Bird Tables

A bird table will be at its most popular and valuable when natural food is in short supply which is usually from October to April.

If it takes a few days before you see any birds, don't be discouraged. Once the birds discover the food and convince themselves it is not a trap, they will visit regularly. It is well worth being patient as longer term you will attract a larger variety of birds, be able to enjoy not only their beautiful markings but their antics as well. They are not trying to amuse us, most of what we see is very serious and related to creating or defending a territory but I have to say it can provide hours of enjoyment.

If you enjoy watching birds, consider providing more varied feeding stations to attract more species.

Keep bird feeding tables and surrounding areas clean and free from droppings or mouldy food, which can form reservoirs of infection by providing breeding grounds for parasites and bacteria. If large amounts of droppings have accumulated, they should be cleared and burnt and the ground cleansed with a disinfectant.

Clean and wash the bird table and hanging feeders regularly using 10% disinfectant solution and move feeding stations to a new area every month to prevent droppings accumulating underneath.

Good hygiene is particularly important during the summer months. The warmer weather can make food go off quicker, and can provide ideal conditions for harmful bacteria to proliferate. Most diseases are transmitted by faeces. If contaminated droppings mix with food, the birds will run a risk of picking up the infection. Since the contamination can originate either from other birds or from animals such as rats, it is important to guard against infection from both sources.

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