Gardeners may have noticed an influx of birds visiting their gardens this month now that spring has arrived. Spring marks the start of the nesting season for birds, so it’s normal to notice more bird activity at this time of the year as they seek out safe spaces to build nests, lay eggs and nurture their young.
The season typically runs from March until August, and during this time, birds rely on gardeners to help them survive and care for their chicks. A key way to do this is ensuring birds have access to an abundance of food – particularly foods that are rich in energy. Wildlife experts recommend that gardeners continue with winter feeding techniques by offering foods that will help birds to build up their fat stores, as this provides them with a vital source of energy and helps them to keep warm during the cold spring nights.
But there is one type of food that experts urge to avoid giving birds during the spring. It is generally advised to avoid feeding birds fat balls – or suet – in spring as they can melt and turn rancid in the warmer 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 spring and summer months, 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.
