Max here writing this whilst I lie by our warm fire. With the colder days coming it's worth sparing a thought for our featheed friends. Common species such as blackbirds, blue tits, robins and sparrows really struggle with the cold nights. These birds can lose up to 10% of their bodyweight just keeping warm. This means they need to be well fed during the day to replenish their daily reserves.
There's lots we can do to help. In our garden my mum leaves out fresh water (and later in the winter changes it twice a day as it regularly freezes). She stocks the bird table with high calorie, high fat seed mix. Extra household scraps are always welcomed by our feathered visitors, like cooked potato, cake crumbs, soft fruit and grated cheese. We also have hanging feeders - that I cannot quite reach! In them we have sunflower rich mixes and unsalted peanuts. Just the look of them makes me so hungry!! Remember to keep them out of me and my friend's reach so the birds feel safe, and are able to feel undisturbed. Don't put them near fences or hedges as them crafty cats can easily catch the feeding birds. A perch for our feathered friends is ideal.
I found loads of great ideas for my mum on www.rspb.org.uk
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