insideKENT Magazine Issue 25 - April 2014 | Page 133

OUTDOORLIVING

for the birds

Have questions about what, how and when to feed the wild birds in your
garden? Follow RSPB’s guide to what food you should leave out, and how
you can keep your feeding station hygienic and pest-free.
Feeding birds in the garden is a popular activity,
with over half of adults in the UK getting in on
the act. That's a lot of extra help for the birds!
Whether it's supplementary food or natural foods
achieved through well-kept lawns, shrubs and
flowerbeds, by following these simple guidelines,
you will play a valuable role in helping local
birds overcome periods of natural food shortage,
survive periods of severe winter
weather, and vitally, come into a good breeding
condition in the spring.

What food to provide
RSPB receives numerous enquiries about what
and how to feed garden birds. Here, we look at
what feed should be used, and what should be
avoided.
Bird seed mixtures
The better mixtures contain plenty of flaked maize,
sunflower seeds, and peanut granules. Small
seeds, such as millet, attract mostly house
sparrows, dunnocks, finches, reed buntings and
collared doves, whilst flaked maize is taken readily
by blackbirds. Tits and greenfinches favour
peanuts and sunflower seeds, while pinhead
oatmeal is excellent for many.
Avoid seed mixtures that have split peas, beans,
dried rice or lentils, as these are often added to
some cheaper mixes to bulk them up, and only
the larger species can eat them dry.

Black sunflower seeds
These are an excellent all-year-round food, and
in many areas they're even more popular than
peanuts. The oil content is higher in black than
striped ones, making them much better for your
birds.
Nyjer seeds
These are small and black with a high oil content.
They need a special type of seed feeder, and are
particular favourites with goldfinches and siskins.
Peanuts
Peanuts are rich in fat and popular with tits,
greenfinches, house sparrows, nuthatches and
siskins. C 'W6