December tends to be a busy month for both people and birds, but for differing reasons. We have the excitement of preparing for the Christmas and New Year celebrations, whilst our garden birds will be doing all they can to survive the shorter days and much longer colder nights.
Here are CJ Wildlife’s top tips for helping your garden birds this winter:
Offer High-Calorie Foods
Make sure the foods you offer are high in calories. When time is short the birds need to feed as efficiently as possible, and the food you offer will, therefore, make a big difference to them. Fat and suet products, such as CJ Wildlife Peanut Cakes, are a popular choice at this time of year and will give the birds the energy boost they need. If you’d like to offer a seed mix, CJ Wildlife Hi-Energy No Mess is packed full of premium quality ingredients, and as the name suggests is high in energy.
Importance of Water
Birds need water during the cold weather, not only to drink but also to keep their plumage clean which is vital for insulation during the cold winter nights. You can keep water baths free from ice by topping up with warm water in the morning. Do not use any chemicals to prevent the water from freezing as this can be harmful to your birds.
Replenish Feeders Regularly
Once you start feeding the birds regularly, they can come to rely on your garden as a daily source of food, so it is, therefore, important to check the contents of your feeders often. If the weather is particularly bad, remember to do some extra checks, birds may wait for the worst conditions to pass before going in search of food.
Minimize disturbance at feeding areas, especially during the beginning or end of the day when birds will be hungriest and feeders their busiest. You can also help by keeping pets indoors during this period or putting out extra feeders to reduce queues.
At this time of year with the potential for bad weather, it’s worth keeping your food stocks topped up. You don’t want your food supply to run out when your birds need it most.
Offer a Shelter
Even though the breeding season may seem like a while away, putting up a nest box now can help provide essential shelter for birds during the harsh winter nights. If a nest box is relied upon in winter, the more likely it is to be used to raise a brood in Spring. CJ Wildlife have a range of nest boxes available, from generic nest boxes to the exclusive WoodStone range that is guaranteed to last for 10 years!
Christmas Gift Ideas from CJ Wildlife
Christmas is just around the corner, and we know how difficult it can be to find that perfect gift! If you’re in need of a helping hand the CJ Wildlife gift range has something for all. From mugs and shopping bags to umbrellas and garden accessories to name a few, you’ll be sure to find the perfect gift for that special someone. Visit www.birdfood.co.uk/gifts for inspiration.
CJ Wildlife are proud to be working in partnership with Butterfly Conservation. For more hints and tips about how you can help your garden wildlife this winter visit www.birdfood.co.uk or call FREEPHONE 0800 731 2820 to find out more.