Vital winter lifeline for feathered friends

It may be tucked away in a quiet corner, be half-hidden in the branches of a shrub or tree, or even standing proud in the middle of the lawn, but the great British bird table is an essential part of the great British garden.

Bird tables come in all shapes and sizes, from the modest to the magnificent, a designer's dream come true or a few bits of old wood nailed together to provide a platform fit for purpose.

But all can be life-savers – especially in a winter like the one we are experiencing now. Not only do they provide food for the common bird, but they can also mean the world of difference to varieties of birds which are living on the edge – birds such as tree sparrows and reed buntings.

Survey after survey has shown that the numbers of many birds once so common in Britain have plummeted.

The demand for cheap food, and the subsidies paid to farmers have seen a sea-change in agriculture and the countryside – and many birds have suffered. Intensive farming has taken a toll, with alarming declines among birds such as song thrushes, skylarks, yellow hammers and even those lovely little tree sparrows which exist on the edges of farmland. So, the humble bird table is vital.

And the equally humble bird box is also vital.

But even if you can't provide a bird with a home, you can give it a daily nourishing meal.

Gardeners play a crucial part in helping birds through winter – without them, many would die.

For information on how to feed the birds in your garden, visit rspb.org.uk