Where have the birds gone?

[Kleftiwallah]

The title says it all. I'm getting very despondant, if that is the correct word in the correct context? I've got bird feeders, bird boxes, more mealworms than you can shake a stick at but no birds, (well a scruffy robin and a tit of some description). All you knowledgeables out there, tell me they will return please! Cheers, Tony.

[Stinky Bob]

They could be moulting and/or enjoying the bounty of the countryside, the hedgerows are full of berries and cereal crops have been harvested

[Jenny W]

Don't worry they should come back! There is plenty of natural food around at the moment with fruits ripening, loads of insects, grain from harvesting (a bit!), so the birds are utilising these sources whilst they last. Into the autumn and winter you should see your birds coming back.

[tcvarlh]

With the weather we're having they have probably got a flight with RyanAir to Mallorca, and who would blame them. They'll be back. As said the fields and hedges are chock full of lovely grub.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by tcvarlh

With the weather we're having they have probably got a flight with RyanAir to Mallorca, and who would blame them. They'll be back. As said the fields and hedges are chock full of lovely grub.

Well, H I will report back from Magala.

[Nightranger]

Originally Posted by Kleftiwallah

The title says it all. I'm getting very despondant, if that is the correct word in the correct context? I've got bird feeders, bird boxes, more mealworms than you can shake a stick at but no birds, (well a scruffy robin and a tit of some description). All you knowledgeables out there, tell me they will return please! Cheers, Tony.

Hi Tony,

As some of the other replies have already explained, this is not unusual in late summer. It is caused by a combination of the annual moult when some birds become secretive or wary and post-breeding dispersal of families to take advantage of natural food supplies. The severity (if you can call it that) varies from year to year and also depends on where your garden is located. Urban gardens could be the ones where this happens most frequently but even rural gardens will be deserted if certain crops are being grown nearby - depending on the particular rotation.

It is best to cut back on the perishable foods such as fat blocks and mealworms and be prepared to throw seed away if it is not eaten. Indeed, it is better not to recharge feeders fully so that you do not waste so much if you are having to change unemptied feeders. The birds will return when the berries etc have gone but this can be some months away during a mild autumn.