Survival of the fattest: why the country birds are coming to town

Treating our feathered friends has had a major effect on the variety and numbers in our gardens. But not all species feel the benefitAs a child, I remember my nan throwing out a few crusts of stale bread for the birds. Not surprisingly, this attracted few birds apart from the odd sparrow or starling. Later on, we discovered packets of Swoop "wild bird food" at the local store, which brought in more interesting species, such as blue tits and greenfinches.Feeding garden birds has come a long way since then. Today, they can enjoy a veritable smorgasbord of gourmet offerings: from tiny black niger seeds to kibbled sunflower hearts and from peanut cakes to fat balls, complete with added insects. Sometimes I wonder if we might be feeding our garden birds better than our kids. Continue reading...