Walk past the feeder in late September and it looks like the birds have lost interest. The seed is still there, the sunflower hearts too, but the traffic has dropped. It hasn’t. The birds that matter most this month, the ones that hatched in June and the adults that have to get through winter, are looking for something the feeder doesn’t offer. Gardeners across Europe are being told to put two fruits on the lawn and in the feeder this month, and the advice travels perfectly well across the Atlantic.
The two fruits are apples and pears. Cut into slices or halves, laid on the grass or on a flat feeder, they are the cheapest, easiest help a garden can offer at exactly the point in the year when birds need it most.
Why September, of all months
According to Ludwigshafen24, which first pushed the advice to German gardeners, September is a decisive month for young garden birds that have just left the nest and are learning to find food on their own. At the same time the adults are feeding hard to build reserves for the cold season. Natural fruit is still around, but competition is fierce and a wet or dry summer can leave hedges half-empty.
The species that respond are not the ones that live on seed. Robins, bluebirds, catbirds, mockingbirds, thrushes and waxwings are fruit-eaters, and most of them never land on a seed feeder. That is why a busy feeder can sit next to a garden with no robins in it: the menu is wrong for them.
What to put out, and where
Apples and pears work because they are soft, cheap and available in every kitchen this time of year. Bruised or slightly past their best is fine; moldy is not.
- Cut the fruit in halves or thick slices so the flesh is exposed. Whole fruit rolls and gets ignored.
- Lay it on the lawn in an open spot, on a flat platform feeder, or push a half onto a branch or a nail on a post.
- Put out a little at a time and replace it every day or two, before it turns.
- Keep it away from windows and give it a clear view, so birds can spot a cat coming.
Grapes cut in half and berries work the same way if you have them. So do the last windfalls under a fruit tree: leaving a few on the ground is the same gesture with no effort at all.
The two things to avoid
Nothing salted, nothing moldy. Salt is harmful to birds, and mold can carry toxins that kill them. And if a dog has the run of the garden, don’t reach for dried fruit: raisins and other dried grapes are toxic to dogs, and a handful on the lawn is an invitation.
Bird experts also make a point that surprises people: feeding is worth doing year-round, not only in winter. Long-term studies show that declining species benefit from it, and the fall is when the young birds decide whether your garden is worth coming back to.
Beyond the fruit
The same birds need water, and a shallow dish on the ground gets more visits in September than most feeders. The nest box that stayed empty this year can be cleaned out now too, so the same young birds have somewhere to roost when the nights turn cold.
Two apples, a knife, a corner of lawn. Do it this week and watch who shows up. That’s the trick.
