Your September Garden Bird Checklist:
Why Each Step Matters More Than You Think

September feels different in the garden. The light is lower, the mornings carry a chill that wasn't there in August, and 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, a quieter, more melancholy song than their bright spring call, announcing their winter territories to anyone who will listen.

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 harbours parasites, and a clean box now is one birds will actually use for winter roosting.

Give Every Feeder a Proper Clean

This is also a good time to give every feeder a proper clean. Damp autumn conditions accelerate mould growth on seed and debris below feeders faster than any other time of year.

A purpose-made feeder cleaner and bird-safe disinfectant makes this 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 without harming the birds that use them.

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

Look Out for Spectacular 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, who may use feeders to stock up before long journeys. Tits begin forming large mixed flocks with different species banding together – these flocks make the most of suet fat balls, and you can sometimes see large numbers, even several dozen, passing through.

Redwings and Fieldfares from Norway and Iceland arrive exhausted after their sea crossing, and suet pellets or suet fat balls on a low ground tray can make your garden a genuine refuelling stop for some of the most beautiful birds you'll see at close range all year.

Don't Tidy Up Those Sunflowers Yet

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 – a favourite for 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 will attract and retain through autumn.

You can also help supplement natural food sources by keeping sunflower hearts topped up at your feeding station – particularly useful for the Goldfinch flocks gathering throughout September.

Don't Forget About Water

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

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

Our hygiene range includes bird bath cleaners as well as feeder disinfectants, all bird-safe and designed to make your weekly cleaning routine as quick and straightforward as possible.

Check Your Feeders Before Winter

September is also a great time to check your feeding station for cracks, mould or damage. Anything that can't be properly cleaned should be replaced before winter arrives and garden birds become increasingly reliant on your feeders.

A clean, well-maintained bird feeder and feeding station can help make it easier to offer different foods to different species throughout the changing season.