Winter is here and it’s now time to see what birds and wildlife visit the garden. I’ve loved seeing the House Sparrows, Collared Doves and Jackdaws over the summer but now I’m looking forward to seeing the Goldfinches and Siskin return!
Who to expect during the winter?
Four really easy birds to look out for during the winter; Starlings, Redwing, Siskin and you may even be lucky to see Waxwing in your garden! There’s two different ways you can attract these birds to your garden, and that is splitting the birds into where and what they will be eating.
Thrushes:
Redwing, Fieldfare and Scandinavian Blackbirds are all birds that migrate here from Scandinavia to avoid the harsh winters. These are often found visiting our garden for food, the best way to encourage these birds in your garden is to focus on berries and fruits. As they are large birds, they often feed on the ground as opposed to on feeders and that is where we will focus our feeding. Apples and Pears are good ways to encourage them by throwing them on the ground, ensure you halve them to make it easier to peck into. You can also look at planting some Crab Apple or Cherry trees in your garden for future years.
Finches:
Smaller birds such as Starling, Blue Tits, and Finches like Goldfinches and Siskin return to our gardens to stock up on winter foods. These birds will all use our garden feeders but you can switch up your feeding ready for the winter by introducing fat into your feeding plans. Fat, as opposed to protein, is the best way to give birds extra body weight to survive the winter. Suet pellets, raisins, fat ball and fat blocks are all good options to add to your feeders during the winter and something all these birds will love. You can also add a Nyjer feeder for Goldfinches.
Dan Rouse 