Firstly I would like to wish everyone a happy and successful 2025 as we enter the second quarter of the 21st century. I am not much one for new year resolutions but if I have a phrase that I would like to epitomise the coming 12 months it must be green value: the hope that individually and as a society we understand and preserve the value of the natural environment.

January can be a fairly bleak month in the gardener and that applies as much to the wildlife as to the gardener. For many years the suggestion has been to put out food for wildlife especially to help our feathered friends. Readers will know that I am an enthusiastic promoter of nature friendly gardens and understand that observing and valuing the creatures with which we share our green spaces is an important contributor to our wellbeing. It is certainly true that offering a variety of food on a bird table can bring the birds that live in or visit our gardens into the open for long enough for us to see and appreciate them. It is also true that gardens can support a greater quantity of wildlife than areas of countryside not primarily managed for nature, if we provide appropriate food and shelter particularly when times are tough, like in winter.
But the view of wildlife experts is changing now somewhat from stocking bird feeders all year round to cultivating our gardens with plants that provide more natural food throughout the year. For example, allowing some seeds to ripen on the plant instead of cutting down perennials in the autumn and choosing shrubs that produce fruits or berries to feed birds through the winter. It also means sustaining a healthy eco-system of ‘mini-beasts’ for birds to eat and feed their young in spring and summer. And yes, this might mean allowing natural predators – birds, ladybirds etc. – to take care of the less desirable caterpillars and aphids and balance out the relative populations.

There are a few reasons for encouraging gardeners to provide natural and sustainable food sources for the birds. One of the most widely publicised is the risk to bird health both from toxins that naturally develop in food left in feeders and the increased transmission of diseases where birds congregate in greater numbers. Additionally, there is some evidence that providing a constant source of certain foods in our gardens is changing the balance of bird species. Populations of birds that readily use bird feeders have increased significantly in urban areas compared to species that do not.  However it remains vital to remember our garden wildlife in times of heavy snow or below freezing temperatures.  The following guidelines can help: offer a variety of foods in different places around the garden, feed little and often to avoid mould developing and clean and move feeders regularly.  Even more crucially, birds and mammals need to drink water regularly and providing a wide, shallow container of fresh water is one of the best and simplest ‘wildlife friendly’ actions we can take.  It might mean venturing into the garden on frosty mornings to tip out a block of ice and refill, but we will be rewarded by seeing birds drink and bathe and knowing that we are helping.

Happy Gardening from Alison