A common kitchen staple could have robins and other garden birds coming back to your garden even during winter. Birds make gardens feel vibrant and lived in but also play an important role in the health of your green space by going after pests that can cause damage and disease in plants and flowers.
But our feathered friends may well need a bit of extra support at the moment, with parts of the UK seeing temperatures plunge well below zero in recent weeks as Britons batten down the hatches for winter. In these sorts of conditions it can be a struggle for garden birds, as there’s less of their favourite food around, with the frozen ground preventing them from getting to the creatures they love to eat in warmer months.
You can help make your garden an inviting environment by leaving food and water out for them to help them get the energy they need, but you don’t always need to lay on seeds and grains.
According to the RSPCA, garden birds like robins can eat a variety of different kinds of food, and that includes a go-to “human food”: cooked pasta.
The carbohydrates in pasta are a great way to give the avian creatures an energy boost when the mercury drops. However, it’s vital that you only cook it in water, without salt, butter, spices, oil, or anything else that can harm them.
It’s also recommended that larger pieces be cut up to make it easier for them to eat. It ensures any pasta you don’t end up cooking doesn’t go to waste, and best of all it’s an inexpensive option.
For example, Sainsbury’s Stamford Street Co. Penne Pasta, which contains which contains 500g, is currently just 41p. Other options are available across other supermarkets for well under £1.
Garden birds are also partial to scraps like rice, boiled potatoes, cheese, and are even known to go for uncooked and unsalted bacon rind, though in all cases it shouldn’t be cooked with any other ingredients.
Like humans, the critters need a balanced diet to stay healthy, and can eat a suprisingly wide range of things. According to the charity, this also includes fruit, (namely raisins, sultanas, apples, pears and soft fruits), and grains and seeds that are suitable for them such as nyjer, millet, oats, and sunflower seeds.
They can be fed peanuts, provided they’re not salted. They must also be fresh and not contain aflatoxin (a poison produced by certain molds).
It also stresses you should only put them feeders with a smaller mesh as whole peanuts are a choking hazard for young chicks.
Other alternative food options include net-free fat or suet balls or insects like mealworms or waxworms, according to the RSPCA.
However, dog owners need to be careful with grapes, sultanas, raisins and some artificial sweeteners because they’re toxic to pooches.
Birds also need plenty of fresh water, so gardeners are advised to leave out bowls of it regularly if they don’t have bird baths. But it’s important to avoid putting feeders and bowls near places where they would be vulnerable to predators.
