bird feeders and avian flu

coccinella

Sorry to bring this about. All over Europe there is a serious plague that is killing thousands of birds. Some say that it is better not to feed birds now but I feel that if we even stop doing that what chance do they have?
So my question is: how often do you wash the feeders. 

wild edges

I'm not sure what to do this year. Migrant birds are now turning up which will no doubt spread the disease around. Even cleaning feeders daily won't help prevent transfer much but conversely if birds don't get enough food then they might be more susceptible. I'm not looking forward to seeing the casualty reports from this winter or the reduced breeding numbers next year

All I can say is that this reinforces the need for habitat enhancement rather than continued reliance on bird feeding. I hope the government take note...

Defra publish their weekly avian flu findings. It's a long list this year https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1110109/ai-findings-week-2022-40.csv/preview

coccinella

Grim reading indeed. 

I clean the feeder less than once a month. 😕