2 weeks Ago By Alex Evans
Spring is finally returning in the UK and with it comes warmer weather and the most important time of year for wildlife - nesting season. Birds will breed, nest and feed young chicks at this time of year and given the challenges bird populations have faced in recent years thanks to climate change , habitat loss and the lack of food, it’s really important for gardeners to help feed birds wherever they can especially in the spring. When it comes to the foods to leave out, the usual choices like seeds, oats and mealworms are always good options - but you can also leave out boiled potatoes.
The RSPCA says there are several kitchen scraps you can leave out on bird tables, including cooked pasta, cooked rice and boiled potatoes, as well as cheese and uncooked bacon rind. These foods are rich in calories and energy, which nesting birds with hungry young chicks need at this time of year. The RSPCA says: “Birds love to eat suitable seeds and grains - like nyjer, millet, oats, and sunflower seeds.
Food scraps - cooked pasta, rice and boiled potatoes or cheese and uncooked and unsalted bacon rind. “Raisins and sultanas. Peanuts - must be unsalted, fresh and that they don't contain aflatoxin (a poison caused by fungus mould).
Young chicks might choke on whole peanuts, so always put them in feeders with a smaller mesh. “Insects such as mealworms or waxworms.” The RSPB also encourages gardeners to leave out food in the spring.
It says: “During the spring and summer months, birds also require high-protein foods, especially while they’re moulting. “Be careful with peanuts, fat and bread during spring and summer. If you want to feed peanuts only do so in rigid mesh feeders that will not allow sizeable pieces to be removed, since these could be a choking hazard to chicks.
Home-made fat balls can melt in warm summer weather, and should be avoided. The RSPB Super Suet products are resistant to melting in heat.” Be sure if you’re using a flat bird table to clean it regularly and remove any uneaten food - that’s because the RSPB recently withdrew flat bird tables from sale while it investigates whether flat bird tables, exposed to the elements, could be responsible for helping spread disease.
.
