Feed the Birds Day — the annual event to support British garden birds — takes place next week

Once again the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is organising its national Feed the Birds Day and the society is urging people to think about the different ways they can help wildlife in their gardens.

Feed the Birds Day is on Saturday, October 25, and as part of its annual effort the charity is inviting people to sign-up to its Homes for Wildlife project. Since launching a year ago, more than 65,000 people have signed-up to and supported the project, by following wildlife-gardening advice, helping them transform their homes and gardens into wildlife havens.

According to RSPB research, more than half of us regularly put out bread, peanuts and seeds for birds. These foods are of course helpful and welcome but there are other simple activities they say we can all do that will really benefit the birds.

Richard Bashford, the RSPB’s Homes for Wildlife manager, said: “If everybody does something for wildlife it will make a difference — from putting pot plants on balconies to building a pond, you will encourage insects and provide food for birds. We can all create homes for wildlife where we live, no matter how much space we have.”

The RSPB’s Homes for Wildlife builds on three key elements: Leave patches of long grass. This will provide a home for insects eaten by house sparrows and other birds Provide a mixture of well structured, deciduous trees, native shrubs and climbers. Honeysuckle, rose or ivy will not only look great in your garden but take up little space and will provide food and shelter for birds and other wildlife Provide a mixture of nectar and seed rich flowering plants such as alyssum, sunflower and knapweed, which will attract insects and also provide seed for birds to feed on.

The RSPB is producing an extensive Homes for Wildlife information pack with simple advice and recommendations for every garden. Everybody registering to take part will receive one of these packs either electronically or in hard copy.

The RSPB is also running several family fun days across the UK over the weekend of October 25 and 26. See Get Out!.

For further information on events and details of how to take part in Homes for Wildlife, visit the RSPB website www.rspb.org.uk/hfw or telephone 0870 240 1001.

From kitchen scraps like cheese and unsalted bacon, to fruit and more conventional seed mixes, there are a few tips of what some of your garden favourite birds like: Blackbirds love fruit (especially berries and apples), peanuts and earthworms, and are partial to cheese. They can also be tempted with soaked dried fruits.

House sparrows enjoy mealworms in the breeding season, but they also love sunflower hearts and seed mixes.

Song thrushes will forage for earthworms and snails, but also enjoy fruit, particularly raisins, sultanas and currants, and peanut granules.

Starlings will eat kitchen scraps and live food are a favourite, but they will also enjoy peanuts, fat blocks and seed mixes.

Blue tits will enjoy fat blocks, sunflower hearts, seed mixes and unsalted bacon.

Chaffinches are partial to peanuts, sunflowers hearts and seeds.

Robins love mealworms, waxworms, peanut granules, sunflower hearts and pinhead oats. They will also feed on small pieces of over-ripe and dried chopped fruits.

Goldfinch prefer nyjer seeds.

Wrens will enjoy suet and grated mild cheese.

Most of these foods are easily put out on bird tables or in feeders. If you want to provide a longer lasting source of nourishment such as insects, fruits and seeds that birds will eat, you could create a rich habitat of trees, shrubs and flowers in your garden.

You don't need to devote your entire garden to wildlife, but set up a feeding station in one area, which might consist of a couple of trees, a thick hedge, a group of berry bearing shrubs, or some colourful cottage garden plants.