Feed Garden Birds

Feed garden birds to encourage wildlife. We give tips and hints on types of seeds and nuts to choose: help on selecting feeders and do's and don'ts of what and when to feed garden birds. 

Why you should feed garden birds

Watching the birds feed is both soothing and interesting but you need to put the food off the ground if possible. This Verdigris 32" Birdbath with Cast iron Stand is perfect and adds interest to the garden in its own right. Outdoor spaces of all sizes, both small and large, can be made into an attractive habitat to feed garden birds. With such friendly and fascinating visitors you will be able to enhance the experience of your outside environment. Additionally, by encouraging and welcoming "our feathered friends" you will be helping to conserve a healthy population. To feed garden birds it is not all about providing a flat table and a constant supply of peanuts. In many cases pests such as insects, slugs and snails and other invertebrates can be a natural source of nutrition. It is therefore important to allow for a good mix of open lawn, herbaceous borders, shrubberies and trees. This will provide the basic diet, certainly in the spring and summer.

 

A selection of the different types of feeders available

Types of Feeders

There are a whole range of feeders available to feed garden birds including window feeders. These are great, especially  for children, since they allow observation from the safety and warmth of indoors.

Tables are numerous in type and style. However, in choosing the right one for your requirements it would be prudent to consider the creatures viewpoint. They need to feel secure in their environment so a simple table is all that it required. This allows them to have an uninterupted view of their surroundings. Additionally these simple arrangements are easy to keep clean and tidy. Most tables are pole mounted and in fact could easily, and cheaply, be made as a DIY project. If you decide to buy or make a roofed table ensure the roof overhangs the table to deflect rainwater away from the flat surface.

Nut and seed holders hang from branches and are used to  feed garden birds. Holders with a metal mesh are ideal for the larger nuts such as peanuts. The most common other type of hanging rigid holder used to feed garden birds is made from clear plastic tubing. This has a number of  holes with landing perches sticking out and this arrangement is ideal for seeds. Peanuts can also be offered to feed garden birds from a hanging meshed bag. This is a very simple arrangement but it could sometimes cause a fledgling to be caught up in it - be aware of this downside.

Often "our feathered friends" find themselves in competition with squirrels around the tables and hanging holders. There are a number of excellent products available that alleviate this problem. Essentially they are hanging holders surrounded by a metal outer frame. The gauge of this outer frame is sufficient to exclude the squirrels from the central column where the seeds or nuts are stored.

An elegant bird bath will attract widlife

When to feed garden birds? The obvious answer is during the cold winter weather. Natural supplies of nutrients decline in the environment and this is when you can really help to feed garden birds. High energy, fat-rich offerings will be gratefully received. During the spring and summer don't forget about them; yes, there will be natural supplies of nourishment for them but a little help will be welcomed. It is during this period many species will need to build up their energies for breeding and raising their young. High calorie supplemental nutrition is highly recommended. Don't forget that birds also welcome a clean supply of water too. A Cast Iron Birdbath is not only attractive in your garden but the birds will love it too! Observing the many and varied species  that will visit you when you feed garden birds will both enhance the benefits of your environment and reward your kind efforts.

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