A winter treat for garden birds

Written by Kris Collins / Published on February 13, 2012

If frost, snow and ice are keeping you out of the garden at the moment, spare a thought for our feathered friends. If you don’t feed birds regularly you may not have noticed how hanging feeders, bird tables and scattered food become increasingly important to garden birds during times of frost and snow.

With frozen ground for much of the past week or so followed by a light snowfall last night, I’ve noticed increased traffic at my birdfeeders and those in neighbouring gardens, as the birds become more reliant on hand outs from humans.

As well the odd table scrap and the cheaper energy balls and coconut shells you find on market stalls and pound shops, I like to treat the birds in my garden during cold spells by offering a feeder or two filled with Peckish Winter Warmer seed mix. This provides a range of high energy seed and grains as well as added nutrients to keep birds fit and healthy during the hardest time of year out in the garden.

It’s good to offer bird feed in different ways – different birds have different feeding habits. Blackbirds for example prefer to forage on the ground, while tits and finches feel safer up high out of harm’s way, using hanging feeders or bird tables. Then there is the bold robin. These friendly, inquisitive birds will soon be tempted by a window feeder (pic) and finches and tits will likely soon follow – even if you are just a few feet away on the other side of the glass. So even if it is snowing outside, you can stay in the warmth and still get to see your garden visitors up close and personal.