Supporting birds this winter with Central England Co-operative

Posted by nathan lloyd | Published: 24/01/2017


This month, the RSPB is running the Big Garden Birdwatch from 28th-30th January to build a picture of garden wildlife across the UK.  To encourage more birds into your garden and support them during the colder months, here are our top tips:

1. Provide a mixture of bird seeds
Buy ready-mixed bird seed for the perfect, nutritious combination to bring our feathered friends flying in. (££1 to £6)

2. You don’t have to buy foods which are specifically for birds. Put out split peas (£1.15) or beans (£1.19) and you will attract more large species of bird.

3. Give them a good breakfast. Porridge oats (£1.35) are a great winter filler for us, and the birds love them too. Uncooked porridge oats will be eaten by a wide range of birds, as will any dry cereal. Put out small amounts each day when the weather is dry so it doesn’t go mushy.

4. Attract tits and greenfinches by filling your bird feeder with sunflower seeds (£1).

5. Pop out some peanuts (from £1.49). Peanuts are a great source of fat and energy for birds in the winter and will be eaten by a wide range of species including tits, greenfinches, house sparrows, nuthatches and woodpeckers. Wrens and robins go for peanuts too, especially if they are crushed or grated. Just make sure you keep the salted and dry roasted ones for yourself as these will harm birds.

6. Make the birds a cake. Pour one third melted lard or raw suet onto two-thirds of your dry ingredients which can include seeds, nuts, dried fruit, oatmeal, cheese and cake. Stir it well, pop it in a container and allow it to set, then turn it out onto your bird table. Alternatively, roll it into balls and press some string into each ball and hang in the garden once set. Don’t use fat which has already been used for cooking as it can be harmful to birds.

7. Accessories
Why not give the visiting birds a new home? You can pick up a bird box (£1) or a bird table (£12) instore now.

Find out more about our bird-related offers by visiting https://www.centralengland.coop/mycoopdeals

Notes to editors
About Central England Co-operative
Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with projected gross sales of £958million for 2016/17. The Society recently celebrated being named Leading Co-operative of the Year 2016 by Co-operatives UK. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, and property. Central England Co-operative has more than 430 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2016/17.
Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.  It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence.  The Society supports a number of charities including Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.
For more information visit http://www.centralengland.coop follo,w Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop