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Basic Birdie Feeding Tips |
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Written by Jenny
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Monday, 04 June 2007 |
Here are some basic tips to help make feeding the birdies successful and fun!
- Think about the birds you are trying to attract, as well as the birds that migrate through your area. Who are you trying to attract? Just a little research into who likes what will prove valuable. For example, do you want to attract finches? Try thistle (Nyjer) seed. Bluejays? They love black sunflower seed and peanuts. Mockingbirds or bluebirds? They are generally insect eaters but will come to a suet feeder, especially when the suet is homemade.
- Hummingbirds require their own type of feeder with a 1 to 4 mixture of sugar to water. In other words, if you use 1/4 cup of sugar you will need to dissolve it in 1 cup of water. Planting red flowers such as geraniums or petunias around the area you place your feeder helps to attract the hummingbirds, sort of a neon "Eat at Joe's" sign if you will. Investing in the ant guards is helpful too, especially if you suspend your feeder from a tree.
- Plan your feeder spacing carefully. Some of the birdies feel as though all the seed belongs to them and will chase the other birdies away. Sometimes just placing feeders around carefully so all the birds have plenty of space to themselves can help to curb the domineering tendencies of such birds. If you continue to observe it happening, try not to worry too much. Your other birds are getting seed too, just not as much as you see! Also, it's good to remember to be careful about hanging feeders near really clean windows and sliding glass doors. Remember the commercial where the birds shut the squeaky clean glass door so the guy would run into it? Let's try to keep that as a memory, not of one of your birdies hitting the glass. Hanging feeders near the glass is fine, just be sure to put up suncatcher or something else to help the birdies to realize that they are about to enter a no-fly zone.
- Don't forget water! When birds realize that your yard is a reliable source of food and water, they will come back and bring their friends with them. Providing water can be as simple as using a relatively flat, shallow dish to as complex as a heated birdbath with a pump that recirculates the water and causes a misting effect. Whatever route you choose, be sure to change out the water regularly, even daily as needed. Water left alone has the tendency to grow slime and mildew and can become a breeding ground for horrid things like mosquitoes! In warmer weather the birds will hit the water regularly, bathing and drinking so especially in hot climates it needs to be changed daily. In the winter, having a reliable source of water is extremely important for their survival, as they need to keep their feathers clean in order to keep warm.
- Change out the seed regularly as well. Seed left for too long gets stale and moldy. In some types of feeders the seed and hulls will build up in the tray and eventually will rot and stink. The leftover hulls can also carry disease if not cleaned out regularly. The seed can even sprout inside the feeder if it gets wet and isn't circulated. Therefore, it is a good idea to shake the feeders often to make sure the hulls fall out and the seed is dispersed evenly. In the summer you may not see the birds as often as in other seasons. Generally they have plenty of other things to eat during that time of the year, but don't worry! They will be back, especially if they remember your yard as being a prime spot for fresh seed and suet!
- Keep the area under the feeders clean. As the seed and hulls fall to the ground, some of the ground feeders like the juncos will come, but other nasties such as roaches and rodents will also take notice. We have a tray that collects the seed and hulls from our feeder, which gets cleaned out often. Underneath all our feeders we have an astroturf-like green rug that is designed for outdoor useage. Whatever falls onto it gets swept up weekly, which prevents the people below us from hating us and the ants from finding us.
- Keep the feeder and platform itself clean. Birds will perch at your feeder for prolonged periods of time, and we all know what happens when birds perch for any period of time! If you don't know, then see the bluebird of happiness. He just put down a deposit on a new car! So keep the poo cleaned up. No need for a histoplasmosis hot zone in your yard!
- Hummingbird feeders should be cleaned out at least once a week. In the spring I keep an eye on the nectar level and change it out once a week. As the weather heats up, the nectar will grow mold (ewww) so I change it twice a week. Usually they are coming so often by then that there really isn't much nectar left to change out. I have read that using a small amount of vinegar in the nectar will prevent the mold from growing, but haven't actually tried it due to fear of a boycott.
- Don't sweat the squirrels! They are a part of feeding birds! You can invest in one of those feeders that flings them off if they truly irk you or you can devote your life into making your backyard an elaborate labyrinth designed to foil them while still feeding birds, but research and trial and error have shown that they are most likely going to prevail in the end. Try to come to terms with it lest you wind up reenacting a "Caddyshack" scene with the squirrels. Nobody wants that!
- Do sweat the hawks! If you notice that a hawk has made your backyard his new favorite hangout, it is wise to not put out seed until he gets discouraged and moves on to a new hunting ground. It is also good to place feeders near a thicket where birds can beat a hasty retreat when danger lurks.
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