Garden experts at Gardening Know How recommend a simple hack to attract birds like robins and goldfinches: repurpose old socks as feeders. Fill a clean sock with bird seed, tie a knot at the top, and hang it from a tree branch or hook. The soft fabric gives small birds something to grip while they feed.
Why old socks work for bird feeding
Old odd socks have their own role to play in upcycling for birds, alongside items like tea cups for feeders and juice cartons for nests. The pros recommend recreating commercial finch feeders, which are typically made from breathable mesh and filled with tiny seeds such as nyjer. The idea is that small birds can cling to it and peck through the fabric.
As with any bird feeder, check it often and swap out the sock whenever it gets wet, develops mould, or gets really dirty. Maintaining clean feeders helps stop diseases from spreading among your feathered visitors.
Positioning and food choices
Position feeders somewhere birds can reach easily but where they have some protection from the weather and predators. A spot with nearby bushes or a hedge can provide useful cover. However, avoid placing feeders so close to dense vegetation such as hedges where cats can hide and pounce on feeding birds.
If you only want to buy one type of bird food, sunflower hearts are “a good place to start”, according to the experts at Otter Garden Centres. They are the kernels inside sunflower seeds, so birds don’t have to spend time removing the husk. They are particularly popular with finches, including goldfinches and greenfinches, as well as blue tits, great tits, house sparrows, robins and other small garden birds. They are also less messy than whole sunflower seeds because there are no piles of discarded husks underneath the feeder.
Fat-rich foods for cold weather
Fat-rich foods can be particularly useful when birds like robins and goldfinches need extra energy, especially during cold weather in autumn. Suet balls, pellets and other fat-based foods are popular with a wide range of other garden birds, including sparrows, starlings, woodpeckers and nuthatches.
