birdfood

When I first took an interest in birdwatching and decided to help and attract the birds into my garden, I was amazed at the large amount of information available giving advice on how to feed birds!  I thought I would share with you what I do, which has been so successful.
Providing nuts for bird feeding is the first and obvious choice but please remember that salt is very bad for birds, so whatever you do, please don’t use the roasted/salted variety. Stick to natural unsalted nuts (specific for birds), seeds, dried fruit and finely chopped bacon rind.
Lard is good too. Most of our native garden birds will benefit from pecking away at a seedy, nutty lard-cake.   You can either melt some lard in a pan, mix in your chosen ingredients, then simply pour into half a coconut shell. Let it set before you hang it out.
I was surprised at the many different kinds of bird feeders too which attract different birds also!  There are so many, so I have listed a few below:-
Hanging Feeders:  These can be hung these from a tree or from a wall bracket, anywhere that is high so the cats can’t reach them.
Mesh Feeders:  To attract Tits and Woodpeckers, use a wire mesh as birds can get tangled or trapped in nylon mesh.  Fill with whole peanuts but do not do this during the breeding season as whole nuts can choke baby birds.
Seed Feeders:  These are made from clear plastic with perches below the holes. Finches are the popular birds attracted to these Feeders.
Fat Feeders:  These attract Tits in particular.  There are special holders you can buy for fat balls.
Coconuts:  Again, fat mixtures can be put into an empty half coconut and can be hung from a tree.
Below, I have listed a range of certain foods for our birds:-
Peanuts – again, not the salted variety, the peanuts especially for birds.  I find it is best to crush them as this is safer.  Robins and Dunnocks will enjoy them very much.
Seeds – either Sunflower Seeds or a mix.  Nyjer Seeds for example are loved by Finches.
Live food (perhaps best in the Spring when birds are raising their chicks) such as mealworms, which can be bought from suppliers and again, are loved by Robins, Blue Tits, Finches and Siskins and they will feed their chicks with caterpillars and insects which also can be encouraged in your garden with the right plants.
Fats – these are so important for our birds to survive. As mentioned earlier, lard/suet and  leftover unsalted bacon rind or grated hard cheese are favourites for our Blue Tits.
Natural food of course is always ideal.  If you have the correct shrubs and trees in your garden, our birds will be lucky enough to have supplies throughout the year. Holly and Ivy are great for winter berries and therefore Thrushes and Woodpigeons love them. If you plant Spindle, over the Winter time, Robins will receive their vital source of energy through the berries.
Breakfast and Supper are the most important meals for birds, especially in the Autumn and Winter as they need a boost of energy before and after their rest.
It is important that all Feeders are maintained and cleaned; boiling water is best, do not use detergents.  It is also important to remove stale food from the seed trays too.
You will be amazed at the abundance and different birds you will see in your garden just by providing the right Feeder and the right food!