Time to watch the birdies
WITH the RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch taking place on January 28 and 29, people are invited to spend an hour recording the birds they see in their own gardens.
Last year’s Big Garden Birdwatch results showed that some of the smaller birds which decreased in numbers the previous year bounced back.
Sightings of goldcrests, the UK’s smallest birds, doubled, long-tailed tits increased by a third and coal tits increased by a quarter.
There are specific foods which smaller birds love and which you might consider when re-filling your bird feeders.
Small birds such as goldfinches love nyjer seeds and sunflower seeds. Peanuts are rich in fat and are popular with tits, greenfinches, house sparrows, nuthatches, great spotted woodpeckers and siskins.
Crushed or grated nuts attract robins, dunnocks and even wrens. But never use salted or dry roasted peanuts, and only buy from a reputable source.
Fat balls are great for many birds, especially in cold weather, but make sure you remove them from any nylon mesh before putting them out, as birds can catch their feet in the mesh.
Live food such as mealworms are relished by robins and blue tits, and may attract other insect-eating birds such as pied wagtails. Make sure the mealworms you buy are fresh. Any dead or discoloured ones shouldn’t be used as they can cause problems such as salmonella poisoning. Again, buy from a reputable source. Of course, your own planting scheme can also go some way to making your garde a haven for birds.
A good hedgerow, with a mixture of deciduous trees, shrubs and climbers will provide birds with both shelter and food. Leave an area of your lawn to grow long, to encourage insects to it.
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Weather for South Shields
Friday 25 May 2012
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Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 7 C to 17 C
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