Fall Bird Feeding
October 30, 2025
Common Mistakes in Fall Bird Feeding And How to Avoid Them
White-crowned Sparrow by Tony Woo
As the seasons shift, fall is an exciting time to enjoy backyard birdwatching. Many birds are migrating and your feeders can become an essential food source. By avoiding common mistakes like keeping your feeders clean and dry, you’ll create a welcoming backyard that birds can’t resist. If you’ve ever set up a feeder only to find it ignored, you’re not alone. New birdwatchers often make a few common mistakes that can keep birds from visiting. Luckily, these problems are easy to fix.
1. Using Stale or Old Seed
Birds know when their seed has gone bad. Clumpy, moldy, or dusty seed is unappetizing and can even be unsafe. If your feeder sits untouched, stale seed may be the culprit. If it rains, make sure to monitor your feeders. Never pour dry seed over wet seed.
Solution: Store seed in a cool, dry place, preferably in a sealed container. Buy only what you’ll use in a few weeks. At the Los Gatos Birdwatcher, we stock fresh, high-quality wild bird seed that’s delivered weekly. We know our seed source!
2. Offering Only One Type of Food
Just like people, birds have different food preferences. Limiting your offerings to only one seed type may discourage certain species. So provide a variety.
Solution: Black-oil sunflower seeds are a universal favorite but hulled sunflower is less messy. While nyjer attracts goldfinches, titmice enjoy safflower. Suet helps woodpeckers, chickadees, and other clingers fuel up in cooler months. Adding peanuts, mealworms, or fruit can bring in even more species.
3. Poor Feeder Placement
Birds prefer safe, quiet spots where they can feed without stress. A feeder placed too close to heavy foot traffic, noisy pets, or wide-open spaces without cover might not get much activity.
Solutions: Place feeders near shrubs or trees to give birds shelter and perching options, but keep them at least 10 feet from dense cover to reduce predator risks like those Cooper’s Hawks that like to hang out in our local suburbia.
4. Skipping Water and Sheltering Sources
Food is only part of the equation. Birds also need fresh water for drinking and bathing, and trees or shrubs for shelter. A yard with food but no water or shelter may not hold their attention.
Solution: Add a simple birdbath or shallow water dish. Change the water daily to keep it fresh and inviting. Add shelter in the form of vines, bushes, trees, and leaf piles near your feeders and birdbaths.
5. Forgetting to Freshen Nectar Feeders
Anna’s Hummingbirds are active at South Bay feeders right now. Just this morning I noticed two hummers visiting my jade plant blooming on my patio.
Solutions: Keep it fresh and change it every 3 days. To clean, spray the feeder with pure white vinegar, scrub, and rinse thoroughly. For nectar solution, mix 4 parts water with 1 part white sugar (C&H Sugar).
Reminder: Hummingbirds start nesting in December in the South Bay, so it’s a great time to set out nesting material now.
Whether you’re just starting out or refreshing your setup, the Los Gatos Birdwatcher has everything you need from fresh seed to quality feeders and expert advice. Stop by our store and learn how to keep your feeders busy all season long.