• Seeds: wild bird seed mixes, or even seeds for pet birds (we use huge bags of racing pigeon seed mixture).
• Peanuts: keep them dry and buy only good quality nuts, as mouldy or damp peanuts can harbour aflatoxins, fungi that are fatal to birds. Don't feed salted peanuts.
• Fruit: apples, pears, grapes and dried fruit (soaked); halved apples speared onto branches will attract blackcaps; halved coconuts strung up on branches are favoured by tits.
• Fat: leftover fat (and bought cooking fat) can be combined with seeds, bread and scraps and made into "bird pudding".
• Other foods: bread, cake, rice, cooked pasta and potatoes are all enjoyed.
DON'T FEED:
• Salty foods, including crisps; mouldy or rotten foods; desiccated coconut (it can swell after being eaten).
CYBER BIRDING
Birdwatch Ireland: www.birdwatchireland.ie. Information includes downloadable leaflets on gardening for birds and feeding wild birds
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds: www.rspb.org.uk/gardens. Plenty of garden bird and wildlife information; UK gardeners can order a free booklet, The Birds in your Garden