Feed the birds!

People all over the world put out food for the birds in winter. In Britain, we have the traditional "bird table" and these days a range of other devices that hold peanuts or seeds that can be suspended from poles or branches. In Austria (and probably elsewhere in Europe) a popular method of offering food is by means of a Meisen-ringe ("tit-ring") which is a circle of fat in which is embedded seeds of various kinds, and can be bought ready-made in shops.

The Meisen-ringe, but will British tits recognise it?

I was keen to discover how long it would take for our British tits, unfamiliar with the device, to become accustomed to this novel presentation of food. At first, they were suspicious....

...and then a Great Tit investigates

A Blue Tit looks interested...

A Coal Tit takes a peck...

And at last, the one I am waiting for, a Marsh Tit tucks in! You can see the coloured rings on the leg which reveals that this bird was ringed on 4th December.

In winter, our small birds can survive the cold only by generating heat from within by metabolising the food they eat. In cold conditions, providing food for our garden birds will help them survive these freezing conditions.

Please feed the birds!