Dont forget to feed the birds!

Posted:6 February 2012

In the autumn and winter, it is a hard job for birds in the garden to find enough food.  Theres less food available, and less time to find it because of the shorter daylight hours.  Yet because farmers harvest their crops more efficiently (leaving less pickings in the field) and more quickly (leaving less ripe crops out for the birds) birds need more.

If you want birds in your garden all year round make sure you have some late fruit such as crab apples, cotoneaster or pyracantha.  Or, cook up these nutritious bird cakes:

• 8oz of solid white vegetable fat
• 1 cup of oatmeal
• 1 cup of chopped nuts
• 1 cup of flaked maize
• I cup of kibbled wheat
• 1 cup of mixed bird seed
• I cup of vine fruits, chopped, or 6 cups of ready-made wild bird seed mix

Gently melt the fat in a large pan.  Place the dry ingredients into a large bowl and pour the fat over them.  Stir the mixture until the fat is well mixed in.  You will need sufficient fat to hold the dry ingredients together as the fat begins to cool.  With damp hands,pat the mixture into small cakes and leave to set in a cool place.

This extract taken from the Gardeners Pocket Companion, edited by Vicky Bamforth