Garden birds are an essential addition to the healthy garden. You can help document the garden birds learning how to prepare for the Big Garden Bird Watch 2023.
Garden birds add a fun and animated dimension to our gardens. But like all of our garden wildlife many are under threat. Sometimes it’s because of habitat loss or severe weather, or even the arrival of a predator. We can’t control all of the problems that our garden birds face, but we can make a difference. By taking part in the RSPB‘s annual Big Garden Bird Watch, you’ll be helping feed the UK’s many varieties of wild birds during the cold winter months, when natural sources of food are scarce, as well as providing entertainment and education for your family.
Preparing for the Big Garden Bird Watch
Have you noticed a difference in the birds that visit your garden? If you’ve started feeding your garden birds with Richard’s Premium Bird Food you should have seen a big increase in the different species using your feeders.
The whole point of the Big Garden Bird Watch is to monitor the different species and track which species are thriving and which ones are struggling. The Big Garden Birdwatch runs from January 27-29 this year and by taking part you can make a difference. Below are some handy tips on how to prepare for the Big Garden Bird Watch this year.
Clean the feeders
The first thing to do to prepare is to take down your bird feeders and give them a good clean. Any feeders that have been out in the garden over the winter will need a good scrub down. They can transmit diseases between wild birds or contain traces of toxins that will make the birds ill.
Use a specialist wildlife disinfectant that is designed for the purpose. It’s non-toxic to the birds and will be safe to use. Or you could take the feeder apart and put it through the dishwasher on a hot setting. Otherwise wash each part in hot soapy water and rinse well and dry thoroughly.
Add a new feeder
Take a look at your bird feeders. Have you got a variety of different types to cater for different birds? Peanuts need to be fed in a wire cased peanut feeder to stop the birds choking on whole peanuts. The mesh allows the birds to peck at the peanuts and eat smaller pieces. Seed mixes that contain peanuts should include kibbled peanuts that are the correct size for small garden birds. Most feeding stations include a suet ball feeder, a seed feeder and a peanut feeder. You should also include a bird table and a ground feeder and most importantly a clean and fresh supply of water.
Buy the best bird food
Different birds need different types of food. Some like robins and sparrows mostly eat insects, while others like the finches are seedeaters, then the tits like insects and are very fond of peanuts. You can buy many different types of bird food; some are tailored to a specific species of bird. Always buy a quality mix. They cost more because they have higher quality ingredients and less fillers. Have a look at Richards Premium Bird Food, it’s packed full of energy rich ingredients, each one chosen to feed particular species of birds. Customers rave about it and can’t believe the huge number of new bird species it attracts to their garden. One user saw 44 different species of birds in one season. Check out the Five Star reviews on our website.
Learn some identification skills
If you want to make the best contribution to the Big Garden Bird Watch you need to be able to identify the birds that visit your garden. If you haven’t got a good bird book you’ve got time to order one online. Or you can make use of the many websites that can assist in identification. If you can take photographs of any birds you are unsure of you can get them identified later. A camera or camera phone is a very useful way to record the birds that you see and a pair of binoculars might help you get a better look?
But whatever you do enjoy the experience, share your love of the birds with the next generation and let their garden antics give you a little distraction from the news.
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