Wild Bird

THE BENEFITS FOR YOU

Many people find that once they start providing food for wild birds, the number and variety of birds visiting their gardens' increases dramatically. Many people enjoy that feeling of being closer to nature. With peoples' hectic lifesyles these days, it can be a great stress releiver to see man different varieites of birds flocking to your garden and enjoying the food you have put out.

WHO FEEDS BIRDS?

People of all ages love feeding wild birds. It is a great way to introduce children to nature and to develop and real interest in the natural world. Elderly people who perhaps have limited mobility and are unable to keep any other pets often find that feeding wild birds is a great source of pleasure and a way of keeping pets which doesn't invole the responsibilites as with other 'house' pets.

WHEN IS BEST TO DO IT?

This activity can be enjoyed all year round, with the spring and winter months of particular importance, as these are times when birds need extra nutrition to survice cold weather when natural food sources are not as abundant, and when they are breeding in at spring time. All you need is food, a feeder or bird table and you're all set

ARE THERE ANY OTHER BENEFITS?

If you provide food for wild birds then they will of course cosume this with relish. However, another benefit is that alongside this food, they will also be drawn to eat insects in your garden. This can help to provide a level on insect and pest control.

The really great thing about feeding wild birds is that the more people that do it, the more numbers will increase and the more people get to see all the great birds which inhabit our beautiful country.

The Complete Guide To Wild Bird Products

Watching birds in your garden is a lovely experience. Many people stock up on wild bird products to try and attract a range of beautiful birds to their garden. It’s amazing when you spot a rare wild bird in your garden, watch birds nesting or displaying fascinating behaviour. People like to watch birds in their garden for many reasons, because it’s relaxing, feeding them helps the wild bird population thrive and because birds are very interesting creatures to watch. People assume wild birds only really need help in the winter when food is scarce but that’s not always the case, they can do with a helping hand all year round.

Watching wild birds enables you to get close to nature and watch a wild creature just meters from your house. If you want to attract lots of different birds to your garden then you will need to get some wild bird products for your garden. This is our complete guide to wild bird products for people who are new to garden birdwatching.

Bird feeders

These hold bird feed and help to keep it away from other animals. It can be a little overwhelming trying to choose a suitable bird feeder for your garden. There are four main types of feeders available to purchase, peanut, seed, suet, and squirrel proof feeders. bird feeders come in lots of different shapes, styles, and sizes so you can get a feeder that suits your garden. They can be circular, tube-shaped, birdhouse shaped and rectangular. You can get a plain and simple bird feeder or a decorative feeder if you want something a bit more interesting to look at, either way, the birds don’t really mind!

Nesting boxes

Want more birds in your garden? Get a to encourage them to make your garden their home. It’s wonderful witnessing a new family of birds flourishing right before your eyes. Wild bird nesting box provide a safe haven for birds where they can build their nest. They keep birds safe and warm and are usually placed in very convenient locations above the ground and away from predators.

Normally birds just find holes in trees or other naturally sheltered areas to build their nest, but a nesting box is a great alternative. The type of birds you attract to your nesting box depends on where it is the location but some birds that commonly use nesting boxes include robins, starlings and blue tits

Bird feed

Around half of the adult population in the UK put out food for the garden birds. You can choose what sort of food you would prefer to feed the birds in your garden. The different types of wild bird feed you can get include bird peanuts, Mealworms, sunflower seeds, wild bird mixtures, and bird suet fat balls. Each type of feed has its advantages, some people like to vary the feed they give birds in their garden and others will always stick to the same feed. The type of bird feed you choose will also depend on what sort of birds you want in your garden, as some breeds of bird prefer a specific type of bird feed.

If you aren’t sure what feed to get then wild bird mixture is a good product to start off with. It includes lots of different seeds that wild birds love, such as Linseed, Sunflower Seeds, White Millet, Maize, Wheat, and Red Dari. More expensive mixtures will contain larger amounts of expensive seeds such as black sunflower whereas cheaper mixtures will be made up mainly of wheat are also a very popular choice of wild bird feed as they are naturally rich in fat and high in calories, which can come in handy through a particularly cold winter. Some species that have a tendency to enjoy peanuts the most include woodpeckers, tits and greenfinches. Niger seeds contain high oil levels which is beneficial to lots of birds, however, Siskins, Redpolls and Goldfinches particularly love them. They are small black seeds and are a great value form of bird feed. If you want to attract lots of different birds then Bird Suet Fat Balls are a great choice. As they are high in fat they provide some much-needed energy for wild birds. Sunflower hearts are a premium type of bird feed, they contain the seed without the husk and therefore leave less waste behind. They are also extremely nutritious for birds and tend to attract tits, greenfinches and all sorts of different birds.

Bird baths

When birds are looking for an environment to build their nest or simply come to visit there are a few things they look for. The first is a food supply, but they also look for places with fresh water where they can have a drink and clean their feathers. If you want to entice birds to regularly visit your garden then try and provide a source of fresh water. The simplest and easiest way to provide water is by using a bird bath. The surface of the bath needs to be rough so that birds can grip onto the sides with their feet and it should be sloping so that they can enter the water to a depth that they are comfortable with. According to the RSPB, the water should be between 2.5 cm and 10 cm (1-4 inches) deep.

Optional extras

There are also some additional products you can get if you are a keen bird watcher. These include tools to make watching the birds a better experience for you and also additional products to help protect your bird feed.

• Binoculars

• High-quality camera

• Wild bird books

• Cat, dog and squirrel repellent

• Bird feed cases/protectors

• Water features for your garden

If you would like some further information about a garden wildlife or have children which are interested in learning more, then this is a great resource