Birdfeeders

There are many birds who will rarely or never visit our hanging bird feeders. These are the birds who are naturally ground feeders. This group includes quail, morning doves, dark-eyed juncos, most sparrows, tufted titmice, jays, crows, towhees, cardinals, etc. We have designated an area that is about 10 feet x 8 feet specifically for the ground feeding birds. By scattering cracked corn, which can be purchased quite cheaply at the local feed store, and mixed seeds, many more birds can visit at one time than can at our hanging feeders. Of course, the downside of this is that you must be careful to only scatter as much as can be eatten in a day or two. If the seed sits around too long it will get spoiled and moldy. If old seed begins to collect, it must be cleaned up immediately. The easier alternative is a large platform feeder. This is usually a large square with short legs, short sides and a screen bottom. The ground feeders will love it and you avoid the clean up problem. Water will drain out so the seed can quickly dry during the wet months. We also add some sunflower seeds to our platform feeder to attract even more species than we draw with cracked corn and mixed seed.