Gardeners warned: leave 2 apples and 2 pears out in September or young birds go hungry now

September brings a turning point in gardens. Fledglings scatter, natural food wanes, and small choices at home start to matter.

Wildlife groups say a simple, low-cost tweak to your routine this month can steady young birds as they face their first autumn.

Why September brings a crunch for garden birds

By early September, sparrows, starlings, blackbirds and robins watch their broods break away and forage alone. Juveniles burn energy learning where to feed and how to avoid danger. Natural supplies dip before berries ripen in volume. Competition sharpens. Many birds still rear late broods, so demand remains high even as insects dwindle in cooler spells.

Specialists who monitor gardens year after year now back feeding across all seasons. They report that steady supplies in summer and early autumn improve survival, support declining species, and help young birds find safe feeding spots nearby. September often holds the largest bird numbers of the year, so dependable food makes a difference when the queue at every shrub is longest.

Two pieces of fruit on your lawn each morning can bridge the gap between summer plenty and autumn scarcity.

The two fruits that make the difference

Apples and pears: cheap, safe, easy

Put out two apples or two pears a day. Halve or slice them thickly. Set the pieces on the lawn, a low platform, or a sturdy bird table. Bruised fruit works well and cuts waste. Avoid mouldy or salted items. Keep dried vine fruits away from dogs, because raisins and sultanas can be toxic to them.

Why fruit? Soft, juicy flesh proves irresistible to thrushes and blackbirds. These birds often struggle with narrow, hanging feeders. They prefer open, ground-level feeding. Robins and starlings will also join. Fruit offers quick sugars and moisture, helping young birds maintain energy as their search skills improve.

• Quantity: two medium apples or pears daily for an average garden; add more if pieces vanish within an hour.
• Placement: 2–3 metres from thick cover to reduce cat ambushes, with clear sightlines for quick escape.
• Timing: put fruit out in the morning; remove leftovers after 24–48 hours to avoid spoilage.
• Variety: mix in sunflower hearts, suet and mealworms so different species can feed.
• Safety: never use mouldy or salty scraps; keep dried vine fruits out of reach of pets.

Who eats what: matching food to species

Not every bird feeds the same way. Some shun hanging tubes. Others skim seed from trays. Offer a mix and use the right spot for each group.

Blackbirds often ignore narrow tubes because they cannot perch comfortably. Scatter food on the ground or use a broad, stable table. Sparrows, dunnocks and collared doves also favour ground feeding and will mop up seeds and fallen suet beneath feeders. Peanuts help resident birds build reserves, and jays will cache them when acorns run short. By late September, first arrivals of redwings, fieldfares and bramblings appear, especially along the east coast, and they will take fruit readily once colder nights set in.

Think from the ground up: fruit on the lawn for thrushes and blackbirds, seeds higher up for finches and tits.

Safety and hygiene: keep birds fed, not endangered

Place food in open areas away from hedges that hide cats. Birds avoid sites that feel risky, so a clear landing zone helps. If cats visit, move the feeding spot a few metres and raise fruit on a low platform with a baffle on the post.

Cleanliness matters. Brush off debris whenever you top up. Give feeders a weekly scrub with hot, soapy water or a mild disinfectant solution. Rinse and air-dry fully before refilling. Rotate feeding spots on the lawn and lift old fruit. If you use a flat, open bird table, clean it more often and watch for any sign of disease spreading among visitors. Replace food immediately if it gets wet and clumps.

Ten clean minutes a week beats a season of sick birds: wash, rinse, dry, and rotate your feeding sites.

Your quick September plan

Set a simple routine. It saves time and cuts waste while giving birds predictable help when they need it most.

• Morning: put out two apples or pears in halves; add a handful of seeds and a small block of suet.
• Midweek: soak a small portion of dried mealworms for robins and blackbirds.
• Weekend: clean feeders and trays; rake beneath feeding areas; move the fruit spot slightly.
• Always: keep food 2–3 metres from dense cover; bring in leftovers after 24–48 hours.

Costs, pitfalls and handy extras

Fruit is cheap insurance. Two apples or pears a day costs roughly 50–80 pence, depending on shop and season. Windfalls work well if they are clean and sound. A small bag of sunflower hearts or suet pellets stretches across several weeks when you feed modestly and consistently.

Warm spells can draw wasps to sugary fruit. Put fruit out in the morning, when activity is lower, and lift it at dusk. Cut pieces larger than a wasp can easily chew to slow them down. If squirrels dominate, place fruit on a low platform away from fences and use baffles on posts. Keep peanuts in a mesh feeder so small birds cannot swallow large chunks.

What to watch for as the month rolls on

Listen for thin “seep” calls at night as migrants pass over. Check berry bushes at first light; that is when redwings and fieldfares often drop in. As acorns mature, jays shuttle back and forth building caches. If oak crops fail, expect more jay visits to your peanut feeder. Record species and numbers for a week; you will see patterns. Adjust portions so food lasts a few hours rather than all day, which reduces waste and deters rats.

Small steps stack up. Two daily fruits on the grass, a handful of seed, and a weekly clean can carry your garden community through the September squeeze. Young birds learn safe places to feed. Residents build reserves. Migrants find a refuelling stop. Your lawn becomes part of a lifeline stitched across British back gardens.