Bird feeding tips from irelandswildlife.com

This poor bird's claw became entangled in the nylon mesh around a food ball

placeholder image — This poor bird's claw became entangled in the nylon mesh around a food ball

How to look after our garden birds in winter

During the winter, short days and long nights limit the time birds have to forage, while at the same time natural food becomes more scarce.

Our garden birds have increasingly come to depend on the food we provide as an essential supplement to what they can find for themselves at this challenging time of year. Frost and hard groudn makes it hard for them to forage.

Here are some useful tips from irelandswildlife.com but please, don't put the netted fat balls out directly – remove the netting first and place in wire mesh feeders as birds tiny claw can become caught in the nylon mesh, as displayed here.

According to bird conservation organisations like Birdwatch Ireland and the RSPB, it’s a good idea to feed your garden birds throughout the year, but it’s especially important to do so over the coldest, darkest months of winter. Small birds need to pack in enough calories during the few hours of daylight to see them through the long winter night ahead. Having a convenient, high-energy food source in your garden can literally mean the difference between life and death for some of them.