Spring time is a very important time for small birds in the garden. Around May birds such as the blue tit are nesting and can have up to a dozen young in the nest. This requires the parent birds to provide large quantities of bugs and caterpillars to feed the young.
The torrential rain of the last few weeks is a disaster for small birds. The birds cannot forage in the rain and if soaked are very susceptible to hypothermia. In these conditions many small birds and their young starve. Providing food in the garden at this time is most important.
All birds struggle to find enough to eat at this time of year and all the more so when un-seasonable violent weather continues for days and weeks. Establishing regular feeding spots in the garden, sheltered and protected, will encourage a wide range of birds to visit the garden.
While some birds such as magpies and jays will visit only occasionally, the smaller birds will visit the same garden several times a day. Timing when to provide food (between rain storms) enables the smaller birds to rely upon the food supply.
There are a wide range of bird feeders available for gardens. Those elevated off the ground are best for keeping birds safe and the food supply dry.