now the temperatures up?

staker

hi, just wondering, i've been feeding wild birds-sparrows, finches and the like since last autumn. they're happy,i'm happy
now the heat is beginning to set in(a bit), should i discontinue? scale down?
any opinions appreciated

kerrysgold

I think you are supposed to feed all year round really as they need plenty of food in the spring/summer as well for the breeding/nesting and raising their young etc.

MsFifers

Yea - I think I read an article recently that said there will be greater survival of the baby birds when you keep feeding through spring & summer.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Definately continue to feed all year round. Adults use a lot of energy building nests, defending territory, laying eggs, rearing young etc so they need any boost you can give them. I find I can cut out fats and reduce the volume I provide from May to the end of September.

michelleans

Our garden birdies are eating a lot less recently than they did all through winter, even though we still fill up the feeders everytime they go near empty.. I thought they'd need the same amount :pac:

Sigma Force

Been very bad this year for not feeding them as much however we have a lot of bird friendly vegitation and the winter wasnt too harsh if feeding in winter its best to feed all year round. Or planting bird friendly plants that provide food at different times of the year, apple trees are fantastic. Birds eat the bugs on the trees, they can nest in holes in mature ones, when the leave appear they go crazy for the bugs on them and then the apples appear just as the weather turns and then all through the winter the fallen apples in autumn, if left, attract creepy crawlies for the birds as do the fallen rotting leaves.

If a garden is small you can pot a crab apple tree.

Also a little area with some bird sand in it drives sparrows nuts, they love the stuff, if you have water freely available in the garden that will attract more birds.

We always had a lot of small birds but last year whilst building we had a pile of sand and a leaky water mains for a while and there were tons more birds coming to drink and bathe.

carwash_2006

I have read that you should cut way back on feeding between august and october as that is when there are most seeds and fruit to eat. Some species of plants actually depend on birds eating the fruit or seeds and then depositing them elsewhere to help propogate the species.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

michelleans wrote: »

Our garden birdies are eating a lot less recently than they did all through winter, even though we still fill up the feeders everytime they go near empty.. I thought they'd need the same amount :pac:

In Winter there is always an influx of birds from abroad which adds to the numbers visiting garden feeders. You are now down to your local breeding population so you should be going through as much food as in Winter. Other species will disperse in to the surrounding countryside in Spring for breeding and won't flock together for food as they did in Winter.

staker

well i've been leaving out birdfood as per always and definitely seems to be be disappearing slower. will heed the advice to keep feeding. tnx all