Take action to protect and conserve the Exmoor National Park:

Feed the birds

With the RSPB’s Great British Bird Watch coming up this weekend, trustee Nigel Hester explores how we can support our wild birds this winter.

As I write this, snow is starting to fall across Exmoor and, although it looks attractive, this biting cold, winter weather poses a challenge to the survival of several birds. Food can become scarce, particularly when the ground is frozen, and many birds will struggle to maintain their condition, especially their body heat. At this time of year, many individuals will fluff up their feathers to help insulate against the cold.

It is really vital that we can help birds survive the winter by providing food, water and shelter from the elements in our own gardens. Many of our bird species are in decline due to a number of factors, including habitat loss, scarcity of food and climate change. We can make a real difference in helping to halt this decline by making our gardens and surroundings welcome to many species of birds.

Garden birds have different food requirements and so ideally a range of food types with a high fat content should be available. Black sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts and fatballs are an excellent source of nourishment, attracting many finch and tit species. Likewise peanuts, rich in oils and protein, will be favoured by a range of birds, including the nuthatch and the greater spotted woodpecker, if you are lucky. The tiny black nyger seeds are loved by goldfinches and siskins, whose bills are well adapted to eating tiny seeds. Some birds are better adapted to feeding on the ground so a scattering of mixed seed, apple pieces and mealworms will feed blackbirds, thrushes, dunnocks, robins and chaffinches.

It is extremely important to ensure that all food put out for birds is of good quality and that the feeders are kept extremely clean by regular washing in soapy water. It is best to source bird food from a reputable supplier, to minimise the risk of contamination. Cheap peanuts, for instance, can be infected with mould and/or aflotoxin, a naturally occurring poison. By moving feeding stations regularly and ensuring no waste material is left on the ground, visiting birds will have a good chance of a healthy, long life. Poor hygiene increases the likelihood of disease passing between birds. Trichomonosis, which can be fatal to finches, is spread through the saliva of infected birds, so regularly cleaned feeding equipment will reduce this risk.

The siting of the food station needs careful thought, so it should be fairly sheltered from the elements, provide nearby perches of shrubs and trees, and relatively safe from common predators such as grey squirrels and domestic cats. Our native birds, including prey species and their predators, have adapted together over many thousands of years and so it is normal for native predators to sometimes take small birds to eat and to feed their own young. We have regular visits by a pair of sparrowhawks, who will very occasionally catch a small bird that is too slow in evading the oncoming predator.

Happy bird watching!

Nigel Hester, Trustee

Also in the news