Why the Calendar Matters More Than the Mix

Most of us fill the feeder when it looks empty and top it up a bit more when the weather turns nasty. That's a reasonable instinct, but it leaves a lot on the table. A blue tit's needs in May bear almost no resemblance to its needs in January, and the same garden can swing from feeding a handful of residents to supporting a small crowd of passage migrants within a fortnight. Getting the portions and the types of food roughly right month by month means less waste, cleaner feeders, and healthier birds.

What follows is a working guide rather than a strict rulebook. Weather shifts things, and a mild February can behave like March. Treat the months as a rhythm to follow, and adjust when the birds tell you something different.

January and February: Peak Demand in the Cold

This is the hungriest stretch of the year. Short days mean birds have less time to feed, and long, frosty nights burn through their fat reserves fast. A small bird can lose a significant share of its body weight overnight, so it needs to restock within minutes of dawn. Put food out early, and if you can manage it, put out a little again in the early afternoon so there's something available before the light goes.

High-fat, high-energy food is the priority now:

• Suet balls and cakes, ideally in a hanging feeder rather than loose on a table where they'll be squabbled over.
• Sunflower hearts, which are almost pure energy and leave no messy husks behind.
• Peanuts from a reputable supplier, always in a mesh feeder so birds take small pieces rather than whole nuts.
• Mixed seed as a base, though expect the cheaper mixes to be picked over and the filler left behind.

Water matters as much as food. Natural sources freeze solid, and birds still need to drink and bathe to keep feathers in condition. A shallow dish, refreshed each morning after you've poured hot water over it, will be busy all day.

March and April: Fuel for Nest Building

Activity picks up sharply as territories form and pairs start prospecting for nest sites. Demand doesn't drop, but it changes character. Birds are now flying further and working harder, and the first broods will be hatching by late April in most of the UK.

Keep the fatty foods going, but add variety. Mealworms, dried and soaked or live, become valuable now and will be needed far more in the weeks ahead. Niger seed in a fine-tube feeder starts drawing goldfinches, and a little grated cheese or crumbled hard-boiled egg goes down well with insect-eaters that are finding the ground still cold and bare.

One caution: don't put out whole peanuts loose at this time. Adults may carry them to nestlings, and a whole nut can choke a chick. Mesh feeders only, or switch to hearts altogether.

May and June: The Breeding Crunch

This is the month most people get wrong. It feels like the garden is quiet, the feeders look untouched, and it's tempting to ease off. In fact, parent birds are working harder than at any other point in the year. They're delivering food to nestlings every few minutes, and they'll take the easy calories you provide rather than hunt for every grub.

• Live mealworms are the single best thing you can offer. If the cost puts you off, soak dried ones in warm water for twenty minutes first.
• Soft foods such as suet puddings and insect-based mixes suit growing chicks better than dry seed.
• Sunflower hearts remain useful for the adults themselves.

Keep the feeders topped up but scaled sensibly. Offering too much wet or soft food in warm weather means it spoils before it's eaten, so put out smaller amounts more often. Hygiene becomes critical from now until autumn, so clean feeders roughly every week with hot soapy water and let them dry fully before refilling.

July and August: Moulting, Fledglings, and Quiet Feeders

By July the first broods have fledged and the adults begin their annual moult. Feathers are replaced over several weeks, and the process takes a real toll on energy and protein reserves. Birds look ragged, they're less keen to fly, and they need good food more than ever — even though they may seem to vanish from your garden as natural food becomes abundant.

Stick with it. Keep a smaller offering of high-protein food and mealworms going, and make sure there's clean water available, since bathing helps relieve the irritation of growing new plumage. Fledglings will start appearing at feeders, often clumsy and easily bullied off a hanging perch. A ground tray or a feeder with a wide base gives them a fair chance.

September and October: Stocking Up for Winter

Autumn feeding is about rebuilding condition before the cold arrives. Many garden birds cache food through the autumn, hiding seeds in bark and crevices, so a generous supply now pays off later. Black sunflower seeds, peanuts, and mixed seed all work well, and this is a good moment to review your setup before the rush.

• Check feeders for broken perches, rust, and cracks where water collects.
• Clear out old food that's gone damp or mouldy — never top up over the top of it.
• Consider adding a second feeding station somewhere else in the garden to reduce crowding and the spread of disease.

Migrating birds pass through in September and October, so a well-stocked garden can produce surprises: redwings, fieldfares, and the occasional brambling among the usual chaffinches.

November and December: Building the Winter Routine

As the temperature drops, fat content should climb again. Suet returns to the menu in force, alongside sunflower hearts and peanuts. Feed at consistent times — birds learn your routine quickly and will time their visits accordingly. If you go away, ask someone to keep the feeders filled, because a suddenly empty station can be a genuine problem for birds that have come to rely on it.

During hard frosts, offer food twice a day and keep water ice-free. Watch for the telltale signs of trouble: a bird sitting fluffed up and listless, or a feeder going untouched for days. Prompt cleaning and a small adjustment to what you're offering usually sorts it. Feed the season, not the habit, and your garden will repay you all year round.