Autumn is well and truly upon us and, while it’s certainly lovely to watch the leaves turn all sorts of wonderful colours, it does mean that we need to be particularly mindful about how the change in the weather over the coming weeks will affect our wild bird populations.
As the mercury starts to drop, birds will need more energy than usual to stay nice and warm, but the onset of winter means that there are fewer daylight hours available in which they can find food – and many of their typical food sources start to dwindle at this time of year, as well.
So, with this in mind, one of the best ways you can go about supporting wild bird populations is to put out lots of tasty bird food for them so they have everything they need without having to burn lots of energy looking for it.
Lay the table!
Calorie-rich food like sunflower seeds, mixed seed, peanuts and so on are particularly good options, helping to keep birds feeling fuller for longer and giving them all the nutrients required to keep them in fine fettle till spring.
Our High Energy No Mess product range is a year-round blend that’s been specifically tailored to help birds at times of high stress, such as wintertime, as well as nesting and breeding seasons.
It’ll help them bridge the food gap when resources are generally scarce – and it’s a wheat-free/husk-free blend, so waste is minimised.
Fat balls are also great to hang outside at this time of year, made up predominantly of suet, which is one of the most concentrated and easily metabolised high-energy foods for birds out there.
Birds will love you for the instant energy boost and rest assured that none of our fat balls contain cheap fillers. Instead, they’ve been specifically mixed to be nutritionally accurate, with a fat content of 18 per cent.
Additional luxury!
Food aside, also provide your garden birds with lots of lovely fresh water throughout the winter… and, indeed, throughout the year, as well.
When temperatures drop below freezing, it can be harder for birds to find water for drinking and bathing, so keep an eye on your bird baths and top them up with fresh clean water as and when required.
And, of course, your feathered friends need somewhere to shelter throughout the winter so they can keep the cold at bay. The best way to achieve this is by planting dense hedges like hawthorn and privet, which will give them plenty of places to roost in and hide until the weather improves.
If you don’t have time to wait for hedges to grow, you can still give the birds somewhere to stay for the next few months by installing nestboxes in the garden.
We have a range of different products available in lots of different styles, so you’re sure to be able to find something that suits.
