Feeding wild birds: How to get started
Feeding our feathered friends is a great activity and a wonderful way to support local wildlife. It’s also very easy to do and a really rewarding hobby for all ages. Here’s a few handy hints and tips to help get you started:
The right type of feeders
There are a wide range of feeders on the market, but start with two basics:
Seed feeder – fill them with seed mixes to attract birds such as blue tits, great tits, chaffinches and sparrows.
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Fat ball feeder – for suet-based fat balls which are perfect for keeping birds such as blue tits, woodpeckers and starlings topped up with energy over the winter. Robins love them too, but prefer them crumbled on the ground or a bird table.
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A place to hang your feeder
A feeding station is the perfect place to hang your feeders and they are available in a range of sizes. Position one near shrubs or trees for a quick escape route if needed and make sure it is visible from your window so you can enjoy watching the feeding antics of birds on the feeders.
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Choose reliable food
Great food for beginners include:
Sunflower hearts - good all-rounders and loved by lots of garden birds.
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High-quality seed mixes – look for ones without lots of wheat fillers.
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Fat balls – superior ones with the additions of nuts and seeds are best.
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Fresh water – always make sure this available.
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Avoid feeding bread, salted food, meat and milk.
Keep it clean
Ensuring your feeders is really important for wild bird health and crucial for helping to prevent the spread of disease among our feathered friends.
Clean feeders every 1 – 2 weeks with warm water and mild soap and let them dry completely before spraying with a proprietary hygiene spray.
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Be Consistent
Once you start feeding the birds, it is important to continue as they will come to rely on you. When you first start it might seem a little quiet at first, as it can take a couple of weeks for the word to spread among the bird community, but once it does, you should be visited by a wide variety.
Add a little extra
Popping in a few additions can really help to boost garden appeal.
A bird bath – for bathing and drinking
Native plants – evergreens, low foliage and seed heads will help to attract birds to the garden.
Nest box – provide handy shelter over winter and a nesting spot in spring.
Keep a small notebook or use a bird spotting app to record visitors.