Are wild birds being looked after in your garden?

For some people owning a pet is not possible perhaps because of work commitments or restrictions on their tenancy agreement so looking after the wild birds that visit the garden could be said to be a replacement for having a pet and is certainly less problematic.

During the winter months wild birds rely on domestic bird tables and feeders for essential food as other food they may eat such as berries and seeds are in short supply. It is important that you buy good quality seed and other bird feed such as fat balls and suet blocks as many inferior products contain mostly cheaper grain and fats that do not provide the nutrition that the birds need.

Regularly cleaning out feeders is important as birds will not feed on mouldy peanuts and seed, and they look unsightly hanging from the bird table. Over time plastic seed feeders become brittle and crack but as they are quite cheap to replace it is probably worth changing them every couple of years. Remember that wild birds also need access to fresh water but if you have not got room for a bird bath a shallow bowl of water situated near the bird table will be perfectly adequate.