Late summer lack of garden birds?

We often get asked where have all the birds gone in the late summer and autumn months. Many people fear the worst or think they have done something to put them off. I thought i would take this chance to point out a few things to remember about wild birds at this time of year that might explain why they can be harder to spot.

• Late summer/autumn is moulting time, birds shed and re-grow their feathers over a number of weeks. During this time they will try to stay out of harms way as much as possible, often staying in dense cover. They will reappear in shiny new plumage later in the season.
• Many birds are finishing their breeding activities, moving out of their breeding territories and joining feeding flocks in the wider countryside. You may already be seeing the mixed flocks of starling juv's and adults as well as mixed tit flocks and mixed parties of finches. These groups stay together for safety in numbers and will be highly mobile on their search for natural food.
• Many birds will leave garden feeders behind in the search for naturally occuring foods that are vital to survival. The seeds, nuts, fruit, insects and indeed the birds themselves are all at their highest abundance in the next couple of months. Bird need to move to areas where they can exploit these natural resources in order to prepare themselves physically for the winter ahead or the long migrations many birds will make.

We recommend feeding through the next few months as certain resident birds and those passing through may still find garden bird food useful. It is worth keeping feeder hygiene at a high level and maybe reduce the food being put out if it does go quiet so that little is wasted.