September 5th is International Bacon Day and September 6th is National Read a Book Day; two very different things to ponder on/ appreciate this weekend but both can be associated with birds.
I can’t remember the last time I saw any bacon rind hanging up in a garden for birds or think of any bird feeding friends mentioning it; my Grandma use to put it out for birds but is it a good idea? Raw fat is an excellent energy rich food for garden birds but salty foods are bad and can cause serious health problems. (…for birds as well as us!)
Shredded suet, suet pellets made especially for garden birds and home-made lard cakes are a better option as there will be no salt involved but perhaps a little finely chopped uncooked and unsalted bacon rind from your bacon bap on bacon day would likely be a welcome treat. There’s more from the RSPB about household scraps for birds, why not to feed crisps to birds and safe foods for birds.
RSPB Shop. bird books.
For National Read a book day, if you love reading about and looking at picture of birds, here is a selection of the best bird books from 2019 from the British Trust for Ornithology, some great bird watching books from the RSPB and more generally, some inspirational books on gardening for wildlife: RSBP Gardening for Wildlife, The Wildlife Gardener, Gardener's World books for wildlife gardeners.
It's an excuse to down tools for the day and enjoy reading about our beloved gardens and wildlife.