When to start taper off pre holiday

Hello, I'm very new to bird feeding so please excuse the silly question My feeder is currently visited daily by a robin and a very large flock of sparrows (about 40-50 of them!). In 2 months time I will leave on holiday for a few weeks and no neighbors can help refilling the feeder.

I think I'm supposed to taper off the feeder off gradually before leaving so birds stop visiting, but how far ahead do I have to do this? Can I continue to feed the birds until November and then start tapering?

  • I would start doing it now while there is plenty of food out and about - it means that they will have hopefully dispersed and found suitable alternative areas to forage - beginning by reducing the numbers of feeders and then by time, once you are down to 1 feeder shorten the amount of time it goes out.

    Cin J

  • Thank you, I've started tapering.

    Although it may not be necessary as the pigeons have discovered a way to get into my (window) feeder and wolfed down most of the food anyway!