This volunteer project is supported by those Lake Okareka residents who have played their part by purchasing rat bait stations and then keeping these topped up with rat bait during the year—see separate article in Newsletter about rat bait. There is also the work that Landcare Okareka volunteers, assisted by other Lake Okareka residents, who have been doing checking on the traps in boxes and targeting mainly rats and mustelids in the riparian areas around the lake.
for sugar water is around 1/2 cup of sugar per litre of water. Dissolve the sugar first in warm water and then top up with cold water.
You can also make feeding tables for dishes of seeds and nuts; fruits such as ripe apples, oranges or bananas can be fed; dripping can be hung in the red plastic string bags (that garlic comes in) and put up in trees - wax eyes really like this. There are commercially available bird seed feeders— they can benefit from having a larger dish, such as a plastic plant pot tray attached to the bottom, to give a larger area for birds to feed.
Whereever you place sugar water, a feeding table, a bird seed feeder or bags of dripping just check that cats cannot get at the birds while they are feeding. Moreporks (owls) on the other hand are another story.... Having fresh water available for the birds, especially for bathing in—like a bird bath—is also a well appreciated item for many birds
Remember you are just supplementing the birds’ normal feed supplies, to help them over the winter. Enjoy watching the birds come to your garden—and please take part in Landcare Okareka’s garden bird survey.
Sandra Goodwin—June 2016