Your September Garden Bird Checklist

Things to do in your garden this September

September feels different in the garden. The light is lower, and the mornings carry a chill that wasn’t there in August. If you stop and listen, the garden is suddenly busier with birds than it’s been all summer.

Robins are singing again after their summer silence. Their song is quieter and more melancholy than their bright spring call, as they begin announcing their winter territories. This is one of the most rewarding months of the year to watch your garden. It’s also an important time to make sure everything is in good shape for the season ahead.

1. Clean out your nest boxes

The single most important practical task of the month is cleaning out your nest boxes. Once the breeding season is over, towards the end of September, give them a proper clean.

Place the old contents on your compost heap and use boiling water to kill any parasites. Once the box has dried out fully, replace the lid and hang it back up. Wrens and other small birds will often use a clean box to keep warm over winter.

Don’t leave this until spring. Old nesting material can harbour parasites, while a clean box now is one birds may use for winter roosting.

2. Give your feeders a proper clean

This is also a good time to give every feeder a proper clean. Damp autumn conditions can speed up mould growth on seed and debris below feeders.

A purpose made feeder cleaner and bird-safe disinfectant makes the job quicker and more effective than washing-up liquid alone. Our hygiene range has everything you need to clean feeders, bird tables and bird baths properly.

Move your feeder’s position slightly each week to stop contamination building up underneath. Always clear out any old food before refilling too. Food in feeders should ideally be eaten within one to two days, and suet balls within seven.

3. Look out for autumn visitors

The first spectacular visitors from Scandinavia are beginning to arrive. Young birds born this summer will be making their way south and can make some surprise appearances in our gardens.

Keep an eye out for warblers like Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. They may use feeders to stock up before long journeys.

Tits also begin forming large mixed flocks, with different species banding together. These flocks make the most of suet balls. You can sometimes see large numbers, even several dozen, passing through.

Redwings and Fieldfares from Norway and Iceland can arrive exhausted after their sea crossing. Berry suet pellets or suet balls on a low ground tray can give them somewhere to refuel.

4. Leave sunflower heads standing

If you’ve planted sunflowers this year, resist the urge to tidy them up just yet. Leaving sunflower seed heads in place provides a nutritious food source as the seeds mature.

They’re a favourite with finches, sparrows and other seed-eating birds. Leave any other seed-bearing plants standing too where you can. The more natural food your garden provides, the more species it can attract through autumn.

5. Don’t forget fresh water

Now is also the time to think about water. As the weather cools and natural water sources start to dry up, birds still need reliable places to drink and bathe.

Keep your bird bath clean and topped up with fresh water. A good bird bath cleaner removes algae, bacteria and debris quickly and safely.

Our hygiene range includes bird bath cleaners as well as feeder disinfectants. They’re all bird-safe and designed to make your weekly cleaning routine quicker and easier.