As the temperature plummet this week, our feathered friends need our help to survive in our gardens – us providing food and water can be the difference between life and death in many cases.
Birds come into our gardens to seek protection as insects become harder to find and berries can be locked away by snow and frost.
So what can we do?
- Make sure to put out feed regularly and add as much high-calorie food as possible.
- Fill your hanging feeders with unsalted peanuts, sunflower seed, and sunflower hearts and mealworms.
- Hang up food bars of fat in trees and shrubs.
- Put up nest boxes for smaller birds for roost sites.
- Leftovers from our table are welcome – cake, bread, cheese, cereals unsalted bacon, cooked rice, insides of cooked potatoes – it all will make a huge difference in this cold weather.
- Make sure water is available at all times. DO NOT use antifreeze to keep it from freezing, instead fill it up with tepid water and use larger bowls as it will take longer to freeze. You can also put in small floating items like twigs to help to keep the surface clear from ice.
- Any fruit or berries which has gone a bit soft in the fruit bowl will be a welcome addition.
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If you want to read more about how to help wildlife in our gardens and cities go to RSPB’s website.
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