How to help birds survive in winter and why cleaning bird feeders can prevent disease

The BirdWatch Ireland advice is to clean bird feeders thoroughly at least once a week to control the trichomonas parasite which has impacted many finches

Feeding birds in wintertime helps many to survive when wild food is scarce: blue tits, robins, finches and starlings are all small songbirds that can be spotted in urban environments as well as rural gardens

Common birds are a wonder we often take for granted. At this time of year, when wildlife is not so apparent, common songbirds can still be seen and heard: picking through piles of leaves in search of millipedes and worms; devouring the tiny crab apples on street trees; or singing from treetops before dawn has even broken. 

Hearing birdsong at 5am in December is a slightly surreal experience, a feeling that I’m eavesdropping on the gorgeous song of a blackbird resonating out through the darkness.