| Feed the birds? |
Leaving out food is the best way to attract birds into your garden, you and your family will have the benefit of watching them feeding. By providing food and water you can help birds survive the coming winter months, you are also playing your part in the environment. It's at this time of the year when migrating bird will need extra protein to best prepare them for the long journey ahead. If you would like to attract robins into your garden leave out some grated cheese this is their one of their favorite foods.
Building a bird table
Its simple you really require need to make a raised bird table is a flat piece of wood. Fix this piece to the top of a 1.5 metre high post. Construct a rim of about 2.5 cm high around the edge which will stop food from been blown off the table.
Remember to drill a couple of holes in the table as rainwater will be drained through the holes. A roof is not necessary but would offer birds some shelter if the weather is bad. Also fit a couple of hooks underneath the table and use them to hang bird feeders. Nut baskets, seed hoppers and peanuts in the shell threaded onto a string can also be hung from your bird table.
Try to position your bird table in the middle of the garden, this will offer the birds an early warning in the case of a cat or fox being present. If you position the table to near the shrubbery it may allow predators the cover to sneak up of the birds while feeding.
Lots of your kitchen scraps are suitable for the birds but some foods can cause harm, so take care to avoid them. Good foods include bread crumbs (moisten, if they're dry), cooked rice (without salt), dried fruits like apples, and bananas. In the winter months, birds may find it hard to find enough food, so put out food twice a day, in the morning and early afternoon. Once you start feeding, local birds will come to rely on it never stop feeding suddenly.
Always provide clean water for drinking and bathing. An upturned dustbin lid set into the ground or grass will serve for this purpose, remember to keep it clean and free of algae, dead leaves and bird droppings.
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