Nothing enlivens the end-of-year garden more than the acrobatics of small birds such as sparrows, finches and tits as they forage for food. Don't be too eager to tidy up the taller, spent flower stalks around the borders: blue tits especially enjoy rummaging around for stray seeds and resting insects in the withered flower-heads.
And with frost already having hit several parts of the country, a little extra help will be appreciated in the form of seeds, fat, nuts and kitchen scraps. Place bird tables and feeders with care: in a sheltered position where there are nearby perching places, but away from dense cover where cats may lurk, waiting to attack feeding visitors.
Bird tables should have drainage holes in the bottom, or gaps in the sides to prevent food becoming sodden. A low roof will keep larger birds such as pigeons from hoovering up the food in minutes, and magpies from scaring off the smaller birds.