It's RSPB Feed the birds day! Do you feed the birds?

Rosie_Scope

This time each year, the RSPB celebrate Feed the Birds Day, a day dedicated to helping out our wild birds in whatever ways we can. It's always nice to support British wildlife and anyone can get involved, whether you've got a big garden or just a windowsill. Even a window feeder or a coconut filled with suet can make a difference!

What to feed the birds

The RSPB have some guidelines about what to feed the birds throughout the year. In Spring and Summer, the focus is more on protein to keep them going through the moulting season. It's important not to offer snacks that are too big as young chicks can choke on larger pieces of food.

But as we're heading into the Autumn and Winter, the birds that aren't flying south will need more high-fat foods to keep them toasty warm. Suet balls can be a good source of fats while it's chilly outside, as can peanuts and seed mixes. While a few bits of bread and pastry can be an occasional treat, it's better to stick to natural foods like nuts and seeds for the most part. There's a handy recipe for making winter suet feeders on the RSPB website.

Providing water is important too, especially when the temperatures drop and their natural water sources have frozen over. Just make sure that whatever you're offering is kept nice and clean and any old or mouldy food is thrown away, I'm sure your visitors will appreciate it!

Do you feed the birds? What kind of birds have you spotted in your garden or nearby where you live?

Of course, our very own @Albus_Scope has a big flock of feathered friends in the garden so I'm sure he'll share some pictures with us soon! But I'd love to see your bird pics too if you have any!

Hopeless

I don’t feed the birds but I do feed the hedgehogs!

Rosie_Scope

Very cute @Hopeless! My mum looks after hedgehogs for a charity, they're lovely little creatures. I've never seen one in my garden, but hopefully one day!

Albus_Scope

Well I suppose I could find some bird photos somewhere…

Here's the 1pm lunchtime crew getting their food. We'll have about 40 descending at around 3pm. 😅

This is Colin, who has an upper beak deformity and is the main reason I started feeding the birds in the garden. She's still a bit timid, but will happily take food from my hand and sit on the backdoor mat for a quick chat. It's the only way she manages to feed now unfortunately.

Another Colin photo. @Rosie_Scope thinks people should nominate her for a Scope award and I agree. She does a lot for the local disabled bird population. 😊

Albus_Scope

Oh what a beaut @Hopeless I love hedgehogs. I was reading that their population is down 75% since 2000 and are close to being classed as a near threatened species, so you're doing great things by feeding them. ❤️

Hopeless

I’m very lucky to live in an area with a healthy hedgehog community and human slaves willing to make holes in fences and offer food! In return the spiky ones keep us all entertained

Albus_Scope

I for one would love to be one of those slaves, I do love me a hedgehog. 😁 We saw one in our garden when we first moved in, but as we have dogs, they tend to avoid our garden now. 😥

whistles

I always feed the birds. Its interesting to watch the babies grow up. Some come up really close as well.

Albus_Scope

Awww, I love a baby robin, they're all gangly legs and attitude. ❤️

whistles

Yes they are lovely.