Author: lesley

26 Mar 2026

Should I Feed the Birds?

lesley Bird Feeding Advice

Robin redbreast feeding from an easy-to-clean treat dish

SHORT ANSWER: Yes! Feeding wild birds is a great way to support them – just make sure you're doing it responsibly.

A recent press release from the RSPB has received a lot of news coverage and caused no small amount of alarm. It warns nature lovers not to feed seeds or peanuts to their garden birds between the start of May and the end of October. Why? To help stop the spread of disease among British birds.

This certainly hasn't come out of the blue. Concerns about avian diseases, overcrowding, and the impact of human feeding habits have been raised loudly and repeatedly over the past few years. One might easily get the impression that the bird feeders in our gardens are actually doing more harm than good.

Now, as a qualified vet, I'm all too aware of the problems that poorly-maintained feeding areas can cause for wild bird populations. However, please be reassured that there's no need to stop feeding your feathered friends, who need your help now as much as ever!

PICTURED: I Love Robins® Easy-clean Hanging Treat Dish

Why feeding the birds is important

Garden feeding plays a key role in supporting British bird populations, particularly in urban and suburban areas where natural food sources tend to be in short supply.

A reliable source of high-energy food can make a real difference for many UK bird species, especially during the nesting season (March to September) as well as the cold winter months.

So feeding itself isn't the problem. The problem is hygiene.

Where the concerns come from

When large numbers of birds gather around the same feeding station, diseases can spread easily. Contaminated feeders, droppings, and leftover food can all contribute to the transmission of illnesses such as salmonellosis.

This is why some experts have raised concerns – not because feeding birds is a bad idea in itself, but because too many people aren't doing it hygienically.

How to feed birds safely

Practising good feeder hygiene is crucial to feeding birds safely and minimising the risk of disease.

Here are some expert tips:

Clean and disinfect your feeders regularly. See How to Clean & Disinfect Bird Feeders for details. (You might want to consider replacing your current feeder with an easy-clean bird feeder to make this job easier.)
Remove old food before it gets mouldy. Don't leave the same food in your feeders for more than a week. Any damp food should be replaced immediately.
Use a scraper tool to keep your feeding station free of bird droppings.
Move your feeding station to a different spot every so often. This will help to prevent droppings and uneaten food from building up in one specific area.
If possible, place multiple bird feeders in different spots to avoid overcrowding.
Fill your feeders with no-waste bird food to reduce mess on the ground.
Keep any bird baths clean and topped up with fresh water.

These small steps will make a big difference to the health of your local bird population.

Keep feeding those birds!

As long as you follow good hygiene practices, feeding wild birds remains a positive and beneficial activity.

Recent warnings may have given you pause for thought, but the correct response is not to stop feeding your birds altogether. By keeping feeders clean and managing your feeding area carefully, you can continue to support your local wildlife without spreading disease.

Feeding wild birds is an easy way to feel closer to nature. With the right approach, it can be both safe and rewarding. If you're unsure where to start, or if you want to improve your bird feeding setup, explore our range of bird feeder cleaning products and feeding solutions — or drop me a line and I'll be happy to offer whatever advice I can!

Bird Feeder Cleaning Products Ask a Question

This article comes from Lesley Smith, Really Wild Bird Food's co-founder and resident vet. Lesley frequently draws on her experience as a veterinary surgeon to provide guidance for customers who are concerned about the health of their garden birds. If you're interested in learning more about wild bird diseases, you can read more on the topic from Lesley here.

LAST UPDATED: 13th April 2026

23 Mar 2026

Help UK Garden Birds in April

lesley Bird Feeding Advice

April is one of the most exciting months for bird lovers across the UK. As Spring arrives in full force, gardens come alive with birds nesting, feeding, and raising their young. If you want to attract more birds to your garden and help them thrive, this is the perfect time to invest in the right products. Below is some handy advice to the best garden bird products to use in April, and how each one makes a real difference.

Why April Is So Important for Garden Birds?

During April, birds are:

Building nests
Laying eggs
Feeding chicks
Defending territories

All of this requires huge amounts of energy and safe spaces, which is where your garden can help. By providing food, water, and shelter, you’re not just attracting birds, you’re supporting their survival during one of the most demanding times of the year.

1. Bird Feeders – The Foundation of Any Bird-Friendly Garden

A good quality bird feeder is the first thing you need. Feeders provide a reliable food source and encourage birds to visit regularly. In April, this is especially important as natural food supplies can still be inconsistent and insect numbers low.

Best types to use:

Tube feeders – these can be suitable for seed mixes/straights, suet products and peanuts.
Suet feeders – Great for high-energy feeding suet products
Window feeders – Perfect for close-up birdwatching, just attach to your window

Tip: Place feeders near shrubs or trees so birds have a quick escape from predators.

2. High-Energy Bird Food – Essential for Nesting Season

Birds need high-protein, high-fat foods to support egg production and feed their young during Spring time. Suet-rich bird food is ideal for breeding, moulting, migration, and colder seasons because it delivers the additional boost of energy needed to keep your garden birds healthy and full of life. Birds love the taste of suet rich food and we're confident that your feathered friends will keep coming back for more!

Top food choices:

Sunflower hearts (no mess, high energy)
Mealworms (a favourite of robins and blackbirds)
Complete seed mixes for variety
suet products

3. Nest Boxes – A Safe Place to Raise Young

April is peak nesting season, making nest boxes one of the most impactful products you can add to your garden. Many birds struggle to find natural nesting sites due to urban development, so a simple nest box can make a huge difference. All of our boxes, pockets and pouches are specifically designed to provide suitable accommodation for wild birds.

Popular options:

Small hole boxes (great for blue tits and sparrows)
Open-front boxes (perfect for robins and wrens)

Placement tip: Install boxes 1–3 metres high, away from direct sunlight and strong winds.

4. Bird Baths – often overlooked but always needed

Water is just as important as food. Hydration is important for all birds, although small, seed-eating birds are most in need of fresh drinking water due to the fact that it is not naturally present in their diet. For this reason, it is critical to supply your garden birds with a source of fresh drinking water, be it via a bird bath or hanging bird drinker.

Birds use water for:

Drinking
Bathing
Cleaning feathers

As temperatures rise in April, providing fresh water can significantly increase bird activity in your garden. We stock a good selection of bird baths to suit your budget and needs.

What to look for:

Shallow design
Easy to clean
Stable base

Change the water regularly to keep it safe and hygienic.

Creating a Bird-Friendly Garden (Quick Tips)

To get the most out of your products:

Plant native shrubs for shelter
Keep feeding areas clean
Avoid using pesticides
Provide food consistently

Consistency is key, once birds trust your garden, they’ll return again and again. April is your opportunity to transform your garden into a thriving wildlife haven. With just a few simple additions:- a feeder, quality food, a nest box, and fresh water, you can support birds during their most important season and enjoy the beauty they bring to your outdoor space. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned bird watcher, there’s no better time to get started.

If you have any further questions about looking after your garden birds, please get in touch with us today and a member of our friendly team will be happy to help!

17 Mar 2026

The Oldest Recorded Eurasian Curlew Spotted in the UK

lesley Bird Profile

A Birdwatching Moment in Fordingbridge

If you’re into birdwatching, you’ll know the thrill of spotting something unusual. But every now and then, something truly extraordinary happens, this is exactly what unfolded recently near Fordingbridge in Hampshire. Local birdwatchers have identified what is believed to be the oldest recorded Eurasian curlew in the UK. And honestly, it’s the kind of story that reminds you why people fall in love with nature.

Meet “Mrs Ogdens”

The star of the show is a female curlew affectionately known as “Mrs Ogdens.” She might look like any other curlew at first glance with long legs and a distinctive curved bill, but her story is anything but ordinary. Thanks to the coloured rings on her legs (used by researchers to track birds), experts were able to confirm her age: an incredible 33 years and nearly nine months. That’s practically unheard of for a bird like this. She was first ringed way back in 1992 on Brownsea Island, and has been quietly living her life ever since - migrating, feeding, and even raising chicks.

Spotted Near the Avon Valley

More recently, Mrs Ogdens has been seen in the Avon Valley, right near Fordingbridge, where she feeds during the colder months before heading back to the New Forest for the breeding season. For local birdwatchers, spotting her isn’t just exciting—it’s deeply meaningful. You’re not just looking at a bird; you’re witnessing over three decades of survival, migration, and resilience.

Why This Matters

As uplifting as this story is, it also comes with a sobering reality. Curlews in the UK are in trouble. Their numbers have dropped significantly in recent decades, mainly because fewer chicks are surviving to adulthood. So while Mrs Ogdens is surviving, the next generation just are not being replaced quickly enough.

A Small Glimmer of Hope

There is some good news, though. Even at the ripe old age of 29, Mrs Ogdens successfully raised a chick! This is a rare and encouraging sign that conservation efforts can work when the conditions are right. Projects focusing on habitat protection and predator management are slowly making a difference, especially in places like the New Forest. So next time you’re out walking near Fordingbridge, keep your eyes open. You never know, you might just catch a glimpse of a living legend.

If you have any further questions about Eurasian Curlews or bird feeding advice, please get in touch with us today and a member of our friendly team will be happy to help!

17 Mar 2026

Nightjar Birds Making a Comeback

lesley Bird Profile

Nightjars Return to the South Downs National Park

As dusk settles over South Downs National Park, a “churring” sound can be heard across the heathland - once a rarity, now signals the return of the elusive nightjar.

A Bird of Myth and Mystery

The nightjar is one of Britain’s most enigmatic birds. With mottled plumage that blends seamlessly into leaf litter and tree bark, it is rarely seen even when nearby, and instead it is known by it's hypnotic churring sound which can be heard at twilight.

Historically, the bird carried a curious reputation. Sometimes called the “goatsucker,” folklore claimed it stole milk from livestock under cover of darkness. In reality, the nightjar’s nocturnal habits are far less sinister preferring to hunt moths and other flying insects in the fading light.

Each year, these birds undertake an extraordinary migration, travelling roughly 4,000 miles from central Africa to breed in southern England between April and August.

Decline and Danger

Despite its mystique, the nightjar has faced very real threats. During the late 20th century, populations declined sharply, dropping by over half between the 1970s and early 1990s.

The main culprit was habitat loss. Lowland heath, essential for ground-nesting nightjars, was cleared for agriculture, forestry, and development. Today, this habitat makes up only about 1% of the national park, making it as rare as rainforest in a British context.

A Remarkable Recovery

Recent years, however, have brought a turnaround. Conservation efforts across the South Downs have led to what experts describe as a “remarkable comeback.”

Populations are estimated to have doubled in just five years, with 78 birds recorded in a recent survey and a record 109 breeding territories identified in key heathland areas of east Hampshire.

This recovery is no accident. It is the result of sustained, coordinated action:

Habitat restoration: Rebuilding and maintaining lowland heath for nesting
Land management: Controlling vegetation and preserving open ground
Public engagement: Encouraging visitors to keep dogs on leads and stay on paths

Together, these efforts have created the conditions nightjars need to thrive again.

A Wider Ecological Revival

The nightjar’s return is part of a broader pattern. Other heathland specialists, such as woodlarks and Dartford warblers, are also increasing in number.

This suggests that restoring a single habitat can trigger a cascade of ecological benefits. In a landscape where biodiversity has long been under pressure, such signs of recovery are both rare and encouraging.

The Sound of Hope

The resurgence of the nightjar is more than a conservation statistic, it is a sensory experience. To hear one at dusk is to encounter something ancient and almost otherworldly, a sound that once risked fading into silence.

Now, thanks to careful stewardship and community effort, that sound is returning to the South Downs. It is a reminder that, given the chance, nature can recover and that even the most elusive species can find their way back.

If you have any further questions about nightjars or looking after your garden birds, please get in touch with us today and a member of our friendly team will be happy to help!

05 Mar 2026

Some Lovely New Spring Products Have Arrived!

lesley New Products

New products have landed – just in time for spring!

Scroll down to see some of our new peanut and suet feeders, or visit our New Additions page to see more of our latest arrivals.

Nagano Peanut & Suet Feeder

Ideal for offering whole peanuts!

Buy Now

Suet Cake Basket

A sturdy cage with a pitched roof to keep your suet cakes nice and dry.

Buy Now

Kyoto Peanut Feeder

A smart and stylish feeder with a breathable design that keeps peanuts fresh for longer.

Buy Now

Ring-Pull™ Click Peanut PLUS Bird Feeder

Protect your peanuts / suet pellets from squirrels and other unwanted visitors!

Buy Now

Vierno Peanut Cake Feeder

A simple yet stylish solution for hanging peanut cakes in your garden. The elegant design keeps the cakes visible while shielding them from sun and rain.

Buy Now

Premium Suet Feeder

Comes with a lifetime guarantee against squirrel damage!

Buy Now

Rome Suet Cake Feeder

This durable suet cake feeder is made from sustainable plant-based materials. A great choice for eco-conscious bird lovers!

Buy Now

Rome Fat Ball Feeder

Crafted from durable plant-based materials, this fat ball feeder makes a great addition to all sorts of outdoor spaces.

Buy Now

Don't forget to stock up on protein-packed peanuts and tasty suet for your garden birds!

Original Farm Gold™

is our SEED OF THE MONTH for March. Order now and get 15% off the usual price!

"The birds love this excellent food. A super pure seed mix, with no fillers or extras!" – C. Binnie, June 2022

Original Farm Gold™ is the perfect spring bird feed, and a fantastic choice for your garden birds at this time of year.

Homegrown is always best, and this delicious bird seed mix contains all the ingredients from our golden harvest days, with an added touch of sunshine! It is one of our most popular bird seed mixes and a really good choice during springtime. Packed with essential fats, vitamins and protein, it will keep breeding and nesting garden birds in tip-top condition and give them lots of energy for the busy days ahead.

And to encourage you to make the most of this fantastic bird seed mix, we are offering 15% off Original Farm Gold™ during March (offer ends 31st March). This means that prices now start from just £7.18 with fast and FREE delivery!

Buy Now

Spotlight on Song Thrushes

Now that spring is (almost!) here, we are seeing a lot more bird activity in our garden and out on the farm. The skylarks are sounding mellifluous, and we have noticed an increase in the number of blackbirds and song thrushes all out strutting their stuff and getting ready for the breeding period ahead.

While still quite common, song thrush numbers have declined in recent years and they are now on the Amber list of Birds of Conservation Concern. You know they are around when you find smashed snail shells lying on patios and paths and beside larger stones. Our song thrushes love rooting around for worms and snails at the base of our hedges, and I think they have truly enjoyed the recent wet weather which has done wonders for snail and slug populations!

The best way to support song thrushes is to leave some scrubby and messy (damp) areas in your garden. A bit of untidiness will offer extra food and cover, which will be much appreciated.

Enjoy your garden birds!

With very best wishes,
Lesley

11 Feb 2026

Love Is in the Air! Celebrate National Nest Box Week with Us.

lesley News from the Farm

It's the perfect time to put up a new nest box or refurbish an existing one.

Pictured above: Minnesota Nest Box 32mm with Wooden Roof

Winter begins to wane, daylight starts to stretch and birds start to sing. Although it seems early, you will notice more activity in your gardens as many of your feathered friends turn their attention to claiming their territory, checking out new potential nesting sites and building energy reserves for the breeding season ahead. As bird numbers suffer a general decline (due in part to a scarcity of natural nesting sites), a successful mating season is critical to lay the foundations for success of the next generation. Species such as tits, sparrows, wrens and robins often begin preparing for breeding well before spring arrives, and they are gearing up! Having clean, repaired nest boxes in sheltered positions in your garden will help the house-hunting process and will ease their transition to the breeding season.

We are celebrating National Nest Box Week (14th – 21st February) with some fantastic nest box offers. You can save up to 20% on selected nest boxes plus we will put in a FREE 30g bag of nesting wool with each nest box purchased!*

See What's on Offer >>

*Nest box offers available until 21st February or while stocks last. We will automatically add a free bag of nesting wool with each nest box ordered.

A Cosy Home For Jenny Wren

SAVE 20%

This Schwegler spherical wren house provides excellent protection from predators. Hang the nest box in low-level undergrowth in a shady place.

Save 20% Here >>

A Stylish New Home for Woody Woodpecker

SAVE 20%

This woodpecker nest box is handmade in solid, sustainably-sourced cedar with a 55mm entrance hole. Install it high up on a mature tree in a quiet location and wait for the new family!

Save 20% Here >>

High Energy Blend™

Order our High Energy Blend™ before the end of February to save 10% on the normal price!

Here's what our customers have said about this seed mix:

"This is an excellent blend and has been attracting many garden birds this spring including sparrows, tits, robins, bullfinches, chaffinches, goldfinches and woodpecker. No mess because anything discarded by birds at the feeders gets picked up by others on the ground." – Kay

"It's a beautiful quality feed and the birds are absolutely loving it. Highly recommended." – Phillipa

"I am thrilled that your bird seed has brought so many wild birds to my garden. Absolutely recommend and also your bird feeder with rain protection." – Eve

Small birds have big energy needs, and there's no feed more packed with energy than our High Energy Blend™. With a free-flowing formulation and a 10% saving in February, it's the perfect choice for this cold, wet time of year.

Buy Now from Just £8.95 >>

Snack Smart!

Consider adding some high-energy suet to your bird feeding station at this time of year. It's delicious and high in calories – your birds will thank you!

SAVE 10% ON SELECTED SUET PRODUCTS! Just enter the code SNACKSMART10 at the checkout to claim your discount. Offer available until 21st February or while stocks last.

Honest 2 Nature Suet Cakes

High quality suet cakes with plastic-free and fully recyclable packaging. A great ECO choice!

Find Them Here >>

Peckaballs with Insect

Highly nutritious 'smaller' fat balls. High in calories with great texture and taste, and very versatile!

Find Them Here >>

Peckish Extra Goodness Nuggets

Perfect for small beaks and available in 2 different pack sizes.

Find Them Here >>

Well! I don't know about you, but I am a bit fed up with this incessant rain and I am really looking forward to spring and all the wonderful things that it brings.

Enjoy your birds!

With very best wishes,
Lesley

P.S. Don't forget checkout code SNACKSMART10 to make smart savings.

30 Oct 2025

Spook-tacular Savings for Birds and Bats This Halloween!

lesley Special Offers

Don't miss out on our 'fang-tastic' Halloween savings!

Are you fed up of trying to prise ghoulish mouldy food from the bottom of your bird feeders?

Then worry no more! We have a range of BIG EASY™ seed feeders that are super-easy to clean.

These feeders will satisfy king-sized appetites
They look great
They hold a large volume of seed so you won't need to fill up so often
They are very easy to dismantle and clean
And they come with a lifetime guarantee against damage

And as a Halloween treat, you can save up to £7* depending on which size you order.

Big Easy™ seed feeders with two ports (left), four ports (centre) and six ports (right).

Buy Now & Save!

*Save £3 on the two-port feeder, £4 on the four-port feeder or £7 on the six-port feeder. Offer ends at midnight on 3rd November (or while stocks last).

20% OFF DRIED MEALWORMS!

We are offering a 20% discount on dried mealworms as a Halloween treat for your garden birds!

Ground-feeding birds like robins and blackbirds love mealworms, and if the live ones are just too creepy for you, these crunchy beasties without the wriggle are the next best thing.

Just enter the code CRUNCHY20 at checkout to save 20% on your dried mealworms.

Buy Dried Mealworms

Bird Feeder Cleaning Bundle Offer

Was £18.40 – NOW ONLY £10*

Now is a really good time to clean your bird feeders, tables and feeding stations. Making sure everything is pristine before you commence winter feeding will help to protect your garden birds' health.

This bird feeder cleaning bundle includes a 500ml bottle of Ark-Klens ready-to-use spray, a table scraper (which makes cleaning the corners of bird tables much easier!) and two feeder brushes.

Everything you need for an autumn clean, and for a limited time only, this bundle is available for just £10!

Buy Feeder Cleaning Bundle

*Offer ends 3rd November OR while stocks last. Please note that the bird bath shown in the photo is NOT included in this bundle.

Bats become much more in our thoughts around Halloween.

Whilst outside during the darker evenings, maybe with the children during Halloween, why not take the opportunity to do some bat spotting and identifying?

We stock a selection of high-quality bat boxes – now with 10% OFF – that are designed to provide bats with a man-made home when nesting space isn't available. Bats love to nest in narrow, tight spaces with a slightly rough texture so there's plenty of grip. Our bat boxes mimic nesting spots that bats would favour in nature.

Get 10% Off Bat Boxes

We also sell an illustrated 8-page guide to bat identification and a range of wildflower seeds which bats love.

Look out for our Super Saver prices!

If you're buying large quantities of bird seed, be sure to look for our SUPER SAVER prices on large sizes of seed mixes and straight seeds.

Remember: there is no VAT on 15kg sacks, so you can save money by swapping your 8kg for a 15kg. If you want to buy even larger quantities, do give us a call and we can quote you for bulk buys and 20kg sacks.

Buy Bird Seed in Bulk

Don't forget to enter the code CRUNCHY20 at the checkout to save 20% on dried mealworms for your garden birds!

Enjoy your birds (and bats if you have them!).

It is a wonderful, changeable time of the year.

With very best wishes,
Lesley

22 Oct 2025

Order Your 4kg Pick & Mix and Get a FREE Bag!

lesley News from the Farm , Special Offers

Our 4kg Pick & Mix Bags are on special offer right now – some great savings to be had!

Order 3 bags, pay for 2 – SAVE £8
Order 4 bags, pay for 3 – SAVE £8
Order 5 bags, pay for 4 – SAVE £8
Order 6 bags, pay for 5 – SAVE £8

Pick & Mix allows you to order 4kg bags of any of our seed mixes, straight seeds, peanuts or suet pellets. The more bags you order, the more money you save...and this special offer means that, for a limited time, one of your bags is FREE if you order three or more 4kg bags!

So why not try something new for your garden birds today? Simply head over to our Pick & Mix page, click each item you wish to buy, and once you have made your selections, click the 'Add to Basket' button.

Choose Your Bags >>

OCTOBER SEED OF THE MONTH

Native Finch Mix

SAVE 15% (Offer Ends 31st October)

Our Native Finch Mix contains 12 different seeds, and this wide variety is guaranteed to attract not just finches but an assortment of small birds to your garden.

This mix is ideal for filling up seed feeders, but you can also pop it on your bird table or scatter it on the ground for all the ground-feeding birds to enjoy.

Buy Native Finch Mix >>

Who Is Eating All the Nuts and Acorns?

We are!

Did you know that we sell our own home-made Really Wild Squirrel Food?

This mix is deliciously fresh and loved by squirrels! It comes with FREE DELIVERY, plus you can order it as part of your Pick & Mix order.

Our squirrel food is packed with delicious home-grown ingredients and nutritious seeds, plus high-energy oilseeds and peanuts! What more could a squirrel want?

If you are having trouble with squirrels raiding your bird feeders and stealing your bird food, why not put up a squirrel feeder just for them? Place it in a different part of your garden and encourage them to help themselves to our bespoke squirrel food – a bistro just for them!

Really Wild Squirrel Food is now available in 15kg sacks. So many customers wanted MORE, so we are now offering larger sacks of food for your squirrels. Great value at only £2.19 per kg!

Order Your Squirrel Food

Enjoy your birds (and squirrels!)

Best wishes,
Lesley

P.S. There is a bountiful supply of acorns around this year, and some fairly amazing mushrooms and toadstools are enjoying the season. Just a word of warning: be diligent when walking dogs, since many of them may be poisonous.