Bird feeder tips for your garden, according to Telegraph readers

She added: “I also use a lantern feeder for sunflower seeds, which are really popular with sparrows, finches, blue tits and great tits. A visiting squirrel likes the lantern feeder too but hasn’t done any damage.”

After having issues with vermin, David explained that in order to avoid this he has “trays hanging below the feeders to catch what the birds drop and also keeps the area below clean with a broom and hosepipe”.

David enjoys watching the starlings, who are “keen on suet pellets; they will fight over them. The house sparrows seem to enjoy pecking fat balls”.

Feeding your garden birds

Others highlighted that food choice matters just as much as feeder design. For Lesley, watching the birds in her garden is “fascinating, good for the soul and helps the birds to survive”.

“It’s worth investing in sturdy, good quality feeders,” Lesley explained, recommending ones from RSPB and Vine House Farm.

She has “an eight port sunflower seed feeder, one ordinary and one squirrel-proof wire peanut feeder, two window feeders and two fat ball feeders. All highly successful therefore costly to keep filled up and time consuming to keep cleaning”.

Graham echoed this sentiment, admitting that his feeders for suet balls and seed are “a bit messy and need stripping down and cleaning once or twice or year, but watching the birds feeding is a joy and the range of birds they encourage is amazing”.