Disappearance of small birds from my garden

Hi Mopsy - garden bird numbers do fluctuate from time to time, and it may seem that one day you have lots of birds, and the next day nothing. This apparent disappearance of birds is a natural change and a part of the annual cycle of birds. In some years, this apparent disappearance can be so complete that practically no birds can be found in a given area by a casual observer. It's unlikely that the starlings have bullied all the birds away, but they are still in attendance because they are still breeding and need a s much food as they can for themselves and young.

I think your suspicions are correct - in summer, a bounty of natural food becomes available as grain fields, berries and fruit ripen. Many birds will abandon their nesting areas and move out to where the best food availability is. This is probably the time of the year when birds are least interested in offerings on bird tables. In areas where farmland is nearby, house sparrows, starlings and many finches move out to grain fields to feast on the abundance of grain before it is harvested, and on the spilt grain after the harvest. Depending on the location, this can create a total and very sudden disappearance of these birds from residential areas. Even in cities, sparrows and finches are attracted to any piece of rough ground that provides a good crop of weed seeds. Tits tend to abandon their territories soon after their young fledge, (which is about now) and spend most of their time in summer, first in family groups, later in larger flocks, high up in tree canopies, where they are readily missed by most people. Even blackbirds and song thrushes tend to move to where there is an abundance of fruit or berries. Birds often return to gardens only when autumn frosts appear.