Enabling Environments: All about ... feeding the birds

All over Britain, birds are disappearing. Since just 1994, the number of blackbirds has dropped by 16 per cent, house martins by 35 per cent, cuckoos by 47 per cent, song thrushes by 50 per cent, starlings by 73 per cent and tree sparrows by 93 per cent.

This decline is the result of modern farming practices, notably the use of pesticides (which kill insects and seed plants that birds eat) and the massive destruction of hedgerows, woodland and rough grassland which provided food and nesting sites. In urban areas, too, sprays and pellets have killed insects and over-tidying has reduced nesting places.

Early years settings can play their part in stemming the collapse in the bird population by:

- putting out suitable food and water

- growing plants with fruit and seeds that birds eat

- creating safe places for birds to roost and nest.

Happily, all this can be extremely beneficial to children, as well as highly educational. Feeding, observing and listening to birds can:

- lead to such activities as dance, singing, stories, poetry, number and artwork

- develop children's awareness of the natural environment and the creatures who inhabit it

- make children appreciate how they must behave around birds: moving softly and even standing stock still (briefly!) when watching them; never disturbing them when they are feeding, bathing or nesting; and never running or flapping their arms at birds, as small ones may never return.

Which birds you can expect to see obviously depends on your situation. In suburban areas you might see blackbirds, robins, house sparrows, blue tits, great tits, black caps, greenfinches and collared doves. If there are trees nearby, green or spotted woodpeckers, nuthatches, and coal tits, marsh tits and long-tailed tits might appear. Magpies, jays, thrushes, fieldfares and redwings are other possible visitors. Even city nurseries should be able to see some species, especially in winter. So how to begin?

ATTRACTING BIRDS

Areas that offer food and water as well as roosting and nesting sites attract the most birds.

Natural foods are best for birds, so wherever possible, grow plants that have berries and seeds or that entice insects.

In general, go for native plants, because they support more insects. Of course, 'shelter' plants may need to grow for a few years before they become useful. Also, remember to fork over very dry, frosted or snow-covered ground so birds can peck for worms and slugs.

If you can, make a wild area with brambles, hawthorn, elderberry, wild roses, crab apple, ivy, honeysuckle and holly. It could be a haven for birds (and much other wildlife), and if planted away from play areas, poisonous berries shouldn't be an issue.

Here are some recommended plants. Berries marked * are poisonous. Where (and whether) to have such plants will depend on each nursery's situation.

Plants for food and shelter

- A bramble patch provides fruits, seeds and a safe thicket for nesting

- A mature clump of wild ivy (Hedera helix) is superb for nesting. Its autumn flowers* are covered with insects and are followed by black fruits*

- Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) attracts insects, has red berries* and makes a useful nesting site

- Juniper attracts insects and provides safe nesting places

- Barberry bushes (Berberis) give safe shelter, flowers and berries*

- Garya elliptica has winter catkins and nesting cover.

Good food plants

Flowers Cornflowers, wallflowers, sunflowers, forget-me-not, honesty, evening primrose, sedum spectabile and golden rod. Leave them to set seed.

Small trees Mountain ash (birds like the one with red berries), cherry (Prunus padus or P. avium), crab apple (John Downie or Golden Hornet), Juneberry (Amalanchier leavis or A. canadensis), birch, holly* and any orchard tree. Common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) supports more insects than any other tree except oak and has berries.

Shrubs Dog rose and Rosa rubrifolia, elderberry, forsythia, Buddleia davidii or the orange flowered, wide-spreading B. globosa.

Plants for shelter

Most bushes, especially evergreen ones, provide shelter. Also, the fast growing evergreen climber, Clematis montana, has pink or white spring flowers and will scramble over bushes, trees and fences, creating good nesting sites.

Nests and next boxes

Nest boxes are useful too. Site them about 2m high and on the north side of structures to avoid fatally hot temperatures inside. Avoid covered areas where predators could lurk, and don't attach any perches. Clean them out each winter.

Children could help birds build their nests by accumulating a store of suitable materials that can be gradually scattered outdoors in early spring. Fabric cut into small scraps, hair, straw, feathers and pieces of wool or embroidery cotton are all good. A very educational midwinter activity can be to take apart an old nest and see all the different things that the birds used in building it.

FEEDING BIRDS: TIMING

Autumn, when natural food supplies are dwindling, is a good time to begin feeding the birds. In harsh weather, birds may depend on our food for survival. However, although feeding birds is most useful between October and April, the RSPB advises putting out (appropriate) food all year round so that birds get used to visiting. It can also help them survive any unexpected food shortages.

- Provide food every day until spring. Birds may fly a daily circuit of feeding sites and if a site is unexpectedly bare, the resulting calorie loss can be serious.

- In winter, feed twice a day, in early morning and early afternoon. Go for calorie-dense, fatty food.

- In spring and summer (roughly March to September), avoid providing fat, nuts and bread, as these can be harmful if the birds take them to nestlings. Instead, put out fruit such as soft apples and pears cut in half, grapes, banana pieces and soaked dried fruit (see Feed and Water).

- Never put out food in mesh bags: birds can tear their feet on them.

FEEDING STATIONS

Have several 'feeding stations' to attract different kinds of birds and to avoid conflict between them. You can put food on bird tables, on the ground (but see Essential Hygiene) and in hanging feeders.

Birds need to see all around them to know they are safe from predators, so position feeding stations:

- in open and safe places

- away from dense bushes and fences where cats can hide and leap from

- ideally, about 2m away from a bush, where birds can check for predators before going to feed, and have somewhere to dash to if alarmed

- somewhere quiet - away from the main playing area, but near enough for children to observe them. They have extra value if visible from indoors.

Bird tables

A bird table is really only a piece of wood nailed to a post, about 1.2-1.75m above the ground. It's straightforward to make. Nail a 30-50cm piece of exterior-quality (untreated) plywood, 0.5-1cm thick, on to a post driven into the ground. Preferably, the table should have a low rim (1cm) along the sides to contain the food, which stops short of the corners to allow for drainage and easy cleaning.

To avoid wounding birds, ensure everything is firm, filed and sandpapered smoothly, and that nail heads are sunk. The post should be smooth and straight to make it harder for cats and squirrels to climb! You could also tie bramble briars around the post. A wide strip of chicken wire fastened around the table edge can deter pigeons.

Small tables can be fixed on to window ledges using angled supports, and hanging tables can be suspended from tree branches or wall brackets using two metal chains. Thread these through pieces of garden hose to protect the branch.

Ground feeding

Some birds, such as blackbirds, song thrushes, robins, chaffinches and starlings prefer ground feeding, so try to have another table, about 10cm off the ground (to allow the grass to breathe). Move it slightly every day or two to avoid a build-up of droppings and seed husks and over-damage to the grass. However, if it encourages pigeons, then avoid ground feeding.

Hanging feeders

- Metal nut feeders are the only safe way of offering nuts to wild birds. The mesh should be about 6mm - large enough to prevent beak damage, but small enough to prevent whole nuts being removed. If young birds eat large nut pieces they can die. Squirrel-proof feeders are often essential.

- Other types of feeders are available for filling with seeds.

- Coconut shells or yoghurt pots can be filled with home-made 'bird cakes' and hung upside down from a bird table, wall bracket or tree. MAKE A WINTER-TIME BIRD CAKE

Tie a big knot at one end of a long piece of string. Make a small hole in the bottom of a yoghurt pot or such. Pull the string through the hole with the knot inside the carton. With the hands, mix some softened lard with a variety of seeds, raisins and grated cheese, using one part of fat to two parts of seed. Fill the carton, let harden, then hang it up!

Use the mixture to fill empty coconut shells or to smear thickly over pine cones.

FEED AND WATER

Water

Birds need water every day for drinking and for bathing to keep their feathers in good condition.

Shallow containers such as plant saucers, dustbin lids or old frying pans are fine. Firm them into the ground or secure with a stone.

The water should range from 1.5 to 10cm in depth. Try to offer more than one birdbath and change the water daily. A raised bath that's near a window and away from where cats could pounce provides safety for birds and extra interest for children. (Position them as for bird tables, below.)

In winter, repeatedly bringing in a frozen 'bath' to thaw and putting it out again to freeze can make a good freezing-and-melting topic for the children.

Food from the kitchen

Some foods that we eat can be fatal to birds, but the following are safe:

- dry porridge oats or coarse oatmeal

- pastry, raw or cooked, especially if made with real butter or lard

- rice, especially brown, and cooked without salt

- fat (in winter only), such as meat fat and suet (ask your butcher), but not polyunsaturated fats, which lack the high levels of energy that birds need

- larger bones with some meat or fat on them

- meat scraps, raw or cooked; avoid processed meats with their added salt and additives

- potatoes: baked (cold and opened), roast, and even mashed with added real fat (butter, lard, meat fat). Birds tend to ignore chips, though.

- fruit, including bruised and part-rotten pieces, is liked by thrushes, tits and starlings. Perhaps impale apples on to branches or canes for the birds to peck

- dried fruit (raisins, currants) is especially liked by robins, thrushes and blackbirds.

Foods to buy

- Coconut. Cut it in half, drain off the 'milk', then hang up the two halves (or freeze one for later), preferably upside down so they don't fill with rainwater and go mouldy. Adored by tits, who will perform acrobatics on them!

- Seed mixtures, fat balls and seed bars from reputable suppliers

- Sunflower seeds, husked or not (black ones are popular)

- mealworms, possibly dried

- peanuts or other nuts (not salted or roasted), but only if put inside metal feeders

Spring and summer food

High-protein foods are needed in summer when birds are moulting. Go for black sunflower seeds, pinhead oatmeal, soaked dried fruit, mealworms, waxworms, mixes for insectivorous birds without loose peanuts, RSPB food bars and summer seed mixtures.

Foods to avoid

Never give the following, which may cause choking, illness and even death, especially among young birds and nestlings:

- dry bread; it swells up in birds' stomachs and can burst them

- desiccated coconut; it also swells up

- coconut 'milk' - give the flesh only

- milk or milk products, except 'hard' cheese which is fermented (and see below)

- anything mouldy. Peanuts can be infected with aflatoxin, which can kill birds, so buy from a reputable dealer who can guarantee the nuts are free from this, and check nut feeders for any mouldy nuts

- polyunsaturated fats such as margarine

- cooked porridge oats; they are too glutinous and can harden on birds' beaks

- salted snacks

- mixtures containing split peas, beans, lentils and dry rice. Only large birds can eat these dry. Similarly, dry wheat and barley grains are suitable only for pigeons, doves and pheasants. Unfortunately, all these may be used to bulk out mixtures.

- mixtures containing green or pink lumps - these are probably dog biscuit, which can only be eaten if soaked well. Some cheap mixtures use them for bulk.

- anything in mesh bags (see above).

Salt warning

Bread, grated cheese and bacon are nutritious but salty. Give only occasionally and in small amounts along with other food. Wholemeal bread is preferable to white.

ESSENTIAL HYGIENE

Most bird diseases are transmitted by droppings, which can mix with food and drinking water. Hygiene is especially important in summer, when food goes off more quickly.

- Always clear away any uneaten food (except in hanging feeders) at the end of each day, as leftover food can attract vermin. Remember that food put directly on to the ground is harder to clean up.

- Keep bird tables and surrounding areas clean. Sweep off droppings and any mouldy food. If possible, move your feeding stations around from time to time.

- Scrub tables and feeders regularly, and use disinfectant if they are very soiled (25ml disinfectant to 500ml water). Rinse thoroughly and let dry before re-using.

- Rinse out bird baths every day and if possible, allow to dry; scrub off any algae.

- Do these jobs outdoors using dedicated utensils. Wear gloves and wash your hands well afterwards. Mid- to late summer is a good time for a general 'spring clean', as birds should be able to find plenty of natural food then.

FURTHER INFORMATION

- The RSPB produces a wealth of information with children in mind, including posters and bird identification cards, and much of it is free. The excellent (free) 40-page booklet 'Discover birds at school' has comprehensive advice on all aspects of attracting birds, including instructions for making bird tables and nest boxes.

- Two RSPB booklets with ideas for young children, 'Activity guide for autumn and winter' and 'Activity guide for spring and summer' (£5 each plus p&p) have bird-related songs, stories, finger-plays and ideas for observation, art and movement. Tel: 01767 680551, www.rspb.co.uk/youth.