Use the garden shed to give birds a helping hand

17:02:20 11th February 2010

Putting food on the roof of the garden shed is an ideal way to help birds survive a cold winter, it has been claimed.

Writing in the Oxford Times, the Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre states with the recent cold snap birds have to work harder just to keep themselves fed.

There were a few simple things that gardeners could do to give the local wildlife a helping hand.

"You can put food out on the ground or on the roof of your garden shed. Small bits of stale bread or leftover toast will be hoovered up at this time of year," reports the organisation.

"Small seeds like millet will help attract house sparrows and collared doves. While flaked maize is a favourite of blackbirds and greenfinches relish peanuts and sunflower seeds."

Naturalist Thelma Dalmas writes in the News & Advance that the key element in birds' ability to survive a winter is whether they can find enough food, having to eat almost constantly each day.

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