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Consistency is Key for Winter Birds
As the nights draw in and the temperature drops, thousands of people, including myself, are preparing to feed winter birds. With cold weather descending like a sheet, natural food resources dwindling, and ice and snow making it hard for birds to forage, it is a very difficult time for our British species. Of course, we want to help them as best we can, but there is one vital element in looking after our feathered friends, and that is consistency. If you cant commit to buying the seed and keeping the bird table full through the next three or four months, then don’t start feeding at all.
You might think this is a bizarre sentiment, but consistency really is paramount if you’re providing a local winter restaurant for birds. Autumn berries still remain in abundance and with temperatures dropping gradually this year, there are still a huge number of insects around for birds to find natural food. However, a bit of extra food never goes amiss and if you’re prepared to feed all winter then you can start offering seeds, fat balls and even mealworms to help the garden robin or blackbird plump up for Christmas.
Cotoneaster Berries provide ongoing food
It is vital to go into bird feeding with a mind of providing food for the entire cold period. It is no good offering food for a few weeks, allowing birds to become used to their daily feeding spot and then just forget to put food out or realise you can’t afford to buy the seed. This actually does more damage than good – how would you like it if your one local cafe or restaurant just shut up shop without telling anyone? You’d made a reservation, you turn up, and its close? You wouldn’t be amused and you’d likely not have the energy to go elsewhere.
Birds use a lot of energy in the winter trying to keep warm and common British varieties cannot go into a state of torpor to conserve energy like some swifts and hummingbirds. So flying to a food source takes a lot of energy, with the only life giving reward being that there’s food at the end of it. Flying to a food source which hasn’t been stocked up and then having to fly somewhere else and forage could mean the difference between life and death for many birds.
A Christmas Card image
Having birds in the garden is a fantastic way of bringing your garden to life at any time of year, and we all want to see that Christmas card image of the robin on the bird table surrounded by a winter scene. Seed is relatively inexpensive if you avoid high street supermarkets and buy it in bulk from internet companies, and you can create fat balls by utilising fat cooking leftovers and mixing with seed to make your own homemade creations. If you can’t commit to providing ongoing winter supplements for your garden birds then think twice about starting. Whilst every little bit of food will help, if birds become to rely on your food source and then you take it away, you’re more than likely to end up with a feathered graveyard. If you’d like to buy bird seeds in bulk, you can find them with wallet-friendly prices here with coupons for retailers.
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