Gardeners have been urged to leave out roast potatoes in their gardens this month. The advice issued by The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) comes as temperatures across the UK fall to freezing conditions. There are currently several weather warnings in place today (Tuesday, January 6). The yellow and amber alerts reflect the harsh weather impacting Brits across the nation and are likely to continue throughout the month.
However, as well as looking after yourselves, Brits have been urged to ensure birds are also well cared for throughout the winter.
RSPB said: “When it’s really cold, birds need more energy to stay warm. But in winter there’s less daylight to find food and many of their usual sources run low.
“You can help birds in the winter by providing food in your outdoor space. Kitchen scraps like mild grated cheese, bruised fruit, cooked rice, unslated bits of hard fat, roast potatoes and dry porridge oats go down a treat with garden birds.”
However, be careful when placing roast potatoes out for birds to enjoy; they should not be mixed with any meat juices, as this can be harmful to the birds.
You can also opt or calorie-rich foods including mixed seed, sunflower seed, nyjer seed and peanuts.
The charity warned: “There are some foods you should avoid putting out as they can be dangerous for birds. Cooking fat from the roast mixes with meat juice during cooking to make runny, greasy mixture. This sticks to feathers and stopes them from being waterproof.”
The RSPB recommends cleaning feeders once a week with a mild detergent solution, such as washing-up liquid. You should always wear gloves and dispose of any unused or mouldy food. Keeping feeders clean ensures that the risk of spreading disease is reduced.
As well as ‘preparing a feast’ for birds, it is also crucial that birds have fresh water for drinking and bathing all year round. Therefore, as the temperatures plumment, its vital that bird baths are ice-free and regularly topped up with fresh, clean water.
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