Birdfeeders

My friend Krista was in Monterey, CA this weekend and was thrilled to find Acorn Woodpeckers in the oak trees right outside their cabin window. She was talked into sharing this picture with us. These very social birds live in cohesive family groups which usually stay together year round.

If you are lucky enough to have a group living in oak trees near your yard, it is easy to encourage them down to tube feeders, for they love sunflower seeds. Even though their main diet is acorns and insects, they will devour not only sunflower seeds, but cracked corn, dried corn on the cob and suet. They are not easily scared away from tube feeders by other birds, so observing them is easy and fun. They will also visit suet bird feeders.

There are many sources to find out what plants birds love. Planting some of these in your yard will certainly help to attract birds. My all time favorite however, is the sunflower. Planting these around the yard, in pots on a deck or balcony or anywhere you have a spot will be most satisfying. They are easy to grow and birds love to pick out the seeds as they mature. I have some planted near our tube feeders and others much closer to the house. This year I planted some early and some later so they mature at different times to keep birds interested longer. Also, when we were gone on vacation for a few days, the sunflowers added interest to our yard as the tube feeders were getting low on sunflower seeds. They add striking color to the surroundings and they are so easy to grow that children love to plant them and watch them take off.

It really isn’t hard to get wild birds to eat out of your hand, especially if you work on it during the winter when available food is scarce. It just takes some patience. After there are regular visitors at your bird feeder for a while, they are probably use to you being around the bird feeder anyway. I have stood right next to the hummingbird feeder and had the hummers back at the feeder in a matter of a few minutes. The seed eaters are not as brave around humans, so it will take a little more patience.

Start early in the morning when they are the most hungry. On the first morning, bring out a chair and sit a few feet away from the bird feeder. It is best to do this with a low platform feeder. If you sit quietly without moving, it shouldn’t take even a half hour for the birds to be curious and come closer and closer until they are feeding. The next day, move closer to the platform feeder. When the birds adjust to this in a day or two, try resting your hand on the side of the feeder. Having a treat in your hand will certainly help convince the birds to approach. Nut kernels or hulled sunflower seeds should draw jays, nuthatches, woodpeckers and chickadees as well as goldfinches, pine siskins and cardinals. Whatever visitors are most frequent in your yard should be attracted to their favorite treats. If you have bluebirds who love peanut butter, have peanut butter in your hand. If no birds are eating out of your hand but eating from the birdfeeder around your hand after a couple of days, empty the feeder and continue sitting quietly with your hand full of seeds and nuts on the bird feeder. It shouldn’t take long for them to freely eat from your hand. Continue this for another couple of days, then do away with the chair and just stand near the feeder with food in your hand. If you do this regularly, your constant visitors should freely approach for the treats you hold. Some of the braver ones may surprisingly land on your shoulder and even come to you as you walk around the yard. Be sure to always have seed and nuts with you to offer to them!

Deciding where to put hanging bird feeders is not as easy as it sounds. There are a few things to consider before making this decision. Think about what rooms of the house are most frequently used. It makes sense to have the feeders visible as often as possible. Then think about the distance from these windows. There is no point in having hanging bird feeders so far from the window that birds are just tiny specks. Also there should be trees or shrubs nearby to offer protection for birds. Hang the bird feeders high enough to protect them from squirrels and cats, but low enough that they are easy to fill. If at all possible, try to hang bird feeders in a location protected from driving wind, rain and snow. Not only will the birds be more comfortable, but the seed will stay fresh longer.

Of course, hummingbird feeders can be hung right next to the house. Ours are right outside the kitchen window hanging under the eves so even during rain storms, it is dry on the hummingbird feeders.

The most common place to observe really aggressive bird behavior is at the hummingbird feeder. These tiny birds will decide that the feeder is their sole property and spend most of the day chasing away any intruders. The easiest solution is to put up another hummingbird feeder that isn’t too close to the first one. With fewer individuals trying to feed at one feeder, the competition should lessen.

At the seed feeders, jays can be real bullies. They are bigger than many of the other visiting birds as well as louder, so they can scare away many birds from tube feeders, platform feeders, hopper feeders and suet feeders. Luckily, the jays usually settle down quickly and the other birds return to feed. Mockingbirds can be more territorial, but again, the solution may be to add another feeder in another part of the yard, or at least a ways away, possibly with something in between, like a bush or fence, etc.

If  there are birds at the hanging bird feeders, then there is debris collecting below, especially if the bird feeders are offering sunflower seeds. It doesn’t take long to collect as much as an inch of fallen seeds and hulls. The obvious solution is to regularly rake them up, which is of course an option. I prefer to instead spread out a layer of bark (wood chips work just as well). I use a thick layer so it only rarely needs to be replenished. If you are attacting many ground feeders, such as doves, juncos or jays, they will pick through the droppings and find the edible seeds. An occasional run through with a rake or hoe will turn over the bark and bury the hulls so you still have a clean appearance.

If you enjoy having hanging bird feeders, but don’t want to deal with the mess, then just change the contents of your bird feeders. Fill the bird feeder with hulled sunflower seeds, nutmeats, cracked corn, and peanut pieces (not whole peanuts). Anything that is dropped will be quickly cleaned up by the ground feeders.

Thistle bird feeders are a special design for small birds, particularly gold finches.  Finches can hold on to any open spot on the tube portion of the feeder and many birds might feed at one time.

Thistle bird feeders are not made to hold actual thistle, but a tiny black seed called Nyjer, which is sometimes referred to as thistle.  Nyjer is shipped from Asia and Africa and is high in calorie and oil content to attract the finches, as well as pine siskins and redpolls.  Nyjer seed is quite expensive, so I suggest that you use feeders that are constructed for its specific use to avoid waste.

Window bird feeders are a popular choice because the birds are visible at a much closer range than other types of feeders.  They are also nice for anyone who might be mobility impaired or homebound so they can enjoy the local birds without having to venture outside. 

Indoor cats will enjoy them as well.  In fact, I have known more than one cat owner who referred to window bird feeders as “kitty TV”.

There are many bird seeds and mixtures available, but the best all around seed to put in tube feeders is black oil sunflower. It is a favorite of most birds and small enough for small birds to crack. Start with this, then experiment with other seeds. Many birds also will be drawn to safflower, millet, cracked corn and peanut kernels. There are specially designed feeders for the tiny nyjer seed preferred by finches. If you decide to buy a seed mixture, be sure to carefully read the label for ingredients. You want a mixture containing mostly sunflower, millet and cracked corn. If the main ingredients are barley, wheat, etc., do not buy it.

You can also attract birds with many foods. Try some pieces of fruit (orioles love oranges), currants or soaked raisins. Also peanut butter, melon seeds, popped corn or grape jelly are enjoyed by many species. If you offer these during the summer, be sure to throw away any spoiling food at the end of the day.

Of course, hummingbirds, orioles and sometimes woodpeckers, love nectar served in either hummingbird feeders or oriole feeders. Simply dissolve one part plain white sugar in 4 parts clean fresh water for the nectar. Especially during the hot weather, clean these feeders frequently. If the nectar becomes cloudy, change immediately.