Keep feeding birds, says RSPB
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This looks like being a bumper year for berries, but the RSPB is asking people to carry on putting out food for garden birds.
The society has warned people not to think that the mild weather and fruit-laden bushes mean garden birds will be able to get enough natural food to sustain them. The Met Office has warned of dropping temperatures and widespread frost by Friday, so putting out extra food for the birds in your garden will become even more important as the month goes on.
Ian Hayward, of the RSPB’s wildlife enquiries team, said: “Many people think that you don’t need to put out food for birds during mild weather and when there appears to be lots of berries available. However, not all of the berries out now are ripe enough for birds to eat – most won’t be taken until after the first frosts and ivy berries won’t start forming until much later in winter – so it’s still important to supplement the natural food with seed mixes, mealworms and suitable leftovers from your kitchen.
“A number of birds that visit our gardens at this time of year are migrants that have flown here from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe to spend the winter, so they have a lot of refuelling to do.”
As well as feeding birds, the RSPB is asking people to get outside and help the wildlife in their gardens in other ways this weekend, too.
Ian continued: “October is a great time of year to do all sorts of jobs to give nature a home in your outside space. You can plant bulbs ready to attract bees and other insects next summer; build or buy a hedgehog shelter, also known as a ‘Hogitat’, ready for them to hibernate in; dig a pond or tidy up your existing one; or put up nest boxes in time for next spring.
“Holding off on pruning your hedges is a great way of helping wildlife without actually having to do anything. Leaving them until around February next year means the berries will be able to be eaten throughout the winter.”
The RSPB recently launched a campaign to help tackle the crisis facing Britain's threatened wildlife. Giving Nature a Home is urging the nation to provide a place for wildlife in their own gardens and outside spaces. The charity hopes to inspire people across the country to create a million new homes for nature.
The Giving Nature a Home website gives everyone access to expert advice about helping nature in any outside space– whether it’s a huge garden or a small planting tub on balcony – at www.rspb.org.uk/homes.
The society has warned people not to think that the mild weather and fruit-laden bushes mean garden birds will be able to get enough natural food to sustain them. The Met Office has warned of dropping temperatures and widespread frost by Friday, so putting out extra food for the birds in your garden will become even more important as the month goes on.
Ian Hayward, of the RSPB’s wildlife enquiries team, said: “Many people think that you don’t need to put out food for birds during mild weather and when there appears to be lots of berries available. However, not all of the berries out now are ripe enough for birds to eat – most won’t be taken until after the first frosts and ivy berries won’t start forming until much later in winter – so it’s still important to supplement the natural food with seed mixes, mealworms and suitable leftovers from your kitchen.
“A number of birds that visit our gardens at this time of year are migrants that have flown here from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe to spend the winter, so they have a lot of refuelling to do.”
As well as feeding birds, the RSPB is asking people to get outside and help the wildlife in their gardens in other ways this weekend, too.
Ian continued: “October is a great time of year to do all sorts of jobs to give nature a home in your outside space. You can plant bulbs ready to attract bees and other insects next summer; build or buy a hedgehog shelter, also known as a ‘Hogitat’, ready for them to hibernate in; dig a pond or tidy up your existing one; or put up nest boxes in time for next spring.
“Holding off on pruning your hedges is a great way of helping wildlife without actually having to do anything. Leaving them until around February next year means the berries will be able to be eaten throughout the winter.”
The RSPB recently launched a campaign to help tackle the crisis facing Britain's threatened wildlife. Giving Nature a Home is urging the nation to provide a place for wildlife in their own gardens and outside spaces. The charity hopes to inspire people across the country to create a million new homes for nature.
The Giving Nature a Home website gives everyone access to expert advice about helping nature in any outside space– whether it’s a huge garden or a small planting tub on balcony – at www.rspb.org.uk/homes.
