Whether you’re an avid bird watcher, or just enjoy seeing different wildlife visit your garden from time to time, taking care of the birds who pass by your land can be a fun and joyful thing to do.
However, knowing where to start can be the tricky part. Sadly, winter is a challenging time for garden birds. Things like plummeting temperatures, less daylight and scarce food sources makes surviving the season hard. For this reason, your own garden can serve as a safe haven for wild birds.
Food
Starting with food. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not recommended to feed birds bread as it can fill them up with empty calories, which can eventually lead to malnutrition because it lacks essential nutrients. With that said, not everyone has the time or resources to invest in bird food instead, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t give them a little feed from your presses. Here are some things you can pick up on your weekly food shop.
- Plain peanuts
- Sunflower seeds
- Mixed seeds
- Fruit like apples, pears, raisins, grapes and sultanas
Water
Next, you can provide wild birds with access to drinkable water. You can do this by investing in a water dish or simply leave a bowl or container of fresh water in your garden.
Shelter
The last thing a wild bird needs for a complete habitat is shelter. While it’s important for them to eat and drink, it’s also important for them to have a place to rest and recoup. Bird boxes are a great way to create a safe perch for small birds It’s recommended that they are place at least 2 meters off the ground to avoid disturbances.
There are other ways to provide birds with a resting place too, such as using piles of branches, logs or deadwood to make a low shelter space for small birds, such as robins to fit into. If you’re thinking more long-term, planting evergreen trees and dense shrubs like holly or yew can serve as a natural shelter too.
