Concerned gardeners are calling the RSPB in their droves this month, as their garden birds appear to have deserted them.

For weeks, gardeners have come to expect the familiar sight of adult birds frantically building their nests followed by the desperate chirping of the young awaiting food.

But now, the silence has left those that have dutifully fed and watered their garden visitors concerned they have done something wrong.

The RSPB is reassuring people that this is perfectly normal behaviour for the time of year and telling them to sit back and enjoy the relative calm while it lasts.

Birds will be enjoying the bountiful supply of natural food in the wide countryside, moulting their worn feathers and growing new ones for the next few weeks, before returning for our help with winter feeding.

Hilary Hunter, RSPB Northern Ireland Spokesperson, says: "We are receiving endless calls from gardeners who are worried that they are somehow responsible for the lack of garden birds. They can't understand how they can have been so present and active just a few weeks ago and now they seem to have disappeared.

"Much like us taking a holiday, they too go for a well earned rest in the countryside. They have been so busy breeding and feeding that they need time to recuperate and get their feathers ready for a long winter," she explained.

"We are urging people to continue to put out a little food and water as some birds will still be visiting garden feeders, but feed in moderation, when fewer birds are present, to avoid wasting uneaten food."