Simply For The Birds

Now is the time to start planning what you want to put in your summer garden and or planters.  If you are a hummingbird lover like I am, you might consider adding some plants that will attract hummingbirds to your containers.  Here is a list of some flowers you might want to consider in your planning~

Superbells, bright red cuphea, weigela, verbena, fushia, supertunia, honeysuckle, columbine and jasmine. This list is a suggestion and by no means exhaustive of the flowers you can use to attract hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden.

Be creative with the colors you choose so the planter is pleasing to your eye as well.  Keep in mind that hummers like colorful flowers, especially reds and deep pinks.

Don’t forget to set out a feeder or two as well!

If ants are causing a nuisance with your hummingbird feeder, there are several things you can try.  There is a gooey product that can be applied around the hook on your feeder called Tree Tanglefoot Pest Barrier.  The ants can’t go through it.  Another thought is using an ant moat to protect the nectar.  A clear ant moat works well so that you can see when it is full of ants and time to change the water.  A red one will help attract hummingbirds to the feeder.  Affordable way to keep ants from taking over your feeders.

Squirrels can be a real challenge once they discover your birdfeeders.  Someone suggested to take some old containers and fill them with sunflower seeds and then place them on the ground near where your other feeders are.  The squirrels will go the feeders on the ground rather than having to work for the seeds in the feeders.  Another suggestion is spreading acorns underneath the feeders.

You can also try squirrel baffles of squirrel proof feeders.  It can take some patience to find which method works best for your situation.  Perseverance will pay off, however.

Since wildlife and plant life evolved together, it makes sense that the native plants in your area will make the best food souce and habitat for the birds in your backyard.  If you provide birds with these plants and water, you are sure to see increased activity in your yard. Unsure what native plants to plant in your backyard? Try doing a Google search ~ i.e. native plants backyard birds(state you are in), more than likely there will be many listings that will supply the information you seek.  The advantage of planting native plants, is that they will be readily available at local nurseries.

Pacific Northwest native plants that will attract finches, nuthatches, kinglets, Pine Siskins, Bushtits, chicadees, juncos woodpeckers and more, would be vine maples, shore pines and paper birches.  To attract Hummingbirds, try elderberries, mock orange, oceanspray, Nootka rose, columbine and penstemon.

You can always supplement their diets with bird feeders.

By placing your feeders so that they are in view of your windows, your whole family will be able to enjoy the feeding antics of the birds.  Place bird feeders at different heights and have the bird seed easily accessible so that the younger generation can take an active part in providing for the birds.  Remember to keep your bird feeders and the ground underneath clean of old seed.  Old seed can harbor disease.

Birdbaths provide an important element for the health and welfare of our backyard friends.  Keep the birdbaths in sight of the windows and also near some trees or bushes so the birds can make a get away if they are feeling threatened. Be sure to keep the water fresh and clean to ensure the continued use by the birds.

Suet is comprised of animal fat and other ingredients such as raisins, currants, dates, bird seed, chopped peanuts, bread crumbs and sunflower seeds. Suet provides a supply of energy to help birds survive through the winter months by generating body heat.  Use wire suet feeders for low maintenance.

Suet can be used year round to aid in breeding and nesting season and during nesting season.

If you want more birds to feed from your bird feeder, get the platform bird feeders.  You can put birdseeds, fruits and even bread on the feeder.  Since they are flat, the birds can easily get the food they want.  And they can perch on the edges of the feeder.
 
They have removable perforated metal bottoms so you can easily clean the feeder.  It can hold about 2 quarts of birdseeds or other foods.  It also includes a hanging cord so you can hang them from a tree or from a ledge on your patio.  You will definitely attract all kinds of birds on your feeder.  And you might see other little critters like squirrels as well.

Looking for a new hobby?  Why not use National Bird Feeding Month as a reason to start one? Feeding the birds can be very rewarding for you and your family, as well as beneficial to the birds. You can start out with a hopper or tube feeder, a bag of bird seed and be on your way to an inexpensive entertaining pastime.  Before you know it, you will be looking for another style of feeder and seed to attract different species of birds to your backyard or garden.

Watch your love of birds grow into a lifelong hobby that you can pass on to your children and grandchildren.

To keep birds nearby, avian lovers make sure their feeders are always stocked with bird food and water.  And when it comes to bird food, they all agree that their winged and flying pals fancy sunflower seeds best.  These seeds are plentiful and very affordable, and can be purchased in bulk from majority of pet supplies stores in town or in the Internet.

According to bird experts, the black sunflower seeds, which are also known as oil seeds, are ideal for hanging coconut feeders.  Birds favor this kind of seed due to its high oil content and soft, easy-to-open shells.  Goldfinches, however, are partial to Niger seeds, which are black in color, very light, and pricier than other seeds.  There’s also the white millet, a type of seed preferred by sparrows, juncos and certain kinds of doves that costs even less than sunflower seeds.  Safflower seeds are another popular option.  They are eaten like candy by birds like cardinals, chickadees, and woodpeckers.  The most awesome thing about safflower seeds is that squirrels hate them.  This means you may not even have to equip your home with squirrel proof feeders to protect your birds and their food from maddening animals.

Listening to the twittering of birds and watching feathered creatures hop, flutter, and fly are extremely relaxing to some people.  This is the why they install bird feeders to draw woodpeckers, chickadees, blue jays, titmice, cardinals, and finches to their grounds, and keep them in the vicinity.

Bird feeders can be hung, stationed on the ground, or placed on top of sturdy structures like thick branches and trees.  As the name indicates, window bird feeders are positioned close to or on windows or windowsills.  This makes the feeder easy to reach, clean and refill for the owner, in addition to providing a great view.  Window bird feeders that resemble a house are known as hopper feeders.  They have walls and a roof, requiring birds to hop on it so as to get to the seeds.  This is quite the opposite of platform bird feeders, which are open like trays but have a raised surface, and are more easily accessed by birds.  The absence of protective walls or screens, however, makes platform bird feeders susceptible to animal attacks.

Tube feeders are another alternative and they can also be situated next to windows.  They are great contraptions that are shaped like a cylinder, have perches and areas for feeding, and effectively keep poaching animals away.  The type used for hummingbirds is usually made of plastic or glass and looks like a bottle.