December

Birds

Bird feeding

Start to put out food for the birds this month. There should still be some natural food available in the form of berries but flower seeds and windfall fruits are finished. Regular feeding encourages birds to get into the habit of visiting the bird table which means they are more likely to survive the winter. Unsalted nuts, seeds, dried fruit, grated cheese and apples are all acceptable food.

Ponds

Keeping pond ice free

The weather this month is often not as harsh as expected. However, if a freeze does come, it is important to keep ponds and water sources free of ice and easily available to wildlife.