as possible, through RSPB Homes For Wildlife.
