What changes on 1 November?
The table shows the two feeding seasons in the RSPB guidance, checked on 31 October 2026.[2]
Before the first refill
Wash the feeder, rinse it thoroughly and let it dry before refilling. Clear away debris underneath it, too.[1]
Put peanuts in a suitable rigid peanut feeder. Do not scatter them loose or use disposable nylon mesh bags: those bags can trap birds. A purpose-made feeder and a food packaging bag are different things.[1]
Make a small window-side routine
Offer seeds and peanuts in amounts eaten within one or two days. Keep food dry.[2]
Use hanging feeders, move them weekly and clean feeders and bird baths at least weekly. Offer water only if you can replace it daily.[2]
For the watching part, try choosing a comfortable spot indoors and keeping a small notebook nearby. You could note a visitor’s colours, the shape of its beak and how it reaches the food. Does it pause on a branch first, or approach the feeder directly?
There is no need to identify every bird immediately. Start with what you can describe: “a pale chest”, “a narrow beak” or “a quick hop”. On another day, look back at the note and see whether you notice the same details. It gives you something specific to look for, even during a short pause by the window.