We are feeding our garden birds everyday now. They like sunflowers seeds and peanuts in particular and we also hang out fat balls and apples for them. Some of the bigger birds such as Crows and Wood Pigeons also visit our birdtables now that food is scarce in the fields, hedgerows and trees and a pair of pheasants like to see what’s fallen to the ground for them.
Smaller birds scatter when the big birds arrive but they don’t stay long and we replenish the food whenever necessary so there’s always something for the little ones to eat. The weather is set to become much colder here so I’ve made a point of topping up the food a couple of times today already. If the birds are well fed they’ll stand a much better chance of surviving in the icy temperatures and biting wind set to arrive tomorrow.
You may have heard that there’s an outbreak of Avian Flu at a Pheasant Farm in Lancashire… it’s not far from here. I’m hoping that our wild ducks and swans and all our tiny garden birds stay safe and healthy. We’ll do our bit with fresh food and water every day.
I’ve just got time for one last trip around the garden to tidy away anything that’s likely to blow around when the wind arrives… there’s a few pots to be moved into more sheltered positions for starters.
You may be surprised to see just how many birds visit your garden if you put some food out for them.
Happy Gardening and Birdwatching! Gillian 🙂