Given the really cold snap it is important that we show our hospitality to our feathered friends in the garden. The overwhelming concern at this time of year is the birds continued survival and with the short daylight hours feeding is essential to get much needed energy. We can help in a number of ways:
Food supply must be consistent as if we stop or make sudden changes it can cause problems if they have become dependent on us for food. We put out a range of feeds and feeders to meet the differing needs of our visitors.
The freezing spell means water supplies can become limited so fresh supply or boiling water to thaw ice should be carried out on a daily basis. At present we are doing this two or three times a day as it doesn’t take long for it to freeze.
Be aware of the dangers to our birds, for example when using fat balls we remove the netting around them as it is possible that the birds feet could become tangled.
If you are keen to get birds into your garden a great book is ‘Gardening for birds-how to help birds make the most out of your garden’ by Stephen Moss. It has details on bird species as well as a section on what to plant in the garden and the benefits to birds.
