Make the Most of your Garden Feeders

Kennedy Wild Bird Feeders

Bird feeders offer a fun and entertaining way to observe birds up close and connect with nature. They also supplement the natural food sources available for birds in your yard or garden. Different species of birds prefer varying types of feeder foods.

Nourishment for wildlife should come primarily from natural food sources such as native plants. Feeders should only be supplied to complement birds' natural diets.

• Provide multiple feeding stations in different areas of your yard to disperse bird activity. Feed in moderation, with only a few feeders per acre.
• Clean your feeders regularly with hot water, and let them air dry completely. Also keep areas under and around the feeders clean.
• Keep seed clean and dry, and watch for hold.
• Use a seed blend designed for your feeder and the types of birds you feed. Blends that contain filler seeds and grains (milo, sorghum, and red or golden millet) are not typically eaten by birds, and will often end up on the ground.
• If you find a dead bird near the feeder that has not been killed by a predator, disinfect the feeders with a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water.
• Place bird feeders in locations that do not provide hiding places for cats and other predators. Place feeders ten to twelve feet from low shrubs or brush piles.
• Many bird species will not eat from a feeder. Some species eat only fruits or insects. Provide for these species also by planting native plants and not using pesticides in your yard or garden.
• Black oil sunflower seed is a favorite of just about every seed-eating species.
• Suet feeders are a favorite of woodpeckers and other insect-eating birds. You can make your own suet or buy blocks of suet from a wild bird store. Typically suet blocks are placed in a wire cage that hangs on the side of a tree. Do not put suet out in warm weather or it will go rancid.

We have a wide variety of feeders & wild bird food online and in store - so visit us today & serve up a delicious feast for your feathered friends.

Peter, Anne & The Team.

Bird Feeders

Sunflower bird seed is by far the most popular bird seed that attracts a large variety of wild birds. There are quite a few types and styles of Bird Feeders for sunflower seeds and most do a good job.

The Sunflower Seed Bird Feeder shown here is a wire mesh style that has internal dividers that keep the seed in the upper levels longer which results in more birds being able to feed at the same time. It also has a small tray to accommodate perching birds like Cardinals. Clinging birds like the Chickadee, Titmouse, Nuthatch and Woodpeckers like to cling to the wire mesh to feed.

Goldfinch Thistle seed bird feeders are the second most popular type of bird feeder. Thistle seed is tiny seeds that Goldfinches and others love. A good example of a thistle feeder is the yellow accented wire mesh feeder designed just for the thistle. This Finch Tube Bird Feeder has internal dividers to maintain seed in upper levels for longer use by many birds. Its tray catches fallen seed so the birds can still find and use it.

Peanut bird feeders can be added as an extra type of feeder to attract more unusual types of birds. The red Spiral Peanut Bird Feeder holds the peanuts in wire openings that are just right to allow birds to peck their treat out. This gives the opportunity to see these birds for a longer time. Red Belly Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, etc. all frequent this type of feeder. The spiral arm gives them an extra perch that they like to go around on to find their choice peanut.

These are just a few examples of all the different styles available, more Bird Feeders can be seen here. Squirrel Baffles can be added to these bird feeders to have Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders.

Spring Visitors

During the spring and early summer, it's not just the milk van that will wake you early - it's dawn chorus time again.

From March to July, those feathered alarm clocks are at it again, as they defend their territories and sing to attract a mate. 

Springing into song

Our songbirds time their breeding season to the warmest part of the year, when there is plenty of food and lots of daylight in which to find it. As winter turns to spring, the lengthening daylight switches male songbirds into breeding mode.

The first songsters of the season are residents such as robins and great tits, joined later on by migrants like chiffchaffs and blackcaps to make May and June the peak time to enjoy the dawn chorus.

The early bird gets the worm

The first birds begin to sing about an hour before sunrise. If you listen carefully, you may notice that there is a regular sequence, with some species habitually starting before others. Among the earliest to rise are skylarks, song thrushes, robins and blackbirds, and as they do eat worms there may be some truth to the old saying!

A more relaxed approach is taken by wrens and warblers, that typically appear later. These smaller birds, who are perhaps more sensitive to the coldness of dawn, feed on insects that themselves appear later in the morning.

The truth dawns

The dim light of dawn is not a good time to go foraging. Food, like insects and seeds, may be difficult to find, so perhaps it's a better time to try and attract a mate. Singing also brings the risk of attracting a predator, so it is better done before the bright morning light betrays the singer's position.

The air is often still at this time and, with less background noise, song can carry up to 20 times as far. As the light strengthens food becomes easier to find, so hungry birds begin to move off and the chorus gradually diminishes.

There is another chorus at dusk, which is considered quieter, though some birds - like tree sparrows and blue tits – seem to prefer to sing at this time of day. It may simply be that we take less notice of it than the dawn chorus, when we are so keen to enjoy a few more moments in bed!

Sunflower Hearts are perfect for wild birds in spring

He who sings last...

Singing is hard work, and uses hard won food reserves, so it is the fittest, best-fed males who produce the strongest, most impressive song. Females therefore choose a mate who sings best, because such a male is more likely to be good at raising chicks, to have a good territory, or to pass successful genes to their young.

In many species, once the female has been attracted, the male will sing less often. A bird that sings on and on, late into the season, is probably a lonely batchelor who has failed to attract a mate.

Enjoying your dawn chorus

Peanuts are full of nutrients & are ideal for birds in springtime.

If you want to listen to a dawn chorus, then the best days to choose are those with fine, clear weather and little wind. It can be cold early in the day, so remember to take warm clothes. Late April through to early June is the best period, when most species are singing well.

Dawn chorus peaks half-an-hour before to half-an-hour after sunrise, but the variety of song can prove too confusing at that time, so why not get into position a good hour before sunrise, and enjoy the arrival of the performers as each takes their turn on stage.

How Do Wild Birds Keep Warm In Winter?

Many backyard birders are astonished at the wide variety of winter birds that visit their feeders even on the coldest days, and they may wonder “how do wild birds keep warm in winter?” Birds have many superb adaptations that allow them to survive even in the most frigid conditions, and birders who understand what birds need to keep warm can easily help their feathered friends.
Birds are warm-blooded animals that have a much higher metabolism, and thus higher body temperature, than humans. While the exact measurement varies for different bird species, the average bird’s body temperature is 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). Body temperature can fluctuate during the day depending on climate and activity, but it can be a challenge for birds to maintain such a high body heat when temperatures dip too severely. Smaller birds are particularly at risk, since they have a proportionally larger surface area on their bodies to lose heat but a smaller core volume to generate it. Even the smallest birds, however, have several ways they can efficiently keep warm.
What Wild Birds Do to Keep Warm
Birds have many physical and behavioral adaptations to keep warm, no matter what the low temperatures of their surroundings.
Physical Adaptations
Feathers: Birds’ feathers provide remarkable insulation against the cold, and many bird species grow extra feathers as part of a late fall molt to give them thicker protection in the winter. The oil that coats birds’ feathers also provides insulation as well as waterproofing.
Legs and Feet: Birds’ legs and feet are covered with specialized scales that minimize heat loss. Birds can also control the temperature of their legs and feet separately from their bodies by constricting blood flow to their extremities, thereby reducing heat loss even further.
Fat Reserves: Even small birds can build up fat reserves to serve as insulation and extra energy for generating body heat. Many birds will gorge during the fall when food sources are abundant, giving them an extra fatty layer before winter arrives.
Behavioral Adaptations

Fluffing: Birds will fluff out their feathers to create air pockets for additional insulation in cold temperatures.
Tucking: It is not unusual to see a bird standing on one leg or crouched to cover both legs with its feathers to shield them from the cold. Birds can also tuck their bills into their shoulder feathers for protection.
Sunning: On sunny winter days, many birds will take advantage of solar heat by turning their backs to the sun (therefore exposing the largest surface of their bodies to the heat) and raising their feathers slightly. This allows the sun to heat the skin and feathers more efficiently. Wings may also be drooped or spread while sunning, and the tail may be spread as well.
Shivering: Birds will shiver to raise their metabolic rate and generate more body heat as a short term solution to extreme cold. While shivering does require more calories, it is an effective way to stay warm.
Roosting: Many small birds, including bluebirds, chickadees and titmice, will gather in large flocks at night and crowd together in a small, tight space to share body heat. They can roost in shrubbery or trees, and empty birdhouses and bird roost boxes are also popular locations to conserve heat. Even individual birds choose roost spots that may have residual heat from the day’s sunlight, such as close to the trunk of a tree or near any dark surface.
Torpor
Many birds will enter torpor to conserve energy during cold winter nights. Torpor is a state of reduced metabolism when the body temperature is lowered, therefore requiring fewer calories to maintain the proper heat. Most birds can lower their body temperature by a few degrees, but torpid birds have lowered their body temperatures by as much as 50 degrees. Torpor can be a dangerous behavior, however, as the reduced temperature also leads to reduced reactions and greater vulnerability to predators. Hummingbirds, chickadees, swifts and other types of birds regularly use torpor as a way to survive cold temperatures.
Helping Keep Birds Warm
Even with all these adaptations to conserve heat and stay warm, many birds still succumb to frigid temperatures and bird mortality can be very high during severe winters. Birders who know how to keep wild birds warm in winter can help their backyard flocks have an edge over the cruelest weather.
Offer Good Food: Choosing the best winter bird foods to offer means selecting seeds, suet, scraps and other items high in fat and calories to give birds plenty of energy to generate sufficient body heat.
Keep Feeders Full: After a long, cold night birds will need ready access to food to replenish their energy reserves. Keep your birdfeeders full of nutritious seed no matter what the weather so the birds know where to go for a high energy meal.
Offer Liquid Water: Birds can melt snow to drink if necessary, but doing so will use precious energy that is needed to maintain body heat. If the birds can drink from a liquid birdbath even in freezing temperatures, they will have a better chance at survival.
Provide Shelter: Plant evergreen shrubs and coniferous trees that will provide suitable shelter throughout the winter, or build a brush pile to give birds a safe, sheltered place to roost. Adding a roost box to your yard is also helpful.
When temperatures start to dip, it isn’t necessary to worry about how birds keep warm; they have plenty of efficient adaptations to survive even the chilliest nights. Birders who understand those adaptations and help birds with even better food, shelter and other necessities, however, will be sure to enjoy warm and healthy winter backyard birds no matter how cold it is outside.
Please contact Kennedy Wild Bird Foods if you have any questions about feeding wild birds this winter.

5 easy steps to Winter bliss for your feathered visitors

So with Winter just around the corner and Christmas just 5 weeks away, we wanted to make sure you're fully prepared for the cold snap with these 5 easy steps to Winter bliss for your feathered visitors ....

• 1.       Your bird feeders should be filled regularly with fresh, frost free feed. Sunflower heart chips are an excellent source of nutrients for a wide variety of UK wild birds.
• 2.       Fat Balls and Suet Blocks should be hung in your garden and on your patio - again your garden birds will love these as they are full of nuts, seeds and the all important fat to keep them full and help them build up a healthy plumage.
• 3.       Birds like nothing more than live feed - but that can be very difficult for them to find when the ground is covered in ice and snow so put out some mealworms and waxworms - live are best, but dried will be a suitable alternative.
• 4.       Water baths and drinking stations should be filled daily with fresh cold water. Do not put hot or boiling water out, but on the other hand please try to keep the ice off the water.
• 5.       And finally, Nesting Boxes should be cleared out and repaired or replaced in preparation for the spring.

We hope that helps you cover the basics this winter - wild birds can survive very cold snaps but a fresh bowl of water, a handful of dried mealworms and a feederfull of sunflower hearts will be a very welcome sight on a cold frosty morning.
And don't forget our Photograph Competition where you can win a £50 voucher to spend at www.wildbirdfood.uk.com so put your feeders and baths in a position where you can see them from your kitchen window and get snapping away when your feathered friends come to dine.

Wild Birds Photo Competition in Full Swing

Have you entered the Kennedy Wild Bird Foods autumn photography competition yet?

We're offering one lucky winner a £50 online voucher to spend at www.wildbirdfood.uk.com.

The competition rules are very simple:

• ·         You must have taken the photograph yourself
• ·         You must own the copyright
• ·         You must post it to our facebook or twitter feeds before 14th December 2013
• ·         You must allow us to repost it & use it for promotional uses

So fill up your bird feeder with some fresh sunflower hearts & put some fresh water in your water bath and get snapping. Serious, funny, daft, artistic, creative - there are no boundaries and there will be some spot prizes for the funniest/strangest photo we receive.

Good luck & get snapping.