| Lots f people help the birds by throwing out stale | | | | lawn for the birds to peck at. |
| bread for them to eat. Although this does elevate | | | | It's just as important the water is left out as well |
| the birds hunger, bread isn't a very nutritious food | | | | as 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 and | | | | a dish with fresh water in it out in your garden |
| berries, nuts and seeds, insects, worms and | | | | for 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 could | | | | Some of the UK's bird population are becoming |
| string p some monkey nuts. Buy some peanuts in | | | | endangered, this means that their population |
| their shells and thread a sharp wool needle with a | | | | numbers are falling. Organisations like the RSPB do |
| length of wool with a knot in the end of it. Push | | | | valuable work to protect and monitor endangered |
| the needle through the middle of the peanut shell | | | | breeds of bird. You could monitor the birds |
| and out of the other side, it's a bit like threading | | | | yourself during the winter months, spend an hour |
| beads. Thread on more monkey nuts in this way | | | | each 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 knot | | | | known as twitching. |
| to keep the nuts and the loop in place. Use the | | | | There 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 few | | | | preferred habitat. Some birds are residents of the |
| peanuts, a few raisins and frozen peas, some | | | | UK, which means they like here all year round, |
| shelled sunflower seeds if you have any, some | | | | others just visit for the winter. |
| diced apple and a couple of heaped table spoons | | | | Some birds on the list are endangered, so some |
| of flour and mix well. Add some water and mix to | | | | of 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 on | | | | Maybe you could tempt them into your garden |
| the kitchen windowsill to dry. By morning it will be | | | | with a bit of tasty bird-cake. |
| hard and ready to leave out on a bird table or | | | | |