Sunday October 03, 2004

Feeding the birds !

Surprising as it may seem our feathered friends require to be fed all year round. Like humans they need to eat everyday. Our impact on the environment means the food they used to find around them is not always there. Climate change also pays its part. So if you do feed birds and do so only in the winter please do so all year round.

I have a small home made bird feeder. It is a flat bad of plywood with a surrounding edge to keep the seed on the feeder. It then has a little roof which keeps the seeds dry. It also has the effect of keeping the larger birds off it. I watched a jay once trying to get to the seed. But the messy finches etc always seem to splill seed on the ground so the larger birds can go for that. I hang the feeder on a pergola so its easy to sweep the mess of the husks up as if they get on the grass they make a real mess. It also means I don't have to walk on the grass in the winter - which you should avoid. I also put a 'fat ball' out there which is especially popular in the winter. The ponds I have in the garden also provide a good source of water and the stream is popular with birds who like to take bath now and then. Cats are a problem - there are far to many in our area.

I often have fruit like a pear or apple for breakfast. I toss out the core on the grass after cutting it up into slices. The blackbirds love these (they are groundfeeders) . They seem to especially like pears. Conference seems a favourite !

It is interesting to see when the birds come to the garden. Clearly at certain times of the year there is food elsewhere for them to eat. I think at harvest time this is so. But in the spring I think they need extra help as they have extra mouths to feed

See these folks website they are the experts !