All about the New Families Blend

3 min read
All about the New Families Blend

Spring has sprung, and gardens are full of activity! April to July is one of the busiest times of year for birds. Parents are frantically gathering food for their chicks, while fledglings are learning how to survive on their own. Some birds are even starting a second or third brood, making the most of the warmer months. This is when birds need a lot of food. You can learn more about how your garden birds' needs change throughout the year in our blog post.

The energy demands of raising chicks are huge, and natural insect populations can be unpredictable. Having a well-stocked feeder helps parents keep up with the constant feeding schedule, and it also gives fledglings an easy meal as they find their feet (or wings!).

Introducing the New Families Blend

The New Families Blend from A Little Bird Co. is designed to support busy parent birds and their growing young. Sunflower hearts provide an instant energy boost without the tough outer casing, making them perfect for young birds still learning how to eat. Woodpeckers, blackbirds, blue tits and goldfinches all love these energy rich little seeds. Suet pellets offer high-fat nutrition to keep adult birds going through endless feeding trips. As always, we use suet that birds actually eat - none of the cheap, filler-packed stuff! We use fewer suet pellets at this time of year, just in case they spoil in the heat. 

We've also included pinhead oats, which are soft and easy for young birds to eat, and hempseed, a brilliant source of protein to help growing chicks develop strong muscles and feathers. I was fascinated to learn that hemp was once known "the devil's birdseed". Hemp may be a controversial plant, but it's one of the very best things to offer the birds, with the highest level of fatty acids in any food, and it also contains phosphorus, magnesium, amino acids and calcium. Hemp is highly resistant to pests and incredibly easy to grow, making it a sustainable option, too. You can learn more about hemp in this blog post. Everything in this blend is chosen to support birds at this crucial stage in their lives.

We leave out the dried mealworms, because they can dehydrate young fledglings, who get all of their moisture from their food.

Which birds can I see this month?

This is when gardens are full of young birds! You might spot fluffy blue tit fledglings huddled together on a branch, waiting for their parents to bring food. Blackbird and robin chicks often hop around on the ground before they can properly fly, while great tits and house sparrows bring their growing broods to feeders for an easy meal. Summer migrants arrive in full force too. Swallows, swifts, and house martins return from Africa, filling the skies with acrobatic displays. Warblers like whitethroats and willow warblers can be heard singing in hedgerows, and if you’re lucky, you might spot a spotted flycatcher darting after insects in the garden.

Order a bag of seasonal bird food today!

Spring and early summer are critical times for garden birds, and the New Families Blend from A Little Bird Co. is the perfect way to help them thrive. Whether it’s supporting exhausted parents or giving fledglings an easy start, this mix provides all the nutrition they need. 

If you’re a subscriber, your blend has already switched automatically - no need to adjust a thing. If not, now’s the perfect time to start! Keep your feeders full, watch the next generation take flight, and enjoy all the activity in your garden.

All you need to do is sign up for a subscription - we'll take care of the rest!

Meet the author!

Clare Cahill is an enthusiastic bird lover with a passion for observing and learning about the incredible variety of birds around us. While she doesn’t have a formal degree in ornithology, Clare has dedicated countless hours to reading birding books and exploring nature, constantly expanding her knowledge and deepening her love for wildlife.

For Clare, birdwatching brings a sense of calm and connection to the world, offering a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. She believes that the more we connect with nature, the more we can do to protect and conserve it. Through her writing, Clare hopes to inspire others to take a moment to pause, look up, and appreciate the wonderful birds that share our spaces.

Meet Clare

The seasonal bird food brand

We're a little company, supporting little birds. Find out more about what sets us apart.

  • Seasonal

    Birds have different dietary needs throughout the year, from nesting to moulting and surviving colder months. To support these changes, we’ve created seasonal blends – order a Seasonal Bird Food bag, and we’ll adjust the blend to match the season, making it easy to do something great for the birds.

  • Sustainable

    Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We don't farm, process, and transport cheap filler ingredients that birds simply kick to the floor. Instead, we focus on premium ingredients they love. Our packaging is compostable, and our bird feeders and nest boxes are tested for durability and longevity.

  • Songbird

    We design our food and select our range of feeders with little birds in mind. Every ingredient in our blends is chosen because small birds love it, simplifying your bird feeding routine. Our feeders provide safe access to food while helping to keep out larger, more dominant species. Look out for robins, blue tits, wrens, finches and more visiting your garden for our food.

  • Support

    With birds in your garden, you’re never alone - they’re the friends who always visit. Feeding them supports wildlife conservation while bringing joy and calm. Whether spotting a new species or simply watching their daily routines, just ten minutes a day strengthens your connection with nature and boosts your wellbeing.

When life feels busy, the birds keep it simple.

There’s something lovely about how feeding the birds becomes part of the rhythm of your day. A scoop of seed, a clean dish of water - and then a pause, just to watch who turns up. It doesn’t have to take long, but those moments can be surprisingly grounding. A little burst of mindfulness, fresh air, a chance to notice your garden as it changes throughout the seasons, and the cheerful flutter of wings - it’s good for the soul.

Join our flock of bird enthusiasts who share a passion for sustainable and thoughtful bird feeding.

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Shop our bestsellers

From our popular seasonal bird food to the Squirrel Buster squirrel resistant bird feeder, our range is designed to help you to create a haven for little birds in your garden.