HOW TO MAKE YOUR GARDEN A HAVEN

Put out some clean, fresh water. Birds need this for drinking and bathing. Water is particularly important during the winter when natural supplies may be frozen.

Clean your bird table and feeders. Just like us, birds need a clean place to eat to help keep them healthy. Wash feeders (ideally using a 5% disinfectant solution but warm soapy water is fine if you don’t have any). The RSPB recommends doing this weekly or every time the feeder is replenished.

Put a variety of food out to increase the number of species visiting your garden or balcony. Small seeds, such as millet, attract mostly house sparrows, dunnocks and finches. Blue tits, great tits and greenfinches favour peanuts and sunflower seeds.