Helping Wild Birds This Winter

‘The North wind doth blow and we shall have snow,
And what will poor robin do then, poor thing?
He’ll sit in a barn and keep himself warm
And hide his head under his wing, poor thing.’*
*Author unknown

Never does this nursery rhyme have a more important meaning than during this season.

Our advice is to feed birds all year round as they come to rely on the food that we provide. One day without food can make a big difference to a small bird.

It’s crucial now more than any other time of the year, to keep your feeders full and clean. The benefit – a garden full of colourful and delightful feathered friends to brighten up a dull and dreary winter’s day.

If you have a bird feeding station, site it near trees or hedges, not in the middle of your lawn. Feeding birds need to feel safe and out of danger. Small birds, in particular, are vulnerable to predators and will become anxious if they don’t feel safe.

Make sure that you provide clean drinking and bathing water to help avoid dehydration. This is just as important during a hard winter as it is in a hot summer.

Feed high-energy high-fat food to help keep birds warm like suet feasts and suet pellets.

Whilst large windows and patio doors are lovely to view birds from they can be hazardous if a bird is startled and flies off quickly. Try placing bird silhouettes on the glass to deter birds from flying towards them.

Hopefully, with these few simple ideas, you will get to enjoy a wide variety of birds in your garden this winter. Here are our favourites:- 
 
Yellowhammer – A visitor if you live near to fields, has a distinctive yellow head, feeds mainly on the ground looking for seeds like Garden Friendly.
 
Greenfinch – Will come to a seed feeder and bird table for sunflowers, and peanuts.
 
Robin – Feeds freely in the undergrowth and will visit a bird table for mealworms and suet.