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Wild Bird Care
Feed the wild birds and really bring your garden to life.
Putting out feed is a great way to attract all kinds of wild
birds to your garden. Feeding helps improve the birds' survival
rates during cole weather and increases their success rates at
breeding time.
So when should you feed the birds?
Experts from the RSPB and The British Trust for Ornithology
(BTO) recommend that you feed the wild birds in your garden all
year round. However, feeding is particularly important during
autumn, winter and spring.
This is because these colder months are the times when the
things birds normally eat, such as insects, seeds and berries are
scarce. However, food shortages can occur at any time of year so
making sure you always put something out, it can really help them
survive and thrive.
What's the best time to put feed out?
Because birds lose energy keeping warm at night, put feed out
first thing in the morning. Then put more out mid-afternoon to
boost their energy levels ready for the next night. As the birds
will come to rely on the food, it's important that once you've
started feeding them you continue to do so.
Choosing the right feeding method and feeder
To attract a real variety of birds into your garden you need
to put out a range of different foods. The Gardman range has
everything from peanuts and seed blends, sunflower hearts and
mealworm to energy packed treats like Fat Snax and Suet Feasts.
When choosing feeds it's important taht you also choose the
right feeder. For example, only put peanuts out in a special
peanut mesh feeder as whole nuts can choke young birds.
As well as using Gardman's wide range of feeders, you can
loose feed many of our seeds and seed mixes, on the ground or on
a bird table. So why not try a few different feeding methods and
see which birds they bring to your garden.
Think about location and water
If loose feeding, avoid putting too much out each day as
uneaten food will attract vermin. Whether loose feeding or using
a feeder, do it away from cover where predators such as cats could
hide. Fresh water must always be available for drinking and
bathing and make sure this doesn't become frozen during the winter
months.
Keeping things clean
To keep both you and your birds safe, it's important that you
think about hygiene. So make sure you...- Only put sufficient food out on bird tables or on the
ground so it doesn't go off
- Clean droppings from feeders and tables before adding fresh
food
- Clean feeders and other equipment with mild disinfectant,
rinsing thoroughly with water afterwards
- Move feeders and bird tables regularly to avoid unhygienic
deposits building up
- Keep feed fresh by keeping it in an airtight container
stored in a cool dry place
- Wash outside and protect yourself by wearing gloves and
washing hands afterwards
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SEED MIXES |
PEANUTS |
SUNFLOWER
SEEDS |
NYGER
SEED |
FAT SNAX
&SUET |
PREFERRED
FEEDING
METHOD |
Blackbird
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Ground |
Blue Tit
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Bird Feeder |
Chaffinch
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Bird Table |
Coal Tit
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Bird Feeder |
Great Tit
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Bird Table |
Robin
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Ground |
Starling
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Bird Table |
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