It's just typical, isn't it?

For months, I've been writing articles on bird feeding, the top bird feeders, when and what to feed different , and why it's crucial to feed garden birds in both summer and winter, writes

Aiding our garden birds is vital as have plummeted by roughly 16 per cent since the 1970s, while insect populations - a primary food source for birds - are believed to have decreased by a staggering 40 per cent.

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Given this alarming ecological decline, what harm can a handful of sunflower seeds and raisins do? So, after months of warning others, I decided to practice what I preach and purchased a bird feeder.

I visited my local garden centre and gleefully parted with twenty-two quid for a splendid new bird table. I felt quite pleased with myself, positioning my new slate-roofed table in my garden, sprinkling it with seeds and suet, and then waiting for the magic to happen.

Within days, several bluetits and a robin graced it with their presence, bringing me immense joy and confirming my transformation into a bird-loving old man, reports .

That was until I came across the RSPB's warning. Apparently, the charity has withdrawn flat bird tables (precisely the kind I bought) from sale due to concerns they could spread diseases. While it's not confirmed, there's a suggestion that these flat bird tables, where food is left exposed to the elements, could be linked to the spread of a virus.

Iolo Williams, speaking on Winterwatch, said: "The RSPB are increasingly concerned that people putting food out on flat surfaces such as the floor of bird tables are actually helping the spread of diseases that affect some of our garden birds, especially finches.

"They believe that the food is left to the elements, it gets wet, it mixes with faeces, and that facilitates the spread of some of those diseases. They are actually so concerned that they've commissioned a study and they've also stopped selling bird tables."

I recently spent £22 on one, only to discover this. Now, I'm taking extra precautions by clearing the seeds off the table every two days and scrubbing it with hot soapy water before refilling.

However, this feels like more hassle than it's worth. I'll be returning to the garden centre to purchase an upright, contained tube feeder, which the RSPB still recommends. If you plan on feeding the birds, which is a great way to help the environment, avoid making the same mistake I did.