Birdfeeders

As we are cleaning our bird feeders and preparing for the spring arrivals, I started shopping for a new supply of bird seed. We have one tube bird feeder that is filled with only black oil sunflower seeds for that is the seed that is always the most popular. However, our other tube bird feeder I like to use a wild bird seed mix. A local store was advertising a really good price on a wild bird seed mix, so I went to check it out. Sure, it was a good price, but most of it would have landed on the ground. Be very careful when buying these mixes. Be sure to get a mix with quality birdseed with a minimum of filler seeds. Birds will usually just toss aside milo, wheat and most of the dark colored millets. I’m still finding that the best way to have a mix is to buy the individual seeds and mix it yourself. I use sunflower chips, white millet, peanut pieces, safflower and cracked corn. With this mix, there is a minimum of waste. If you use only seeds that have had the hulls removed, the seeds cannot germinate in your yard, but these are more expensive. The pictured tube bird feeder is a new Quick Clean Big Tube by Aspects that is simple to keep clean.

Hopper bird feeders have a lot of advantages over other types of feeders. Generally, they hold more seed than tube feeders or platform feeders and they keep the seed dry and fresh. The most common type of hopper bird feeder is generally shaped like a house. The seed is poured into a center trough and flows out the bottom into a feeding tray. They can be either be hung or pole mounted and usually provide a larger perching area to include not only small birds, but also larger species such as Cardinals. Some have suet cages mounted on the ends and many are made of recycled plastic. These feeders are so durable that they come with a lifetime guarantee. They also help to keep these plastics out of our landfills!

Tube bird feeders are a simple way to feed birds in your yard. The clear tube allows you to easily see when the seed is running out and these feeders are generally easy to clean. Because tube feeders usually have smaller perching areas, they generally attract small birds such as chickadees, finches, titmice and nuthatches. There are now a few tube bird feeders made with spiral perches. This allows more birds to perch at a time and they will also accommodate larger birds. This type of tube feeder is perfect for attracting Cardinals and woodpeckers. A plastic seed tray can be added that will catch seed to keep the yard cleaner and will also allow more perching area.

Spring is coming soon and that means the return of hummingbirds. It’s about time to clean up or replace our hummingbird feeders so we are ready to greet the hummers! In the meantime, here are some fun hummingbird facts. They beat their wings an average of 78 times per second, but during a dive, their wings can beat up to 200 times per second! They take about 250 breaths per minute and their hearts beat about 1260 times per minute. No wonder they love our hummingbird feeders for they comsume half their body weight in food every day. Think about how much that would be for us! A hummingbird’s average life span is 3-5 years.

Birds have many physical characteristics that help to keep them warm in the cold winter months. Their feathers provide remarkable insulation and some species even grow extra feathers for extra winter protection. The oil that coats birds’ feathers provides insulation as well as waterproofing. All birds legs and feet are covered with scales that minimize heat loss. They can further reduce heat loss by constricting blood flow to their extremities. Many birds can gorge during the fall to build up fat reserves for the winter. Birds have also developed behaviors to help keep them warm. We have all watched birds sit and fluff out their feathers. This creates air pockets that add additional insulation from the cold. In addition, we see them standing on one leg or crouched low to cover both legs to shield them from the cold. So yes, birds have lots of ways to help protect themselves from the cold, but during frigid temperatures, many birds still succumb. During winters as bad as this one has been, bird mortality can be very high so we all must do what we can to help our backyard birds survive. The most important thing is to consistently offer high fat foods such as black oil sunflower seeds, suet, scraps and whatever other high fat foods you can offer to give birds plenty of energy to generate body heat. It is especially important to have all birdfeeders full consistently but especially early in the morning and just before dusk. Our hanging tube feeders are busiest at dawn when birds are in need of lots of food after a cold night. I can always tell when either a storm is coming or the night is going to especially cold, for the hanging tube feeders, platform feeders and suet feeders are especially busy starting in the early afternoon as the local birds are filling up before dark. In areas that are covered in snow, liquid water is especially important to help birds survive. Melting snow themselves uses up too much precious energy.

We have watched a couple of acorn woodpeckers in the big oak tree behind our house for a year or more, but have only occasionally had them visit a hanging tube feeder or a suet feeder. A couple of months ago we added a No-No hanging bird feeder which holds 2.5 pounds of black oil sunflower seeds. During these cold winter months, it adds a food source for our hungry birds. We have been thrilled that the acorn woodpeckers love this feeder! They have been visiting it regularly, grabbing a seed, flying back to a tree, then back down for another seed. We have a hanging platform feeder nearby and now they are spending time on it as well. The No-No hanging bird feeder is also attracting jays so the hanging tube feeder is much more available to the smaller birds. We are now using the hanging platform feeder for millet, sunflower seeds, bread crumbs and whatever leftovers we think the birds will like. The acorn woodpeckers are a really enjoyable addition to our yard.

I know I’m thinking about feeding the hatchlings way too early, but I am sooooo ready for spring! I’ve had enough of winter and am looking forward to spring courting, nest building and the arrival of hatchlings. I think this year I am going to add a second hanging platform feeder to our yard just for offering foods from the kitchen. We have a year around hanging platform feeder that we keep stocked with assorted seed, sometimes eggshells or left over rice or pasta. However, when the chicks are hatched in nearby nests, there is a greater demand for soft foods and having a separate hanging platform feeder might be easier and less messy. I’m planning on keeping the seed offerings in the permanent platform feeder and using the second one to offer “baby food” such as soft bread crumbs, eggs, either hard scrambled or mashed up hard boiled, even canned dog or cat food. Lots of kitchen leftovers are appreciated at this time such as cottage cheese, soft cooked peas, lentils, pasta or rice, even finely chopped up meat. Soft bananas, apples and other fruits will also be taken.

Most of the time, we don’t worry about what colors most birds prefer. Sure, we know that hummingbirds love red so most hummingbird feeders feature red. However, if a new platform feeder or hopper feeder is introduced, it is helpful to know that white food is most bird’s favorite. If a new platform feeder or hopper feeder features small pieces of white bread, it will quickly draw the attention of many birds. Once they find the new feeder, they will eat other foods, but white is a strong attraction. The next most attractive color to many birds is red, so adding red fruit and berries will also draw attention. Another attractive color to many birds is orange. Put an orange half in a platform feeder and watch how many birds are drawn. The one bird who prefers orange above all other colors is the oriole. There are now many oriole bird feeders which are orange nectar feeders designed specifically for orioles. These beautiful birds will arrive in the U.S. from Central and South America in late Feb. or March so we need to get our oriole bird feeders cleaned, filled and out by early March.

I just came across a recipe to help out our ground feeding birds during the cold winter months. Since they do not use our hanging suet feeders, this is a way to offer them a high calorie treat in a platform feeder. Put in a food processor, 4 cups coarse ground cornmeal (found in a farm supply store, not the fine ground from the grocery store), 1/2 pound cubed fresh suet (without any meat or blood on it), and 1 cup of peanuts and also 1 cup of raisins if you like. Pulse the processor on and off until the mixture is crumbly (only takes a few seconds). This mixture can be scattered on the ground, but on a platform feeder there is much less mess. You can just put out the amount that is eaten in a day and keep the rest in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze it for later use.

Tube feeders are a really simple way to feed lots of birds. It’s clear tube makes it easy to see when the hanging tube feeders need to be refilled, they are easy to keep clean and many species are happy to visit hanging tube feeders, especially if they are filled with black oil sunflower seeds. We have a large one hanging in our yard that is constantly being visited, especially in the winter. The one drawback of this feeder, at least in our yard, is that is regularly dominated by all the scrub-jays that hang out in our yard. Especially during the spring breeding season, the scrub-jays constantly empty our tube feeder. I have just discovered the solution. We are adding a tube feeder that is designed for clinging birds only. It doesn’t have perches, so the jays will find it quite difficult to access. Instead, it will be perfect for Chickadees, small Woodpeckers, Titmice, Nuthatches, Goldfinches and other small birds.