Simply For The Birds

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.

Most wild birds seek their food naturally, but some will supplement their food supply with birdseed, fruit and suet, especially during winter when their natural food sources are more scarce.  Utilizing suet bird feeders in the winter is best.  Hot weather will turn them rancid and the dripping fat is harmful to the bird’s feathers.

Offer a variety of seeds in multiple feeders and at different levels to increase the variety of birds you want to attract.  Mounting poles are a great way to do that.  You can find mounting poles that will hang off of a deck, ones that will hold a single bird feeder or multiple feeders at once.  Don’t forget to offer ground bird feeders for robins, towhees, juncos, blue jays and cardinals.

Once your bird feeders are in place, you may see birds in a few hours or days.  Some of it depends on how near bird habitat is, if there are other bird feeders in the area or what kind of birds you are trying to attract.  Chickadees, titmice and sparrows tend to find new feeders more quickly.  The best times to find birds at your feeders are early morning and at dusk and during the winter months.

Keeping squirrels from your bird feeders can be challenging, but by planning ahead and utilzing a couple of squirrel proof methods at the same time, will minimize squirrel usage.

Squirrels can jump up to 6 feet and straight across at least 8 feet.  So if at all possible, place bird feeders 8 feet from any jumping off spot.  If that isn’t an option - try using baffles, squirrel proof bird feeders, the Twirl-A-Squirrel or combinations of these methods. 

If using a baffle, make sure that the hanging bird feeder is 4 1/2 feet off of the ground and that the baffle is is at least 1/3 larger than the feeder.

Add a Twirl-A-Squirrel to any hanging feeder and watch the Twirl-A-Squirrel activate and safely twirl the squirrel off of the feeder.  The weight of the birds won’t activate the Twirl-A-Squirrel.  You Tube Twirl-A-Squirrel Video

If you provide suitable housing and nesting material, your chances of attracting nesting birds to your backyard will be greatly improved.  Now is the time to start getting prepared with a purchase of a bird house and nesting materials.  If you wait until spring you might be too late!

It is such a delight to witness the birds building their nests in their bird houses.  Then there is the added enjoyment of hearing the little chicks chirping, watching them being fed and if you are lucky enough - seeing them leave the nest and take first flight!

There are so many styles of bird houses to choose from.  Anywhere from utilitarian, decorative, kits to make yourself and the unusual and unique.

Clinging birds have strong feet, which allows them to run up and down a tree truck or grasp onto small surfaces.  Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, Chickadees, Titmouse and Nuthatches are some you will find in the clinger family.  Clingers are naturally curious and will often be the first visitors to your feeders.  They will provide much activity and entertainment around  your suet and tube feeders.

Clingers love black oil sunflower seeds, sunflower kernels, peanuts and are suitable for tube feeders.

You can purchase suet cakes for your suet feeders or make your own receipe by using different combinations of lard, crunchy peanut butter, birdseed, crackers, dried bread, raisins, currants and dates. Melt the lard and while warm mix in the other ingredients you desire.  Then spread the mixture onto a shallow pan.  Refrigerate overnight.  Cut into desired shapes and sizes.

The primary diet of a Bluebird is insects and fruit.  If you happen to have an American Bittersweet plant in your yard - you are a step ahead to attracting Bluebirds.

Mealworms are an excellent nutritional source of food and many birds love them.  If you are mainly interested in feeding Bluebirds, there are Bluebird feeders designed to specifically feed Bluebirds and keep the others out.  Typically they are designed so that the bird has to go through an entrance hole to get to the worms- Bluebirds will do that, most other birds won’t.

Did you know that you can train Bluebirds?  Try whistling or making some other call when refilling their feeders and see what happens!

There are three types of Bluebirds found in the U.S.  The Eastern Bluebird found East of the Rockies which is the most numerous.  Across the Western one third of the U.S. you will also find Western Bluebirds and Mountain Bluebirds.  The Mountain and Western Bluebirds are a little larger in size, so keep that in mind when acquiring a bird house.  A Bluebird house that has a floor measuring 4″ x 4″ with an opening of 1 1/2″ is suitable for the Eastern variety.  Whereas, if you are looking to accommodate the larger Bluebird - you need to look for a 5″ x 5″ floor with an opening of 1 9/16″.

The female typically lays four to five light blue eggs that will hatch in 13 to 15 days.  The male will bring food to the female and young during the first few days after the chicks hatch.  The young Bluebirds will fledge in 15 to 20 days.

Key elements to attracting Bluebirds to your backyard are housing, food and water.  They prefer open areas - not heavily wooded areas.

Hummingbirds build their nests in tree branches and their nests are about the size of a quarter!  If you are lucky enough to spot one, you will see that they are made with fine plant or animal down, spider webs, lichen and moss.  The eggs are about the size of peas and usually two to three eggs are laid.

After brushing your cat, try taking the hair retrieved from the brush and placing in tree branches and bushes to aid the hummingbird in finding nesting material. Don’t have a cat?  No problem, there are hummingbird nesting materials available on the market.  

By getting the right kind of feeder, you can draw more hummingbirds to your garden or backyard.  So make sure to purchase a hummingbird feeder if your aim is to attract flocks of those tiny, brightly colored new world birds with a long, thin bills and narrow wings that move quickly, and frequently while making a humming sound.
 
Hummingbird feeders can be made of metal or plastic.  Needless to say, the metal variety is more durable than the plastic kind, and can last for many, many years.  It is also waterproof and weatherproof, with colors and designs that will never lighten or tarnish.  If you prefer a more attractive type of feeder, go for a decorative feeder.  As its name implies, the decorative variety has more intricate designs and is more pleasing to the eye than an ordinary feeder.  The best way to entice hummingbirds to your garden is to fill your feeder with nectar.  Hummingbirds love this sweet stuff.  A good buy would be Clear Instant Nectar, whose eight-ounce package makes 48 ounces when mixed with tap water.  It requires no boiling, besides being color-free and scientifically-developed to attract hummingbirds to your feeder.