Gardeners are being urged to put food in their garden ‘twice a day’ in December for a really important reason.
Through the winter, many birds stay in the UK rather than migrate, choosing to battle the freezing ice, snow and frost and search for dwindling food supplies in Britain instead of making the long journey south to warmer climes.
But gardeners are being urged to do something to help the birds survive the long winter – by leaving food out as often as twice a day.
In the winter, gardeners are asked to put out different foods for birds than in the warmer summer conditions.
Instead of berries and seeds, birds need fattier foods in order to make it through the tougher winter months, packing on fat stores in order to survive when food is more infrequent.
The RSPB urges gardeners: “Put out bird food and water on a regular basis through autumn and winter.
“In severe weather, you may find you need to feed twice daily. Birds need high-energy, high-fat foods during cold weather.
“Always adjust the quantity given to the demand, and never allow uneaten foods to build up. Once you have a feeding routine, try not to change it as birds will become used to it.”
And website Songbird Survival adds: “Keeping feeders topped up in the winter months is key to providing a haven for songbirds. By topping up your feeders at roughly the same time, birds will learn when to visit your garden for food and not waste energy visiting when there’s no food.
It adds to put out food ‘that is high in protein or fat like fat balls’ as well as peanuts to make sure birds have enough energy in winter.
But it’s also important to ‘lace’ the food in winter.
This is because other animals, like squirrels and rats, will come and steal food intended for birds.
Whether you’re using a bird table, a bird feeder or just a plate, squirrels and rats threaten to muscle in on your bird feeding and steal it for themselves, forcing birds to go hungry.
To avoid this, sprinkle something spicy on the food you’ve left out, like chilli powder, hot sauce or hot pepper. Birds won’t be able to taste it, so it won’t put them off, but squirrels hate it and will leave all of your food for the birds.