Overview

• Fresh guidance this week from Ark Wildlife, Songbird Survival and retailers says readily available, shallow water helps birds drink and bathe during hot, dry spells.
• Advice specifies positioning baths and feeders about two metres from dense cover so birds can detect predators yet reach shelter, with feeders ideally placed in shade.
• Gardeners are told to clean bird baths and feeders regularly using a mild disinfectant to cut disease risk.
• High‑energy foods such as mealworms, sunflower hearts, fruit, peanuts and fat balls are recommended to support fledglings and adults through late summer.
• The renewed push cites volatile summer weather that hampers foraging, set against 2023 findings that roughly 43% of UK bird species are under threat.