When should I put out bird feeders
Why delay when there's the potential to bring hundred of wild birds to your garden with the instinct of feeding off bird feeders, replenished with their favourite food.
You should put out bird feeders 365 days of the year, be it through rough winter months or scorching summer days. Common as it is to see people only get excited by feeding birds as spring/summer approaches. Garden birds rely on you to feed them around the clock, while getting used to your daily routine.
No reason why bird feeders shouldn't be hung up in a safe place in the garden all year round, as birds never stop feeding, nor can they go without food for long spells.
Feeders that hang off a bird feeding station or setup under the bird table is something wild birds come to depend on.
Sure, they feed out in nature but can depend on you so much, it can be hard for them to get back into the habit of eating what is found in nature.
What to put in your bird feeders can be one or all of peanuts, seeds or fat balls only, all hanging up on a tree branch or why not hanging off the bird feeding station.
Scraps can be used if short in supply of wild bird food yourself, though its best to use scrap food on the bird table as feeders can't hold scraps of any kind.
If you haven't used the feeders in a while, then do be sure to clean them out before use.
No point in delaying
What can possibly be the excuse to not put out bird feeders all year round, as wild birds rely heavily on our feeders, so don't delay hanging them up.
Concern in delaying would be seasonal or weather dependant, but rest assured feeders are made for use at all times.
Likewise, but more importantly, the wild bird food used in bird feeders are needed for your visitors survival - as they become dependant on you to offer them food in a steady, continuous daily pattern.
Point of feeding birds with use of hanging bird feeders is to bring wild birds into your garden, for nothing more than the enjoyment of watching them feed as you observe their eating behaviour.
To birds, its more crucial food sources are widely available to them, especially then if food found out in nature, is in shortage - which you'd never know personally.
Never a better time
Its therefore never a better time to hang up bird feeders as the more convenient way, or to place bird feed mixes on the bird table.
Be it with feeding birds in a bird feeder in the rain or strong, direct heat - or out in the snow, bird feeders are made for all eventualities - and so to is the specialty bird feed.
What can you really be waiting for, perfect weather in the spring/summer time... come on its needed now more than ever.
To find birds using a bird feeder in the spring time is at its peak in the UK, but 365 days of the year is a must.
Get the bird feeding station out now with at least a peanut, fat ball and seed feeder hanging off it to cater to as many bird species as possible, while throwing food over the lawn - within reason - and so to pop it under the bird bath.
Birds continuously need food source
Birds who visit your garden continuously need a source of food, be it in nature or in your garden, they feed all year round just as they need a reliable water source.
But on a different note, don't forget to try a bird bath to bring them into your garden.
To continuously feed birds as safe as you can, take word from the RSPB who do say they need feeding at all times.
By feeding all year round, you'll give them a better chance to survive food shortages whenever they may occur - RSPB
In fact, to stop feeding birds in your garden would only see them forget about you, while setting about feeding out of a new garden food source.
Birds remember where food is in your garden but will soon go elsewhere if you don't keep up with your routine - which they soon get used to.
So, do continue to feed birds on a daily basis, while getting an idea how much food is needed in the morning - or if more is needed later in the day at the busiest times.
Feeders required all year
Feeders you can buy for use to hang up on a bird feeding station, or similarly a bird feeder wall bracket - can be quite an adventure by bringing birds to feed in the garden.
You don't want to limit your bird feeders in use to those that only allow a small number of common garden birds to feed.
So if you can, at least setup any type of seed, nut or fat ball feeder all year round; there's no reason to suggest wild birds won't come knocking.
It can be done in a fun way to as a classic long or short rounded mesh nut or plastic tube seed feeder can be substituted for something like a seed donut feeder or a peanut acorn feeder - for decorative purposes but are still practical.
Care will be needed when hanging up bird feeders in the winter as any frost or snow covering would need to be regularly removed.
Similarly, setting up bird feeders in the dead of summer would benefit most by locating bird feeders in shade for most of the day.
Popular food types only
As a rule for which bird feeders you should always have hanging up in the garden are this; plastic tube seed, mesh nut and cage fat ball or suet block feeders to hang.
Not only can this cater to all the wild birds you want to feed, but its a safe bet for only attracting the most reliable visitors to a garden.
Once again, no delay should there be when setting up feeders to hold these food groups, as they are needed every day of the year.
However, in case of the fat balls or nuts, you can hold off in the spring to summer time as it can be hazardous to chicks - as the country experiences the wild bird nesting season.
Perfect wild bird food types for adult birds, but so to can they be a choking hazard if fed to chicks - at the bird feeding station of if bought back to the nest.
Master the art of bird feeding
In time, you will come to understand the wild birds feeding habits, specifically to the ones that visit your garden daily.
And while you can expect new arrivals, do expect to see regulars turn up everyday, almost on time, every single day.
In due course you'd come to know not only how much food is eaten over the duration of the day - but what bird food is best for use in bird feeders.
To experiment by feeding wild birds scraps would be less popular then use of the classic yet reliable seeds, nuts or fat balls - or all of the above.
To master the art of feeding birds on time, you can use just the right amount as to avoid waste.
Once you've established which food type gets gobbled up first, then double up on the amount while removing food that is never touched.
Conclusion
To delay putting out bird feeders in your garden can only mean you are probably waiting until the weather improves.
But guest what, wild birds may be struggling to eat as food shortages can happen when the weather is dire - such as over winter time when the country is blanketed in snow, thus burying their source of food.
Likewise, water sources can dry up in summer times so do keep up with leaving out water in a dish or bird bath.
No better time to put out favourite bird food in three of the most used feeders; plastic tube seed feeder, metal mesh feeder for nuts - and so to a mesh cage to hold fat balls.
Birds continually need feeding all year round, so why wait until its warmer out.
Setup up bird feeders now by hanging them up on the bird feeding station or bird table, knowing the supplies in use - be it food or bird feeders - can withstand anything mother nature can throw as it.
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