Birdfeeders

As we get more involved with bird watching and bird feeders, we start being more aware of the many predators that song birds need to beware of. Certainly, we can help to protect them by placing bird feeders near the cover of trees and shrubs but not furnishing cover for cats to use to sneak up on birds. However, we must not try to interfere with the balance of nature. Natural predators such as birds of prey serve their purpose in nature. If we try to interfere with the natural food chain, we risk upsetting the natural balance.

Birds have their own methods of protecting themselves from predators. Many people don’t like the aggressive jays visiting their bird feeders, but they are great sentinels as they call attention to all intruders, such as hawks, cats and squirrels. They use a variety of alarm calls to announce if the enemy is approaching from the air or the ground.

Birds have eyes that are proportionately larger than those of most mammals. Therefore, they use this superb vision for locating food as well as spotting predators. Birds have enormous appetites relative to their size so they are always searching for food. East of the Mississippi river, an acre of land only supports an average of four birds so most people won’t see many birds unless they are feeding them. Studies seem to indicate that birds are especially attracted to white foods so it is reasonable to assume that white bread crumbs will successfully coax birds to your yard. White suet will also work. Unfortunately, white bread is not really healthy for birds. It is very useful as you begin bird feeding, but soon you need to feed them more substancial foods. Most birds that are attracted feed on seeds and insects, so introducing hopper bird feeders or platform bird feeders quite soon will keep the birds coming back for more. These bird feeders will hold either mixed seed or all sunflower seeds. Now is the time to experiment and see what your birds prefer.

As much as we enjoy watching the birds at our bird feeders, there are a few challenges that we need to consider.

House cats are definitely a problem. They are not part of the normal balance of nature, but predators that kill for fun, not for food. Domestic cats that are allowed to roam freely account for the deaths of millions of birds each year just in the United States. The obvious solution is to keep house cats in the house at least during daylight hours when birds are feeding. However, we cannot control our neighbor’s cats so must consider the threat of cats when we hang our bird feeders. Feeders that hang at least four and a half feet off the ground are too high for a cat to jump on. Also, be sure there are no places near the bird feeders for cats to hide or sneak up from.

There will always be a few birds who carry disease. In a high traffic bird feeder, disease can spread to other birds if the feeder isn’t kept clean. This is easy to do. At least every 3 months, bird feeders should be cleaned with a solution of hot water and white vinegar. During the hot summer months, more frequent washing is a good idea.

Squirrels can often be a problem for they love bird seed. Feeding squirrels can go through huge amounts of seed and break anyone’s budget. The easiest solution is to purchase squirrel proof bird feeders. There are many different types but they are all meant to discourage squirrels from cleaning out your bird feeders. Other methods of discouraging  them include putting baffles on supporting poles, hanging covers over bird feeders, and hanging the bird feeders at least 10 feet from tree branches or other launch points. Sometimes offering whole dried corn on the cob in another area may discourage them from raiding your bird feeders.

Feeding birds takes some time and attention as well as having some expenses, so why do it? There are actually practical reasons for having bird feeders in your yard beyond the sheer enjoyment of bird watching. Having bird feeders in your yard can greatly increase bird traffic which is quite benefical to the yard. First of all, birds eat lots of insects which can greatly reduce the insect population in your garden. For example, starlings which are found all over the United States, will eat Japanese beetle larvae. They also love gypsy moth larvae, which most birds will not eat. Baltimore orioles love to gorge on hairy caterpillars and flickers will eat thousands of ants! Even birds that usually eat seeds will feed lots of insects to their young. During the summer months birds may eat fruit and berries from our plants, but they also will take berries from poison ivy and seeds from weeds. Since goldfinches love the seeds of thistles and catnip, they help control the spread of both of these.

For people who are confined indoors because of sickness, injury or age, bird watching can bring a wonderful new demension to their lives. Whether they start with tube feeders, hopper feeders, platform feeders or simply hummingbird feeders, watching the bird activity outside can add many hours of enjoyment not offered by television.

Once we have had our bird feeders in the yard for a period of time, we have plenty of traffic at all of our bird feeders. As we become more familiar with the species that regularly visit our tube feeders, platform bird feeders and hopper feeders, it might be fun to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. This is a winter bird population monitoring program jointly sponsored by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. Thousands of people across North America record the number and species of birds seen in their yards during a four day count period in the middle of February. Counts are entered online at www.birdsource.org. The results are used to monitor populations, bird movement and bird distribution. This project certainly helps us all to understand that the birds we see in our yards are part of a greater ecological whole.

Any old bird feeder won’t attract any kind of bird. If you’re interested in a specific bird frequenting your yard, a hummingbird for example, you need to make sure you have the right type of feeder and seed to draw them in. Here are some examples of what kind of bird feeders are out there:

• Hanging feeders
• Platform feeders
• Cedar feeders
• Hummingbird feeders
And if you’re still not getting the birds that you want, do a little more research into their feeding habits. Birds like to eat at certain levels, so make sure the feeder isn’t too high or too low for them. Some birds also prefer to eat in the morning, and in a certain amount of sunlight. A little research, and you’ll have all the birds stopping by.

Bird baths may look good in your garden, but it’s the birds they’re really for. About two inches of water is all it takes to attract the huge variety of birds that come to the shallow pool to drink and bathe. Bird baths are especially popular during the summer months, and times of drought, when it’s difficult to find water.

Baths must be shallow, but gradually deepening, high on a pedestal and safe from cats, clean, and frequently filled with fresh water to avoid mosquitoes, and your bird bath will be doing a whole lot more than just looking good in your garden.

We all try to hang our bird feeders in a location that is easy to observe the activity from inside the house. However, it is a special treat to be able to approach birds without scaring them away. Different species of birds have different tolerance points for our approach. This is known as their flush points. For example, hummingbirds are very accepting of close proximity to humans. We can stand right next to a hummingbird feeder and if we stand quietly, it will only take a few minutes for the hummingbirds will return to the feeder. On the other end of the spectrum are many birds of prey that it’s hard to get close enough to even see with binoculars. In between these two extremes are most other species. Whether or not a bird flushes from your bird feeders as you approach depends on how you handle the approach. To begin with, if you are regularly in your yard filling bird feeders, working in the garden, etc., your local birds are somewhat use to you already, which is the first advantage. When trying to approach feeding birds, move slowly. Take it easy and watch the birds for signs of agitation. If they seem close to flushing, stop moving. Just stand still and wait for them to relax before slowly continuing to approach. Another tactic to remember is to be aware of how you are moving toward the bird feeders. Birds are less likely to flush early if you approach at an angle. If it is obvious to birds that you are not heading directly for them, but in off to the side, they will tolerate your presence longer.

When we have bird feeders in our yards, we cause many birds to visit. After all, that’s the reason we have the bird feeders! Having all these birds in one area often also attracts bird-eating hawks. Depending on your location, you could see sharp-shinned hawks, cooper’s hawks or any species of falcons. We offer cover in the form of trees and shrubs as cover for birds, but this same cover could also hide a hawk’s approach. All hawks are protected by law, as they should be, so don’t even think of killing them.

Having an occasional hawk visit should not be thought of as a bad thing. Just consider the hawk as  another bird visiting your yard. Unlike domestic cats, hawks have their place in the intricate balance of nature. Even though we hate to see a kill, they are necessary to keep the balance of bird populations. Without natural predators, birds that hatch 5-6 baby birds at a time would soon overwhelm any area. Don’t feel bad when your bird feeders attract a hawk or falcon to your area. You are not contributing to the death of birds! Birds will be caught - it’s only a matter of whether or not you see it.

The best way to have a large variety of birds visit the yard is not to offer great variety in seed offerings, but a variety of bird feeders. For birds who feed off the ground, tube bird feeders filled with black sunflower seeds will appeal to almost all species. For ground feeders, platform bird feeders on short legs right on the ground will be very appealing. Of course, the finches will love hanging thistle feeders filled with nyjer seed.

The next question is where to put these bird feeders. We must consider what is convenient for us and also offers easy feeding as well as protective cover for the birds. First think about where you spend most of your time. Is it in the kitchen, the living room, the office? Bird feeders should be outside the window which will offer the most family viewing. Next, feeders must be placed where they will be convenient to fill, even if the weather is terrible. There is no point to leaving bird feeders empty because they are difficult to get to in bad weather. Since birds find their food by sight, it is important to place feeders where they will be easily found by birds. Just as important, there must be cover nearby. A tree or shrub should be within a few feet to provide easy cover from danger as well as shelter. If a bird feeder is placed out in the middle of an open space, it won’t attract as many birds for it isn’t as safe as a bird feeder that offers some nearby protection.