Winter visitors will love apples

One way to feed the garden birds but at quite low cost is through discarded apple, windfalls, or else low-cost bags of discount ‘basic’ apples.

Basically, when it comes to the birds, they are not so fussed about either the size or quality.

Apples simply spiked onto a standard feeder as in the picture, or onto specially pruned branches or twigs of trees or shrubs, will soon attract attention.

Indeed, I have found a host of birds from robins and blue tits or great tits, to jackdaws, magpies, parakeets, or carrion crows, find the spiked apples irresistible.

Of course the thrush family and also starlings are also drawn to the apple feast; and of these the blackbird was the one that caught my eye the most.

This stunning male I caught on camera is in full breeding plumage splendour with bright yellow bill and the similarly coloured eye-ring.

The other thrushes such as the winter visitors, fieldfare and redwing, and the resident mistle thrush, will also take a liking to fruit, berries, and particularly apples.

A word of warning though, they can also get defensive around a favoured feeding station or, for example, a fruit tree or berry bush; and may aggressively chase off rivals.

Prof Rotherham, a researcher, writer and broadcaster on wildlife and environmental issues, is contactable on ianonthewildside@ukeconet.org