Yuletide birds
Putting up oat sheafs for birds is an old yuletide tradition. Birds and mammals should be treated well, also wild birds visiting gardens and farms. Christmas is an excellent opportunity for watching tits, sparrows and finches in the garden. What can match the sight of colourful bullfinches in frosty bushes on a winter day? Feed the birds and enjoy their company around your home.
Although oat sheafs are still commonly put up for the birds, they are often left untouched. Why? During the last decades sales of alternative bird food like sunflower seeds, peanuts and suet balls has skyrocketed, and most birds prefer these high energy food items to oat sheafs. But you may still get house sparrows and yellowhammers visiting, since these birds are seed and grain specialists.
