Bird Feeding at the Woodland
By Tony Hoskin
The Community Woodland is often alive with wild birds, many of them attracted there by the bird feeders, as well as berries and fruit in the hedgerows in autumn.
Bird feeding began at the woodland in November 2017 when we set up a couple of bird feeding stations to get the birds through the winter, and these were well used during the snowfall of March 2018. At first, we fed the birds just in winter, but it was soon decided to feed the birds all year round as there are other times in the year when birds may need a supplement to the natural food available.
A small flock of Reed Buntings during the snowfall of March 2018
At present, there are two seed feeders and a fat ball feeder at the woodland which are regularly topped up by group members and friends. The seed feeders attract a wide variety of birds ranging from Reed Buntings, Greenfinches and Robins to Great, Blue, Marsh and Coal Tits.
Reed Buntings on a seed feeder at the woodland
The fat ball feeder is used by all the Tit family, including Long-tailed Tits which don’t use the seed feeders as they, among others, have different food requirements.
Blue Tits (left) and Long-tailed Tits (right) on a fat ball feeder at the woodland
Ground-feeding birds and many too big to use the feeders take advantage of the seed dropped beneath the feeders. These include Dunnock, Blackbird, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove and even Jackdaw and Magpie.
The feeders are especially busy during the wet or cold winter months when natural food resources are less plentiful and a great help for our birds to see the winter through.
Robin on a seed feeder
The feeders can be viewed from the seating area in the middle of the woodland, and there is a good water supply where the birds can bathe and drink at the pond.
Long-tailed Tits on the fat ball feeder
More information about individual bird species can be found under ‘Birds’ in the Species section of the website.