Feeding birds that visit your garden used to be an activity only really necessary in winter, but wildlife experts say birds actually need our help all year round.
While more natural food sources are available to birds during the summer months, it is considered beneficial to continue feeding them at this time of year to ensure they have enough energy to build nests and feed and raise their young. Birds also need a lot of energy during the moulting season, which typically occurs in late summer, so leaving food out while help them to thrive. During the summer, gardeners are advised to reduce the amount of food that is offered compared to winter and to focus on foods that are high in protein. As weather conditions are warmer during the summer, which spans from July until late September, it’s important to avoid leaving out fat balls – or suet – throughout this period.
While suet helps birds to build up their fat stores and provides them with a vital source of energy, wildlife experts say these shouldn’t be left out in the summer as they can melt and turn rancid in the hot weather.
This is particularly true of homemade fat balls, but even if you buy commercially made ones – which are generally heat resistant – it’s still important to make sure they are eaten quickly and thrown away if they start to turn bad.
Really Wild Bird Food explains: “These [fat balls] can easily go soft and rancid in the heat so should be avoided. Commercially made fat products are suitable for use in the warmer months, but may not be as popular and so any uneaten product should be discarded after three weeks.”
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) says birds require high-protein foods in the summer, which can include things like mealworms, sunflower hearts and peanuts.
Peanuts should only be offered from a mesh peanut feeder or as granules, as these are smaller and easier for birds to consume, reducing the risk of choking.
The RSPB explains: “Be careful with peanuts, fat and bread during spring and summer. If you want to feed peanuts only do so in rigid mesh feeders that will not allow sizeable pieces to be removed, since these could be a choking hazard to chicks. Home-made fat balls can melt in warm summer weather, and should be avoided.”
Debris should be brushed off feeders every time food is put out for birds and they should be scrubbed with a mild disinfectant solution every week to reduce the risk of spreading disease.