Feed The Birds Day
When the Sherman brothers wrote the lines: Feed the birds, tuppence a bag.. back in 1964, (1964 again.. is this what happens to you when your short-term memory starts to go?), they were talking about a British currency that no longer exists. Today is Feed The Birds Day, and the bird feeder tuppence-refill-equivalent, that the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, (RSPB) is hoping you will be buying this afternoon, is now more likely to cost you between £3 and £4.
Prices of basic commodities that make up bird seed, such as millet, sunflower seeds and corn have been rising relentlessly, impacting on the cost of 'a bag'. We maybe ought to take this with a pinch of salt, but according to UK bird food supplier Haiths, one of its competitors recently increased the price of peanuts by more than 60%.
Yet, in recent times, sales of wild bird seed have been rising as we have become more aware of the importance of wild bird feeding to the birds in our gardens.
Many older people take great pleasure out of watching the birds feeding in their gardens and consequently buy into the wild bird feeding market. But many are on fixed incomes and sensitive to price rises. They may be left with little choice but to look for bird seed blends that are less expensive.
The Birdcare Standards Association, (BSA) warns consumers to be sure they are using quality, hygienically prepared bird foods, and quality bird feeders and nest boxes. The BSA sets minimum quality standards on wild bird care products, look out for the distinctive orange BSA logo on packaging.
Feed the Birds Day
Feed the Birds Day marks the clocks going back and the winter nights drawing in. In wild bird circles, October is traditionally known as the 'October Gap' when food starts to become scarce and we humans have not yet latched onto the fact our urban bird population now needs a bit of extra help.
So, the RSPB appeals to us:
"Please fill your feeders, clean your bird tables, put out some water and give a helping hand to the wild birds around you."
..or in the words of Mary Poppins:
"Come feed the little birds, show them you care.. their young ones are hungry, their nests are so bare. All it takes is tuppence from you." Well maybe not quite tuppence.