Make sure the table is sited somewhere that is easy to get to, i.e. not at the end of a long trek over a wet lawn. For the birds, it needs to be approachable from shrubbery and trees, preferably in stages, rather than in a straight flight over open lawn. Many birds like to approach cautiously. On the other hand, the shrubbery should not be so close that cats could lurk nearby and pounce. It will be necessary to be responsive to the dynamics of the garden and to experiment. Avoid siting the table where strong winds will constantly blow food away.

Cats can be deterred by using a wide table, planting prickly plants underneath or by using a suspended table that will sway. A galvanised metal post will help keep cats and squirrels off. An upturned biscuit tin mounted under the table is sometimes used. Slippery or very wide squirrel baffles are ideal. Siting the bird table in view of a window will allow you to watch the birds (and spot cats).

Maintenance involves regularly removing uneaten scraps of food and cleaning the table with boiling water to avoid the spread of disease. A bird table is a concentrated focal point where parasites and diseases can mount and alight successive visitors – most garden birds would not normally gather in the same place every day so in creating an artificial feeding area we do need to adopt an ethic of care.

The birds you might see feeding at a bird table include house sparrow, tits, starling, dunnock, robin, songthrush, chaffinch, greenfinch and blackbird. Other visitors might include wren, goldfinch, mistle thrush, nuthatch and greater spotted woodpecker. Redwing, fieldfare, siskin and blackcap might visit in winter. Sometimes less welcome are the more competitive feeders such as magpie, jackdaw, rook, jay, collared dove and gulls. Multiple bird tables are useful if very large and competitive birds are not giving smaller, more timid birds a chance. A roof on the bird table will keep the elements off the food and keep larger, competitive birds and predators away. A food tray can help make cleaning easier.