06/10/2026
YOUR BIRDFEEDER ISN’T EMPTY BY ACCIDENT.
IN OCTOBER, WHAT YOU PUT IN IT MATTERS.
October is when many people start thinking about filling the bird feeder again.
But there is a strange rule this year:
RSPB advice says to keep seeds and peanuts paused until 31 October.
That doesn't mean garden birds are being left without food.
Autumn is already supplying them with plenty of natural options — insects, berries, fruit, seeds and other foods found around gardens and hedgerows. RSPB
And there is another reason for the pause.
Busy feeding stations can become places where disease spreads between birds, particularly trichomonosis, which has seriously affected finches such as greenfinches. RSPB
So if your feeder looks unusually quiet this October, don't assume the birds have disappeared.
They may simply be finding food somewhere else.
For now, the RSPB says small amounts of mealworms, fatballs or suet can still be offered, with feeders cleaned and moved regularly. From 1 November, seeds and peanuts can be brought back. RSPB
The best thing you can give your garden birds this October may not be a full feeder.
It may be a safer garden.
Sources: RSPB; BTO; The Wildlife Trusts.
