5 Top Tips for Helping Birds During Hot Weather

You may have noticed that it’s not just the World Cup that’s been hotting up this summer: the weather has gone from hot to ‘hot-hot’ and shows no sign of stopping!

It’s a welcome change to the usual drizzly British summer, but spare a thought for local wildlife who may be finding the dry conditions tough going.

We’ve put together a list of top tips for helping wild birds during the heatwave, so you can do your bit to keep your garden full of life.

1) Offer a regular supply of clean, fresh water

It’s thirsty work being a bird. Just like us, our winged friends need to stay hydrated if they’re going to go about their birdy-business for the day.

Bird baths are a brilliant way to attract wild birds to your garden any time of year, but they’ll be especially appreciated during the hot weather. A fresh supply of water will help quench their thirst and even provide a place for a playful splash to cool down!

2) Keep bird feeders topped up

Food shortages are common occurrences in extreme conditions, so keeping your feeders topped up with food when temperatures soar is vital for the local aviary community.

As well as some great bird feeders, we have a huge range of bird feed available in-store. We know our birds love Glennwood Sun Flower Hearts, while you can keep your own stocks topped up with our gigantic 12.55kg bag of Glennwood Wild Bird Seed Mix.

3) Use live foods like mealworm

We all know the devastating effects of a hosepipe ban to our lawns, but for wild birds the change in soil consistency can be a matter of life and death.

The ground can become very dry and hard in scorching weather, cutting off the supply of worms and insects birds would usually feast on. Blue tits, robins and finches will appreciate mealworms, thanks to their high moisture content that will help keep them hydrated.

B&M Top Tip: at just £1, these Glennwood Dried Mealworms are the perfect food source for hungry birds. Or how about Glennwood Suet Block with Mealworm which is high in fat – a brilliant birdie pick-me-up!

4) Keep your feeders clean

Try not to keep food out for too long, especially anything that can spoil and thus promote bacterial growth. Your twittering friends will appreciate you keeping feeders clean and tidy!

5) Place your feeders in shaded areas

In the UK we have to enjoy the sun while it’s here, but there is such a thing as “too much”. Like us, birds don’t want to spend all day in the blazing heat; they favour cool areas where lots of trees and shrubs can offer shade.

Do your bit by finding a nice shaded spot in your garden to place your bird feeder. Also bear in mind that birds feel vulnerable when feeding, so they like to know they can escape quickly should they feel threatened. The closer they are to trees, the safer they feel and the more likely they are to feed in your garden.

Do you have any handy wildlife tips of your own? Which feed keeps the birds in your neighbourhood coming back for more Share with us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!