THE BIRD TABLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3869, 8 May 1928, Page 73

THE BIRD TABLE.

Now that winter is nearly upon us, it is time to think about making our bird-table. Some birds are lucky enough to winter abroad! But others, poor dears, are obliged to stay at home, and put up with the vagaries of winter, like the rest of us ordinary folk. And these stay-at-homes are glad—oh, so glad!—to get what we are inclined to give them in the way of food, while we are so grateful to ’them for staying near our houses that we don’t mind taking a little trouble to please them. Making a bird-table is a very simple matter. Get a fairly strong pole, nail on it a piece of board about a foot and a-half square, dig a hole-in the ground, and stick your pole firmly in, and there you are! Get the table part—the bit of board —the least bit on the slant, so that if does jump up she won’t feel inclined to cling on. The slant won’t trouble the birds. For the same reason, have your birdtable as high as possible—just high enough for you to reach by stretching UP ‘ Have it fairly near the house, or a path, to be get-at-able in the worsf weather, for that is when the birds will need it most. Spread your table regularly every morning, at the same hour, with crumbs, bits of fat meat, bacon rind, and any other scraps. Sometimes you may feel inclined to afford a little seed! Don’t put great big dry crusts for the birds. Everything must be small and not too hard, and bacon rind especially must be cut up small. Soaked bread is not of much use in cold weather. It soon freezes and is then harder than ever. If you care to hang half a cocoanut underneath your table the tits will love you for ever, and will give you endless fun w'atching their funny antics as they hang upside down getting this delicious food. Birds? want fresh- water every morning, more especially in frosty weather, when their poor little beaks cannot break the ice. Put it well out of the way of the cat, on the bird table itself if it is big enough. White saucers or pudding basins frighten the birds, so use a dark earthenware bowl. When,, in late spring, you stop feed ing the birds and expect them to start serving you by eating up insects and wireworms in your garden, don’t stop giving them water every morning They are always glad of it. Town life is a hard life for feathered beings, and they mqst have many a weary search for water.—Answers.