Well the ‘Big Freeze’ is well and truly upon us, and while we may enjoy building a snowman or watching the snow from the warmth of our centrally heated homes, our wild birds will be struggling to survive.
With the RSPB “urging the public to provide food, water and shelter for garden birds”, it seems there is a real threat to these beautiful creatures and we all need to do our bit to help.
If you would like to help our great British birds survive this late cold spell, here are the five top tips recommended by the RSPB:
1. Provide wild bird food high in calories such as sunflower hearts and suet pellets, and top up regularly.
2. A fresh water supply is vital during this big freeze for both drinking and bathing purposes. As it is likely to freeze, try floating small twigs in it and change it as often as necessary.
3. Wild birds need a safe and secure place to eat, such as a bird table. Predators can be rife during these cold spells, so an elevated platform will allow the birds to eat safely.
4. If you have nesting boxes put them up now, many small birds will use them during the cold weather as a warm place to shelter.
5. Wild birds are sensitive to infection so maintain a high level of cleanliness by cleaning your feeding station and any water bowls regularly.
We can all do our little bit to help the wild birds survive, and they need us now more than ever.