With the temperatures dropping and resources running low it’s the most important time of year to ensure we are helping our native garden bird species. Read on to find out the best ways to help them through winter.
Provide Shelter
With the cold winds picking up and the days with rainfall increasing garden birds need somewhere to shelter from the elements. One great way to provide this is putting up nest boxes in your garden. There are plenty of types for different bird species or you could even build your own.
Another great way to provide shelter for birds is by planting dense hedges such as Hawthorn or Privet; or simply allow any Ivy or Holly to grow without being cut back. Small birds love to use vegetation to roost and shelter in.
Keep Water & Food Fresh
Garden birds need access to fresh drinking and bathing water all year round, even in the cold weather, so try your best to keep your bird bath clean and ice-free.
Keeping any bird feeders in your garden clean is also important, as it helps to reduce the spread of disease. The RSPB recommends cleaning them once a week with washing-up liquid. Also, make sure any web or mouldy seed is thrown away to avoid making the birds in your garden unwell.
Prepare a Bird Buffet
When it’s very cold birds require more energy to stay warm; but resources run low in winter making it harder for our garden birds to find enough food to survive. By offering a variety of calorie-rich food such as mixed seed, peanuts, fat balls and fruits we can help our native species get through these harsh months.
It’s important though to make sure anything we leave out for our garden birds is safe. We should NOT leave out: bread, milk, salted or dry roasted peanuts, chocolate or cooked leftovers.
One final thing to remember is that if you are going away during the winter months please ask a neighbour to feed the birds in your garden. The birds living in and around our gardens become used to and reliant on the food we provide them; the food source suddenly stopping can put them at risk.
If you are looking for where to buy food for the wild birds and animals in your garden check out Ark Wildlife as they have a fantastic range of options.