sansara3
AID FOR DIGESTION
When crushed into tiny little pieces, not only are they a great AID FOR DIGESTION but if the breeding hen eats them, the high calcium content ensures a stronger shell on any laid egg.Magpies and crows will swoop on a whole, uncooked egg; they will eat the egg but leave the shell.A chopped up boiled egg is good for the smaller birds too.NEVER cook your porridge oats, this makes them glutinous and could harden around the birds beak.BLACKBIRDS are huge fans of oats, particularly if theres a slice of BANANA nearby to nibble too.Have you ever been to a wedding and been told that you cant throw confetti but can throw UNCOOKED RICE ? You have the PIGEONS, DOVES and even PHEASANTS to thank for that, they will clean the floor in record time as their beaks are strong enough to crack the rice and their stomachs are capable of digesting it.COOKED RICE and finely chopped COOKED PASTA is a great food, thorough rinsing is required to remove all salt and oils and then it is a wonderful source of CARBOHYDRATES and in turn, energy.All wild birds will enjoy this, particularly during a severe winter.Offering fruit is a great alternative to birds that dont like seed feeders.Hung or chopped on tables provides them with a different option.APPLES AND ORANGES are a staple, but varied fruits attract different birds.Try MELON, PEAR, PEACH, STRAWBERRY and PINEAPPLE to entice FINCHES.THRUSHES, SPARROWS AND WARBLERS will only eat fruit during migrating months, STRAWBERRIES, BLUEBERRIES, WATERMELON and BANANA slices are their favourites.Wild birds will also attempt most fresh vegetables, CARROTS, BROCCOLI , COURGETTE, SQUASH, BEETROOT AND TOMATOES are worth trying.If you are cruel, you can also try feeding them the food of the devil, BRUSSELL SPROUTS ! A JACKET POTATO cooled and cut open is another favourite.A STARLING will enjoy most vegetables that he finds on your table, beta-carotene found in CARROTS helps give him optimum eyesight.DOG AND CAT FOOD is made to specific standards and is safe for all animals to eat.If it has been an unusually dry summer and the ground is too hard to dig, then a small amount of pet meat is an ideal substitute for MEALWORMS.Dried pet food also works, soaked in water and placed on a bird table.It is of high nutritional value so a little goes a long way.Whilst all of these things are perfect options, they must only be used in MODERATION.Just put a little out to tempt the birds and then if they eat it all, the next times give them a little more.Any food left to spoil and rot will not only become HARMFUL TO THE BIRD but could also ATTRACT VERMIN.Insect-eating birds turn to alternative foods, some species travel far and wide, and foraging behaviour adapts, but we can lend a helping hand by providing a welcome source of extra food for birds to turn to in leaner times.Different birds are attracted to certain foods, often reflecting their special adaptations for natural food types.Offer a variety of tempting morsels to maximise your bird tables wow factor.You may have noticed that dunnocks and wrens shy away from bird tables and hanging feeders.Sprinkle crumbled fat balls and seed beneath shrubs for secretive and ground feeding birds.Smear fat mixtures into the cracks and crevices of branches or bark for treecreepers, nuthatches and woodpeckers.And dont forget to clear feeders and feeding areas of snow after fresh falls as smaller birds can struggle to get through it.If you can, its also worth moving bird tables and feeders around the garden every now and then.Not only does this reduce the build up of mess, it can also help prevent ambush predators like cats and sparrowhawks from becoming too familiar with the likely location of unwary prey.One of the most satisfying and hassle-free ways to feed birds in winter is to plan head and let nature provide.Rowan produces a lasting crop of berries that in bumper years can see birds through for several months.Theyre a favourite of mistle thrushes which will guard them jealously from other hungry visitors.Ivy is also a good plant to encourage, its late-ripening berries offering food through the colder months and its evergreen leaves provide the perfect larder for wrens to search out hibernating insects.The fruit of trees like crab apple will attract a range of birds in winter and beyond.Lucky gardeners may even tempt waxwings.A range of ornamental shrubs also provide berries into early winter, and dont discount the value of nectar.Sub-zero temperatures are of course a problem in winter and limit all wildlifes access to sources of water.Help keep bird baths and ponds ice free by floating a small football on the surface to disturb the formation of ice sheets.Or in really cold weather, fill a metal or ceramic dish with water and set it on bricks over a tea light candle.Once you start feeding birds, try to keep regular in your topping up habits.While most visitors will adapt and move to new feeding grounds when natural food gradually runs out, a sudden drop off in feeding puts them on the hop.In winter when alternative food sources are already scarce, this could mean the difference between life and death for some.Small birds like tits are especially vulnerable to sudden changes in food supply.Were encouraging large numbers of birds to share the same small area, putting them at higher risk of passing disease to one another.Trichomonosis for example, a nasty bug that can be fatal for finches and pigeons, is passed from bird to bird through saliva.Sick birds have difficulty feeding and will regurgitate food, contaminating feeding stations and spreading the contagion.Scrub your bird feeders regularly with hot soapy water and give them a good rinse.Sweep away any accumulations of droppings or spilled seeds and keep feeders free of wet or mouldy foods.The beauty of making your own feeders from recycled cartons is that theyre cheap and easy to replace when they get mucky.Keep in touch with the nature you love without having to leave the house.What treats do parakeets like? The parakeet treats listed below are snacks that are not only healthy for them but will also keep them stimulated with activities.
by sansara3 on 2022-06-06 06:58:24
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