Feeding Garden Birds This Spring

Feeding garden birds

The modern approach to garden bird feeding is to use a range of foods that support the specific nutritional requirements of a wide range of species over the course of a year. There is a scientific evidence highlighting the positive effects that the provision of supplementary food can have on birds. For example, the provision of supplementary food has been shown to improve overwinter survival in a number of species.

What foods should I provide?

Many garden birdwatchers provide black sunflower seeds and sunflower hearts as their staple foods. Alongside these, quality peanuts, nyjer seed and high-energy seed mixes are all greatly appreciated. There are other foods, e.g. sultanas (soak in water first) that are good for ground-feeding Blackbirds, while pinhead oats are ideal for fine-billed Dunnocks (but should not be left out in wet weather). Finely grated cheese and windfall apples can be very useful, particularly in the winter, while peanut cake (a mix of fats and peanut flour) will attract species like Long-tailed Tit. Fat smeared into cracks in tree bark will be found by Treecreepers and woodpeckers. Live foods, such as mealworms are readily taken by Robins, Blackbirds and Wrens.

Black sunflower seeds:

Black sunflower seed was introduced in the early 1990s and revolutionised bird feeding by providing a high energy food in a readily accessible form. Black sunflower seeds have thinner husks than the more traditional striped sunflower seeds and so are easily to split open. Black sunflower seeds are a favourite of Greenfinches and tits, though they may be shunned if sunflower hearts are available nearby. The downside of feeding these seeds is the pile of husks left below the feeder. Shop now for Black Sunflower Seeds >>>

Sunflower hearts:

Sunflower hearts are more expensive than black sunflower seeds but they have two advantages. First, the birds can feed more quickly because they do not have to remove the husk. Second, the lack of the husk means that there is no unsightly pile of husks left behind on the ground after the birds have had their fill. Shop now for Sunflower Hearts >>>

Seed mixes:

Seed mixes come in a vast range, differing in content and quality. Cheap mixes often have a high proportion of cereal. These larger grains are favoured by sparrows and pigeons. Better quality mixes have a lower cereal content and so are particularly suitable for finches and buntings. The best mixes are carefully balanced to cater for a range of species. Some now contain added suet pellets, fruit or pieces of mealworm. Shop now for Seed Mixes >>>

Peanuts:

Peanuts are high in oils and proteins and have been used for feeding birds form many decades. Always buy good quality peanuts from a reputable source and avoid any that show any signs of mould. Peanuts are best supplied behind a wire mesh so that a bird cannot take a whole peanut away. Keep you peanuts in a cool and dry environment and buy them in small quantities, so that they do not sit around for too long. Peanuts can be contaminated with a naturally occurring poison called aflatoxin. Shop now for Premium Peanuts >>>

Nyger:

Nyger, sometimes seen spelt nyjer or sold as 'thistle' seed, is a relatively new addition to the bird feeding market and it is one that initially found favour with Goldfinches - which seemed to like the small size of these seeds. Because these seeds are so small they have to be supplied in a specially adapted feeder. They are oil rich and ideal for birds with delicate bills. There is some suggestion that Goldfinches now favour sunflower hearts, only moving onto the nyger when competition on other feeders is great. However, this may just be a local effect. Shop now for Niger Seed >>>

Mealworms:

Mealworms are not worms but the larval stage of a beetle. It is the larvae of the Yellow Mealworm Tenebrio molitor that are used widely as food for wild birds, as well as captive birds, reptiles and amphibians. Another less common but similar species, the Dark Mealworm Tenebrio obscura is sometimes used, the larva being somewhat smaller in size. Shop now fore Mealworms >>>

How much to feed and when

Try to balance the amount of food that you provide against the number of birds coming in to feed. In this way you will avoid creating a surplus of food that might go off or attract unwanted visitors, such as rats. Good practice is to clear your bird table down each night, removing uneaten food and any droppings.

Feeding throughout the year is recommended by conservation organisations, as it is not just during the winter that birds are under stress. If you are going away on holiday, then reduce the amount of food provided in the days leading up to your departure so the birds don't find that their favoured resource has suddenly disappeared.

Kennedy Wild Bird Food stocks a wide range of bird food, bird seed & seed & nut feeders - all available online & delivered next day. Shop online now & get free delivery & save 5% with orders over £50

The Effects of Climate Change

We've been hearing about the effects of climate change for well over a decade now & we've just read this great article on www.birdwatch.co.uk …

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Little Egret is a species that possibly
has benefited from climate change
with its recent spread north, but
many other species will suffer
and possibly rendered extinct.
Photo: Andy Vernon
(commons.wikimedia.org)

A UN climate impact report released today gives the clearest and most comprehensive evidence yet that life on earth is in deep trouble.

The report reinforces the sobering view that climate change is real, it’s happening now and it’s affecting the lives and the livelihoods of people, as well as the sensitive ecosystems that sustain life.

It is the second in a series of four reports being prepared by the world’s leading climate authorities in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It assesses the impacts, adaptation and vulnerability of human and natural systems, the observed impacts and future risks of climate change, and the potential for and limits to adaptation.

Samantha Smith, leader of the WWF Global Climate and Energy Initiative, said that for the first time the report highlights the dramatic difference of impacts between a world where we act now to cut emissions – which now come mostly from using fossil fuels – and a world where we fail to act quickly.

“This report tells us that we have two clear choices: cut emissions now and invest in adaption, and have a world that has just barely manageable risks, or do nothing and face a world of devastating and unmanageable risks and impacts.

”The report makes it clear that we still have time to act. We can limit climate instability and adapt to some of the changes we see now. But without immediate and specific action, we are in danger of going irreversibly too far. With this risk posed so clearly, we have to hope that the next IPCC report which is being released in Berlin in April, will provide us with strong statements on the solutions that we know exist,” she said.

Sandeep Chamling Rai, head of the WWF delegation to the meeting, warned that despite the warnings given by the IPCC in its reports over the past 20 years – reinforced by the release of the report today – the gap between science and what governments are doing remains huge.

“The science is clear and the debate is over: climate change is happening and humans are the major cause of emissions, driven mainly by our dependence on fossil fuels. This is driving global warming. This report sets out the impacts we already see, the risks we face in the future and the opportunities to act. It has been accepted by the member governments of the IPCC. Now it is up to people to hold their governments to account, to get them to act purposefully and immediately,” he said.

The risks of collective inaction are greatest for developing countries, said Rai. “All countries are vulnerable, but developing countries have a greater sensitivity with more people living in poverty and fewer resources to respond to climate disasters. We need to put in place measures that will slow down warming, and put us on a fair and just transition to a sustainable world. The report shows that ambitious emissions cuts now can reduce the risk of climate change in the second half of this century.”

The regional assessments – given in depth in the report – show with a great degree of certainty what the impacts will be in the key regions of the world.

“”We now have a better understanding of how climate impacts will affect people and nature in different regions. International adaptation efforts need to be intensified to adequately respond to such varied impacts,” said Rai. 

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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.

Spring Sale is extended through to April

We've extended our Spring Sale on Peanuts & Sunflower Hearts throughout March & April.
You can now buy 25kg of Economy Peanuts for just £39.99 & 25kg of Premium Sunflower Hearts for just £38.99
Follow the links above now to place your order or call the office on 01778 342665.
All orders over £50 qualify for a 5% discount so why not browse around our bird feeders & live bird feed to add to your order?

Bird Migration

Migration is the moving from one place to another, usually in search of more favourable conditions for either feeding or breeding.
Many songbirds migrate at night and feed and rest during the daytime. The air is also cooler and denser at night and so there is:

• Less risk of dehydration.
• Less energy used to provide lift (the force that acts upwards).
• Less turbulence, caused by thermals rising from the ground, to throw the birds off course.

Other birds fly at very high altitude for a similar effect, for example: airline pilots have observed Whooper Swans at altitudes of 8850 metres (29 000 feet).
Scientists believe that the bird's internal clock and cues taken from seasonal events govern the timing of their migration. At the appropriate time, the birds prepare for migration by building up their fat reserves by eating insects and berries. Some species, particularly warblers, complete their migration in one non-stop flight and can double their body weight, while others stop en route to feed.
Additionally, some species, such as Willow Warbler, may moult their feathers ready for the migration, while others will moult only when they arrive at their destination.
The tremendous feat of travelling thousands of miles is all the more miraculous when some species are known to return to the same location year after year. Scientists think that birds use their sense of smell to follow odours, their remarkable eyesight to follow the Sun, the stars, the Earth's magnetic field, and landmarks, and wind directions to achieve navigation. Interestingly, some species take a different route in their summer migration to the one in the winter.
From the birdwatcher's point of view, there are three types of bird visitors: summer visitors, winter visitors, and passage visitors, and can offer splendid views of large flocks of birds and hundreds of different species.
Summer Visitors
In Britain, our summer visitors are birds that have migrated in the spring from around the Mediterranean and Africa. They do this to improve the chances of rearing young. In they stayed in Africa the competition for limited food supplies would be high, but in the more northern latitudes there is more food and more daylight hours in which to search for it. However, staying in Eurasia during the winter months when food becomes short would lead to starvation and death, though some of our traditional migrants, like the Blackcap and Chiffchaff, are now over-wintering in Britain.
Our summer visitors include Swallows, House Martins, Swifts, and warblers (e.g. Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Whitethroat).
Willow Warblers and many other warblers fly non-stop and take 4 or 5 days to complete their migration. On the other hand, Swallows can take 2 or 3 months to complete their migration as they stop off every few days to roost and feed.
Winter Visitors
These species migrate from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia and northern Europe where food becomes hidden under snow and ice.
Examples are the thrush family: Redwing, Fieldfare, Blackbird and Robin. While some of these are true migrants, we also have native migrants, for example: tits and wrens moving from the countryside to urban areas, starlings flying from their city roosts to suburban gardens during the daytime, thrushes flying southwards from northern Britain, etc.
Passage Visitors and Irruptions
Many passage visitors are sea birds and waders, such as Black Tern, Solitary Sandpiper, but also others such as Serin and Bluethroat.
Irruptions are sudden invasions of birds. One of the better known examples are Waxwings, which sometimes move into Britain when rowan berries have failed in Scandinavia and northern Europe.

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.

Winter Wild Bird Care

In recent years, there has been a huge growth of interest in feeding garden birds in the UK. This makes a significant contribution to the annual food requirements of many bird populations. At a time when human changes to the environment are a major threat to many other species, garden bird feeding has never been more important.
It used to be that animals were either kept, and therefore our responsibility, or wild, and not. But now it is not so simple. Because of the size of the human population and the extent to which we use or control the environment, we greatly, and often directly, influence the welfare and fates of very many wild animals. This has brought increasing responsibility for them. Human/garden bird interactions are one of the front lines in the development of this new relationship with wildlife. Having taken over a large proportion of the land for housing, industry and farming, providing food for wild birds is one way of helping to redress the balance.

Bird Feeding

Providing birds with food will bring them closer for you to marvel at their varieties, fascinating behaviour and wonderful colours. Feeding birds is also an ideal way to enthuse children about wildlife. This supplementary feeding can't provide all the natural proteins and vitamins that adult and young birds need, so it's important to create and manage your garden to provide a source of natural foods as well, through well-managed lawns, shrubs and flowerbeds. If you provide both natural and supplementary food, your garden will be turned into a wildlife haven and will be visited year-round by a host of different birds. It is important to feed your garden birds responsibly and safely. By following a few simple guidelines, you can play a valuable role in helping your local birds overcome periods of natural food shortage, survive periods of severe winter weather and come into good breeding condition in the spring.

Bird Food

There are a variety of different types of bird food available to buy. Here is a guide to what to feed your garden birds and when.

Bird Seed Mixtures

There are different mixes for feeders and for bird tables and ground feeding. The best mixtures contain plenty of flaked maize, sunflower seeds, and peanut granules. Small seeds, such as millet, attract mostly house sparrows, dunnocks, finches, reed buntings and collared doves, while flaked maize is taken readily by blackbirds. Tits and greenfinches favour peanuts and sunflower seeds. Some seed mixes now contain added suet pellets, fruit or pieces of mealworm. Mixes that contain chunks or whole nuts are suitable for winter feeding only. Pinhead oatmeal is excellent for many birds. Wheat and barley grains are often included in seed mixtures, but they are really only suitable for pigeons, doves and pheasants - which feed on the ground and rapidly increase in numbers, frequently deterring the smaller species. Avoid seed mixtures that have split peas, beans, dried rice or lentils as again only the large species can eat them dry. These are added to some cheaper seed mixes to bulk them up. Any mixture containing green or pink lumps should also be avoided as these are dog biscuit, which can only be eaten when soaked.

Black Sunflower Seeds

Also known as black oil seeds, these are an excellent, economical all-year-round food; rich in energy-giving oils and protein, and in many areas are even more popular than peanuts. The oil content is higher in black than striped ones, and so they are much better. Black sunflower seeds are an excellent food source as almost all wild birds that visit your garden will readily eat them. The husk of the black sunflower seed is thin, so it can be easily broken by wild birds, even those with small beaks. They are also versatile and can be fed using seed feeders, a bird table or on the ground. Black sunflower seeds are eaten by the following wild bird species: blue tits, blackbirds, bullfinches, chaffinches, coal tits, goldfinches, great tits, green finches, sparrows, siskins, nuthatches, robins, song thrushes, starlings, swallows, tree sparrows, wrens, and many others - providing them all with an essential high energy diet.

Sunflower Hearts

The edible kernel of the sunflower seed, sunflower hearts offer the highest calorific value of any individual seed for wild birds. They are more expensive than black sunflower seeds but they have two advantages. First, the birds can feed more quickly because they do not have to remove the husk. Second, the lack of the husk means that there is no unsightly pile of husks left behind on the ground after the birds have had their fill. Sunflower Hearts are an excellent, very high 'energy content' food, with all year round appeal for a wide variety of birds. Whether they are fed from a seed feeder, bird table or on the ground, 'top-ups' will be needed far more frequently than with most other bird foods in order to retain the high level of species that sunflower hearts will attract.

Niger seeds

These are small and black with a high oil content and require a purpose designed feeder due to their smaller size. Niger seed is often used as a 'tonic' for birds. It is becoming increasingly popular, and has helped reverse the fortunes of the once diminishing goldfinch. Feeding niger seed is the most effective way of attracting this most colourful of residents, and it is also popular with other species such as greenfinch, siskins, and dunnocks. Niger seed is recommended for all year round feeding, with regular amounts for those wishing to retain their precious goldfinches, for once supplies stop, they will look somewhere else.

Peanuts

These are rich in fat and are popular with tits, greenfinches, house sparrows, nuthatches, great spotted woodpeckers and siskins. Crushed or grated nuts attract robins, dunnocks and even wrens. Nuthatches and coal tits may hoard peanuts. They provide excellent all year round high energy, protein and oils, which are so necessary in the busy spring and summer month - and absolutely essential in the winter. As fledglings receiving food from a parent can only manage smaller pieces, it is most important that peanuts are only offered from a wire-mesh peanut feeder - particularly during the breeding season. Peanuts can be high in a natural toxin called aflatoxin, so buy buy good quality peanuts from a reputable source and avoid any that show any signs of mould. Keep you peanuts in a cool and dry environment and buy them in small quantities, so that they do not sit around for too long. Salted or dry roasted peanuts should not be used.

Fat Balls and Food Bars

Fat balls and other 'fat-based' food bars are an extremely popular high-energy food source for wild birds, and are especially beneficial in the winter and during colder spells. If they are sold in nylon mesh bags, always remove the bag before putting the fat ball out - the soft mesh can trap and injure birds. You can also make your own bird cake by pouring melted fat (suet or lard) onto a mixture of ingredients such as seeds, nuts, dried fruit, oatmeal, cheese and cake. Use about one-third fat to two-thirds mixture. Stir well in a bowl and allow it to set in a container of your choice. An empty coconut shell, plastic cup or tit bell makes an ideal bird cake 'feeder'. Alternatively, you can turn it out onto your bird table when solid.

Mealworms

Mealworms are not worms but the larval stage of a beetle and are a natural food and can be used to feed birds throughout the year. They are the larvae of the Yellow Mealworm Tenebrio molitor that are used widely as food for wild birds, as well as captive birds, reptiles and amphibians. Another less common but similar species, the Dark Mealworm Tenebrio obscura is sometimes used, the larva being somewhat smaller in size. Mealworms are relished by robins and blue tits, and may attract other insect-eating birds such as pied wagtails. It is very important that any mealworms fed to birds are fresh (either live or dried). Any discoloured ones must not be used as they can cause problems such as salmonella poisoning.

What to Avoid...

Cooking Fat

Fat from cooking is bad for birds. The problem with cooked fat from roasting tins and dishes is that the meat juices have blended with the fat and when allowed to set, this consistency makes it prone to smearing, not good for birds' feathers. Cooking fat is also a breeding ground for bacteria - so potentially bad for birds' health. Salt levels depend on what meat is used and if any salt is added during cooking. Lard and beef suet on their own are fine as they re-solidify after warming and as they are pure fat, it is not as suitable for bacteria to breed on.

Polyunsaturated Margarines or Vegetable Oils

These are unsuitable for birds. Unlike humans, birds need high levels of saturated fat, such as raw suet and lard. They require a high energy content to keep them warm in the worst of the winter weather - since their body reserves are quickly used up, particularly on cold winter nights. Polyunsaturated margarines or vegetable oils are soft fats which can easily be smeared onto the feathers, destroying their waterproofing and insulating qualities.

Dry Dog and Cat Food

Dry dog or cat biscuits are not recommended as birds may choke on the hard lumps. It is sometimes added to cheaper seed mixtures for bulk. Soaked dog or cat biscuits are fine, except in hot weather as they quickly dry out. Meaty tinned dog and cat food form an acceptable substitute to earthworms during the warm, dry part of the summer when worms are beyond the birds' reach. Blackbirds readily take dog food, and even feed it to their chicks. The drawbacks are that pet foods can attract larger birds such as magpies and gulls, and also predators such as neighbourhood cats. If this is likely to be a problem, it is best avoided.

Milk and Desiccated Coconut

Never give milk to any bird. A bird's gut is not designed to digest milk and it can result in serious stomach upsets, or even death. Birds can, however, digest fermented dairy products such as cheese. Mild grated cheese can be a good way of attracting robins, wrens and dunnocks. Give fresh coconut only, in the shell. Rinse out any residues of the sweet coconut water from the middle of the coconut before hanging it out to prevent the build-up of black mildew. Desiccated coconut should never be used as it may swell once inside a bird and cause death.

Mouldy and Stale Food

Many moulds are harmless, but some that can cause respiratory infections in birds, and so it is best to be cautious and avoid mouldy food entirely. If food turns mouldy or stale on your bird table, you are probably placing out too large a quantity for the birds to eat in one day. Always remove any stale or mouldy food promptly. Stale food provides a breeding ground for salmonella bacteria, which can cause food poisoning. At least one type of salmonella causes death among such species as greenfinches and house sparrows. Large quantities of food scattered on the ground may also attract rats and mice.