Gardeners urged to leave one item in garden to help wildlife

Up and down the country, birds are well into nesting season, which sees them use large amounts of extra energy to build the nests themselves and feed their young once they have arrived. For , there is nothing quite so nice as realising your green space is playing host to a bird's nest, and getting to watch them fly around outside your windows - and maybe even seeing a fluffy baby bird or two once they are finally ready to leave their nests.

However, birds in the UK haven't been having an easy time of it in recent decades, with the explaining on their that "since 1980, one out of every six birds has been lost. That adds up to the loss of 600 million breeding birds over 40 years".

The charity puts much of this decline down to the increased use of pesticides and fertilisers in the UK - particularly in farming - which has an adverse impact on the bird population.

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Many people not only love to keep an eye on what breeds of birds are coming into their , but also put food out to encourage birds to visit, whether that is by hanging up a conical feeder or putting nuts and seeds on a bird table for them to enjoy.

Whilst dedicated bird feed is an ideal snack for visiting wild birds, you can actually use some scraps for your kitchen as bird feed too - which has the added bonus of being totally free, and a sustainable way to get rid of some food waste.

There is one common item in particular that the experts recommend you leave out for birds: eggs and their shells.

According to the experts at Really Wild Bird Food - as reported in - egg shells can have some serious benefits for nesting birds. "Kitchen scraps make an excellent addition to your usual choice of bird food. By putting out the right scraps, you are helping to reduce landfill waste, as well as providing the birds with additional essential fats and carbohydrates which are especially important in the Winter and during nesting season.

"Chopped, cooked eggs contain many essential nutrients for birds, and even the crushed egg shells will provide calcium for nesting birds, plus the grit helps their digestion."

Many people know that birds need some extra help finding food over the cold winter months, because the frozen ground can make it much harder for them to find food, leaving many birds to starve. However, it is just as important for bird lovers everywhere to give them a helping hand in nesting season, to ensure strong numbers in the bird population for the following year.

Whilst certain kitchen scraps can be great as bird food, you shouldn't just throw everything from your food waste bin outside. Anything sugary or salty isn't going to be suitable, and if you're giving them oats make sure to only provide raw ones, as cooked oats can have a detrimental impact on their beaks.

Rice and pasta that has been cooked can be good choices too, the experts explained, but only if it is sauce and cheese-free.

If the birds leave anything behind, gardeners should make sure to clean up any leftover kitchen scraps promptly, to avoid encouraging vermin like rats to nest near your home.

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