FEATHERED THERAPY

During this ‘unprecedented’ year, nature and wildlife has helped a huge amount of people to cope with anxiety and uncertainty, and bird watching has increased tenfold during the pandemic. So now is an ideal time to repay our feathered friends by providing food for them through the lean winter months.

There are a huge selection of bird feeders to choose from, with something suitable for all types of outdoor space, balconies and even window feeders for flats. For people who have been self-isolating or shielding, I can’t think of a better present than a bird feeder for them to be able to watch the birds visit and dine. If you can, please supply the

bird feed too. A neighbour of mine always asks for bird food for her birthday and Christmas as it can be expensive to buy and brings much more pleasure than a smelly candle or another pair of socks.

Different birds will appreciate different types of food, from mealworms to sunflower or Niger seeds but a good all rounder is mixed birdseed, which will cater for most feathered guests. Unfortunately cheap birdseed contains a lot of wheat, and even dog biscuits, to bulk it out and most birds will simply discard both. While it is quite amusing to watch my blue tits discard the wheat in disgust, it is messy, will attract rats and squirrels and wheat will inevitably grow quicker than anything you sow deliberately.

There are ‘no-mess’ bird seed mixes available, which don’t contain wheat or ‘fillers’ and which although they seem more expensive initially, will be better value for money as you don’t get any waste.

Most garden birds will enjoy ‘fat balls’ which are made from suet mixed with other bird foods, such as seeds, nuts and mealworms. They vary in price, with some as low as £5 for 50 balls, and others costing almost three times as much. Which? tested 12 different brands over the course of 12 weeks observing the birds feeding from a hide. They also tested how well each brand stood up to the weather and if they fell apart, leaving an ugly mess under the bird feeder that can attract rats. Unfortunately you can only access the results if you sign up with Which? but I think it is common sense that the more seeds, nuts and other ‘food’ the balls contain, the better they are for the birds.

You can also make your own, mixing lard or suet with seeds or peanuts. The RSPB recommends using mixtures that include flaked maize, sunflower seeds and chopped peanuts. Take a handful of the mixture and press into balls and put in a feeder with a lid, to keep them dry. Some websites recommend filling open pinecones with the mixture but the rain will wash the contents out quickly.

I am an avid reader, of all sorts of books, and can highly recommend Bird Therapy by Joe Harkness. ‘When Joe suffered a breakdown in 2013, he tried all the things his doctor recommended: medication helped, counselling was enlightening, and mindfulness grounded him. But nothing came close to nature, particularly birds. Soon, every avian encounter took him one step closer to accepting who he is. The positive change in Joe’s well-being was so profound that he started a blog to record his experience.’

With mental health being so fragile at the moment, it is a great read – and much more useful than a pair of Squirrel pants.