Winter Time Birds

Lots f people help the birds by throwing out stalelawn for the birds to peck at.
bread for them to eat. Although this does elevateIt's just as important the water is left out as well
the birds hunger, bread isn't a very nutritious foodas food. In the winter, water turns to ice and the
source.birds do not have access to drinking water. Leave
Most garden bird's staple diet is usually, fruit anda dish with fresh water in it out in your garden
berries, nuts and seeds, insects, worms andfor the birds, and check it on really cold mornings
grubs, Very tasty.to make sure it hasn't turned to ice.
To really help the bird out this winter you couldSome of the UK's bird population are becoming
string p some monkey nuts. Buy some peanuts inendangered, this means that their population
their shells and thread a sharp wool needle with anumbers are falling. Organisations like the RSPB do
length of wool with a knot in the end of it. Pushvaluable work to protect and monitor endangered
the needle through the middle of the peanut shellbreeds of bird. You could monitor the birds
and out of the other side, it's a bit like threadingyourself during the winter months, spend an hour
beads. Thread on more monkey nuts in this wayeach day for a week recording all the birds that
until the wool is almost full. Unthread the needle,visit your garden or bird-table. Bird watching is also
make a loop in the wool that is left and tie a knotknown as twitching.
to keep the nuts and the loop in place. Use theThere is a chart on the website, a list of UK
loop to hang the nuts from the bird-table or tree.winter birds that you may see. Each bird has an
You could also make a tasty bird-cake...illustration to help you to identify which breed it is,
Add to a bowl some chopped up bacon rind,and there is some information about each birds
leftover chicken bits from Sunday dinner, a fewpreferred habitat. Some birds are residents of the
peanuts, a few raisins and frozen peas, someUK, which means they like here all year round,
shelled sunflower seeds if you have any, someothers just visit for the winter.
diced apple and a couple of heaped table spoonsSome birds on the list are endangered, so some
of flour and mix well. Add some water and mix toof the birds are rarer than others; but you may
create dough.be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of them.
Mould into a ball shape and leave it over night onMaybe you could tempt them into your garden
the kitchen windowsill to dry. By morning it will bewith a bit of tasty bird-cake.
hard and ready to leave out on a bird table or