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When to stop feeding birds?

24

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I feed all year round too
    ... we also provide live mealworms for the robins when they’re feeding nestlings. They take them from our hand. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I feed mine all year round. As @Lyn says, they tend to be a bit thinner on the ground at the end of summer when there's lots of "natural" food around for them.
    Devon.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    The only change I make is to stop dried mealworms in food as if its given to nestlings they can choke or become dehydrated as they have no access to water. So none between 
    March and August.
  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    I feed all year but demand falls off dramatically in Sept/Oct. By November the Winter crew have arrived and demand reaches its peak now in Spring.
  • I also feed all year around, although I tend not to give fat balls/cakes etc in the heat of the summer when they heat up/melt and disappear far too quickly.  I don't think the birds need the extra fat in the summer.  However I do continue with the seeds and various grains etc. all year.
  • cornellycornelly Posts: 970
    Never stop feeding, enjoy seeing the birds in the garden, feed sunflower hearts in feeders mixed seed on the paved area below the feeders, fats during the winter in a feeder.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    My fat balls are being  eaten more now than at any time in the winter.
  • Dirty HarryDirty Harry Posts: 1,048
    steephill said:
    I feed all year but demand falls off dramatically in Sept/Oct. By November the Winter crew have arrived and demand reaches its peak now in Spring.
    This is pretty much what's happened with me. My seed feeder has been emptying noticeably quicker in the past month and this will only increase still.

    Surprised to read the odd post saying the opposite considering how busy a time of year it's about to be for the birds.
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    Birds have stopped coming to my feeders since I cut back the buddleia adjacent to the feeding pole. Should I leave it where it is or move it to an area nearer shrubs? I can’t believe I was stupid enough to cut it back and risk upsetting my little feathered friends! 
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,906
    I wouldn't worry Debs. They will come back. They are quite sensitive to even the slightest of changes in their feeding places. When I bought new seed feeders with different perches (a small platform style rather than just the rod style), it was about a fortnight until they plucked up the courage to come in and try them.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
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