By putting out the right kinds of food in autumn, you’ll not only help wild birds build up their reserves but also enjoy a lively variety of visitors right outside your window.
There’s something comforting about the garden in autumn. The leaves turn golden, the mornings are crisp, and while many plants are winding down for the year, the birdlife is still busy. This is the season when our garden birds really begin to rely on us. Natural food sources like insects, seeds and berries start to run low, and by topping up your feeders you can help them build up vital reserves for the colder months ahead.
Here at Hildreth’s Garden Centre, we love seeing how a well-stocked bird table can bring a garden to life at this time of year. With the right mix of foods, you’ll enjoy visits from a wonderful variety of British birds. We are lucky to have a big base of bird-loving customers, who come to us to stock up on not only food but also feeders (including squirrel-proof ones!) and bird tables. We also run promotions throughout the year, so keep an eye out for those!
What food to feed…
Sunflower hearts and seeds are always a favourite, and we stock a range of bag sizes depending on how hungry your visitors are! Goldfinches, with their striking red faces and flashes of yellow, are especially fond of them, as are greenfinches and chaffinches. Blue tits and great tits will also happily dart back and forth to your feeders for a seed or two.
As the temperatures drop, fat balls and suet blocks become essential. These energy-packed foods are perfect for long-tailed tits, starlings and even great spotted woodpeckers. We stock a wide range of suet treats, so you can find something to suit your feeders. If you scatter a few suet crumbles lower down, robins and wrens will soon find them.
Peanuts, offered in a sturdy mesh feeder, are another autumn staple. Great tits, coal tits and nuthatches will be regular visitors, and if you’re lucky you may even spot a jay storing them away for later. We also recommend crushed peanuts, which are easier for sparrows and dunnocks to enjoy.
For the soft-food lovers, dried mealworms are always popular. Robins, blackbirds and thrushes can’t resist them, especially if you soak them first to make them juicier and easier to digest.
And of course, a good mixed seed blend will keep the busiest parts of your garden bustling with activity. At Hildreth’s, we stock high-quality blends rich in sunflower seeds, millet and oats – perfect for sparrows, dunnocks and chaffinches, without too much filler to attract only pigeons.
By putting out a variety of foods this autumn, you’ll be giving a real helping hand to the birds in your garden. In return, you’ll enjoy the cheerful presence of robins, the bright charm of finches, and the constant acrobatics of the tit family. Pop into Hildreth’s Garden Centre to pick up everything you need for feeding wild birds this season – and bring your garden to life with colour, song and movement all through autumn and beyond.
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