Birdfeeding, what a nice and easy way to do your bit for wildlife.

I had been planning to write more about modern wood burners today, but with the sun's rays bouncing off the snow outside, it seems an inappropriate subject. Besides for now, the passive solar heating streaming through the south facing windows is providing all the heat we need.

As a constituted community group GWI has stated Aims and Objects, these are, 
Aims:
 To reduce reliance on heating oil in Glenlyon by replacing it with a more sustainable fuel sourced entirely from within the Glen.
 To extend and maintain the biodiverse habitats of plant, animal and human communities currently present within the glen.
 To have carbon reduction and environmental sustainability at the forefront of all decision making.

Objects:
• To utilise the wide ranging skills and expertise of the Glenlyon population within a community group capable of realising the full potential and spirit of this project.
• To provide a sustainable source of fuelwood in Glenlyon.
• To provide employment and to strengthen links within the wider glen population in the process.
• To investigate and develop secondary markets related to wood use.

Today I would like to talk about one small aspect of the second aim. In particular a contribution to maintaining biodiversity that we all, glen dweller, townie or other can make pretty easily. Furthermore it is something that will (ornithophobiac's excepted) probably bring you a lot of pleasure. I am talking about feeding the birds and especially about feeding the birds on a regular basis, because that is when it gets really good for you and really, really good for them, indeed it can be positively lifesaving at times.

I took this picture yesterday, I could have taken hundreds more and could do so most days. The variety, behaviour and general soap opera that is the "birdscene" in our garden can be both  fascinating and mesmerising  in equal proportion. It is also an excellent ways of observing wildlife. As you can see from the picture we have a Woodpecker and about 20 Chaffinches. Later that day my favourite family group turned up, the Yellowhammers. We also have other regular visitors like Blackbirds, Thrushes, Robins, Siskins and various Finches. I have no doubt that the more consistently we feed the birds, the more visual and diverse the return to both us and the wider environment is. The Yellowhammers have five young with them, a pleasing sight and perhaps one that,had they not had feed available we would not be seeing.
We also get a Red Squirrel on a fairly regular basis- He or possibly She eats all the peanuts and darts off again,  I like seeing the squirrel, the birds are less keen, particularly the more peanut addicted ones.

Anyway- everyone can feed the birds and create their own oasis of wildlife in their garden. As you can probably tell it brings me great pleasure and reward to help these amazing little avians get through life, perhaps it would for you too. Just one feeder, filled as regularly as practicable - go on- try it.