We all tend to buy a bit too much food at this time of year, and, especially if the weather turns cold, our garden birds can be grateful recipients of the leftovers.
But not everything is suitable for them, so here’s a quick guide to what you can and can’t put out.
YES
• Chopped unsalted bacon rind
• Dried fruit
• Apples, pears, other soft fruit
• Crumbled cheese
NO
• Cooking fat from your Christmas turkey – it can can damage birds’ feathers
• Dried coconut
• Cooked porridge oats
• Milk
Packaged bird food is always a lovely present for the birds as well – sparrows, tits and finches will all visit feeders containing nuts, fat or seed mixtures with sunflower hearts, flaked maize, millet and nyjer seed. Insect-eaters such as Dunnocks, Robins, Starlings and Wrens prefer mealworms but will eat other types of food too. Suet-based products are particularly calorific, so can be a big boost in cold snaps.
Remember, too, that birds always need fresh water for drinking and bathing. This can be harder to find as ponds start to freeze, but you can keep your birdbath ice-free by floating a ping pong ball on the surface. The wind will keep the ball moving and stop the water turning to ice.