Crochet Now - UK (2020-03)

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hearts, naked oats, sunfl ower

seed, millet, canary seed

and kibbled maize. Some

of the cheaper mixes have

large amounts wheat, barley

grains, split peas, beans, red

dari, oilseed rape, dried rice

or lentils added to them but

they’re ignored by most birds.

Fat balls and suet cakes or

bars are wonderful year-

round food but are essential

during the winter to build up

fat reserves. Most of the tits,

including coal and great tits,

love hanging from suet-fi lled

coconut shells, while robins

and blackbirds go crazy for

cakes. Make sure to remove

mesh bags as little beaks and

feet can get caught in them.

Black sunfl ower and Nyjer

seeds are packed full of oil

and attract prettily coloured

siskins, goldfi nches and

chaffi nches. Peanuts are a

real super food, full of energy

• but make sure you feed
  them in a stainless-steel
  mesh feeder to stop squirrels
  and woodpeckers from
  destroying it! Peanuts are
  also susceptible to a toxic
  mould called afl atoxins that
  can be harmful to birds, so
  they should be bought from a
  reputable seller.

Best time to watch: Winter,

spring and summer are

the best times for

birdwatching in

your garden. In the

winter, the cold brings our

feathered friends into our

gardens in search of food

• and a garden with feeders
  and shrubs is the best place
  to make a nest and raise
  chicks later in the year.

Although birds are around at

any time, you’re likely to see

more birds fi rst thing in the

morning – as they say, the

early bird catches the worm!

Help with identifi cation:

You can fi nd a free, easy-

to-use bird identifi er at

http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdid

but it’s worth investing in a

book. Handbooks will have

plenty of information on

more species as well as

interesting details about

their lives. We use the

RSPB Handbook of British

Birds that covers over 270

species, available from

http://www.rspbshop.co.uk

You don’t need much to

enjoy birds – just your eyes

or ears. But if you head into

the countryside, a pair of

binoculars can help with

spotting details and fi nd

more timid birds lurking

in the hedgerow. Buying a

pair can be confusing so

doing a bit of research can

be helpful – RSPB nature

reserves hold optics days

where experts will be on

hand to help select the

perfect set of optics for you.

Join a club: It’s a great way

of doing organised trips to

popular wildlife places and

learning from your peers.

You can fi nd your local

RSPB or wildlife group online

and it will usually have a

programme of events you

can get involved with.

Jay

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