Winter can be a really tough time for garden birds. Insects are few and far between and most berries have all but disappeared. So it’s important to remember them in colder months. Simple things you can do could save tiny little lives this new year. Hanging feeders in your garden can provide a lifeline for those in need, and remembering a few simple things will help you maintain the perfect garden buffet for birds.

Sunflower seeds inevitably attract numerous types of bird – tits, finches and nuthatches. Sunflower hearts provide a no-mess, nutritious treat, while black oil sunflower seeds (with shells left on) provide plenty of energy and are easy for even small birds to crack open. They are messier but last longer due to the protective husk.

Never give salted or dry roasted peanuts

Offer peanuts, either ready-crushed or in a specialised feeder so that they must be broken down in order to be retrieved – whole peanuts can choke smaller birds. Never give salted or dry roasted nuts, instead opt for good quality peanuts – a favourite of great spotted woodpeckers, greenfinches and great tits.

Fat balls are an excellent addition to your winter buffet. Suet offers rich sustenance to all kinds of species including wrens, finches, robins and thrushes. Be sure to remove them from nets and hang in suitable feeders.

You’ll be a firm favourite if you offer mealworms

You’ll be a firm favourite of robins, blue tits and thrushes if you offer mealworms on your bird table; while niger seeds almost always attract goldfinches, and occasionally siskins. Seed mixes are a good option if you’re limited on feeding space – suitable for feeders, tables and ground feeding. Always buy a good quality mix, low on wheat and barley grains and avoid any that contain pink and green chunks – these are dog biscuits and are not suitable without being soaked.

Similarly, bread should not be fed to birds – garden or otherwise. It is low in nutritional value and bloats birds so they can’t take in the energy rich, quality food they really need. Plain popcorn, grated cheese and raisins are much better store cupboard alternatives.

A fresh water supply should also be a priority – frosts can be tackled by floating a ping pong ball or rubber duck on the surface.

However, once you’ve gone to the trouble of helping your garden visitors, all good may be undone with one simple mistake that is so easy to avoid. It is essential that bird feeders and baths are cleaned regularly to stop deadly diseases and parasites spreading. One such example is Trichomoniasis, which causes birds’ throats to swell and leaves them unable to eat.

Keep feeding stations well-cleaned and well-stocked

Gloucestershire resident Bob Axworthy is spearheading a campaign to protect our garden birds. The campaign aims to show people that by practising good hygiene in the garden, these fatal afflictions can be avoided. Bob’s advice is to clean feeders as often as you can – washing with a small amount of disinfectant at least once a week is ideal; rinsing each day is even better.

So please do help and enjoy the birds in your garden this winter, and remember to keep their feeding stations well-cleaned, as well as well-stocked.