Feed The Birds, Tuppence A Bag...

Question time...

Are you making the best out of your bird feeders?

Many of us support our wildlife in some way, whether it be a bird feeder in the back garden, scattering seeds while we're out for a walk, or taking some stale bread for the ducks at the local pond. But, how much thought have you given to what you're putting out there?

Two things to think about:
Is the food you're putting out as nutritional as you expect?
Could you make your pennies stretch a little further?

Bags of wild bird seed are pretty easy to come by, and should have been measured up by industry experts to give a balanced diet, but is that really the best we can do? Maybe it's time to rethink your kitchen waste bin... Supplement your everyday seed mix with kitchen scraps you would normally throw away. This could make that seed bag last a little longer, reduce waste and save a few pennies along the way.

Suitable scraps...

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Bakery:
Most baked goods make great treats, even cakes (if you have any leftover). You can even add uncooked pastry to that list. If anything is super stale, give it a soak first. If in doubt, stick to whole grains and foods that have had little processing, and keep anything sugary to a minimum. 

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Carbohydrates:
Cooked carbohydrates like pasta, rice and potatoes provide a good source of energy, especially for granivorous birds. Make sure that what you put out is nice and soft. Ideally they should also be free from sauces and spices, to avoid nutritional imbalances. 

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Cereal:
Stale cereals and oats, or the random mix of crumbs at the bottom of your cereal tub will make the birds in your garden quite happy. Keep the sugar content low, and bypass artificial colours and flavours.

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Cheese:
Hard, mild cheeses like Cheddar will make a tasty addition to your bird table. Avoid soft and cream cheeses. 

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Eggs:
It may seem odd, but many birds enjoy an eggy breakfast. And by egg, we mean the whole egg! The crushed shell provides essential gritty materials that aid digestion.

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Fruit and Vegetables:
It probably won't come as much of a surprise that many birds enjoy their 5 a day too. When you next empty out your fruit bowl, give the birds a treat! Even the stray bag of mixed veggies in the freezer is fair game, just remember to let it defrost first...

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Meat:
We've all heard the phrase, the early bird catches the worm. Well worms mean protein! Something else you can help with. Bacon rinds, fat trimmings, bones and bone marrows can all be used. Please avoid heavily salted meats.

Top tips...

• Avoid anything mouldy or rotten. If you don't fancy eating it, don't expect anything else to either. If it's been out a while and the birds haven't eaten it, give up and get rid of it.
• Scraps might be tasty for birds, but they're tasty for other creatures too. Not all of them welcome. Only put out a little at a time and keep them out of easy reach of pests.
• Scraps are a treat. You can have too much of a good thing and so can the birds. Use the scraps as a supplement to regular bird mixes rather than a regular diet. What you do put out, make sure it's broken into small chunks so there is plenty to go around, without being stolen by the bigger species.
• Some foodstuffs, such as raisins, can be great for birds but not so great for cats and dogs. If you or your neighbours have pets, take their health into consideration too and avoid anything harmful.
• Get your timings right. When wild food is abundant, the birds might not be too interested in what you're offering, so put out less. Put more out during winter when there is less food readily available.
• Just because the birds aren't eating, doesn't mean you should let the scraps go to waste. Save your scraps and prepare your own freezer pick and mix bag. Defrost a bit at a time to put out when the birds are relying on you for extras. 

References:
RSPB
​RSPCA
​The Spruce