Birdfeeders

Hummingbirds are wonderful to watch in flight. They can move forward, backward and sideways as well as remaining stationary while beating their wings so fast that they make a humming noise. They feed naturally on both insects and nectar from blooming flowers. Because of their supercharged metabolic rate, hummingbirds are flying and feeding almost constantly all day long. They are also quite aggressive and will have no problem approaching hummingbird feeders which are hung quite close to our windows. For this reason, hummingbird feeders are among the most entertaining bird feeders to have. They are also the easiest to maintain. We only need to keep them clean and full of nectar which is a mixture of one part white sugar and four parts clean fresh water.

The fastest way to attract humminbirds to your yard is to hang a hummingbird feeder with plenty of bright red on it. Red is the best color for getting a hummer’s attention, so the more red on the hummingbird feeder, the better. Once you have a group of hummingbirds accustomed to visiting your feeder, you can either add other decorative feeders or even replace your original bright red model with a hummingbird feeder that is an entirely different style and color. Fill the feeder with a solution of one part sugar to 4 parts clean fresh water. There is no need to add food coloring to the solution.

Hummingbirds are particularly entertaining to watch for they are high energy and quite fearless. If you stand near the hummingbird feeder quietly and without moving, the hummers will come to feed in no time without paying much attention to you at all. 

Just as people often think their pets are “almost human”, we often make the same mistake when watching birds visit our bird feeders regularly. When birds let us approach close to the tube feeder before they leave, it isn’t because they like us, it’s because they have seen us often enough to stop seeing us as an immediate threat. Bird senses are fundamentally different from our own. Most birds have a very poor sense of smell but vision that is 2-3 times better than our own. Birds experience the world through their senses which are usually keener than our own. It is essential to avoid assigning human motives and values to bird behavior. Birds are not good or bad, they are never sneaky, happy, or sad. These descriptions are totally inappropriate for describing bird behavior. Even if you think some of those birds at the tube feeders are happy to see you, they are responding only to the food you represent.

As part of drawing birds to our yards, it is important to furnish a constant source of clean water. These birdbaths offer a steady source of drinking water, but just as important, a means to bathing. Birds are covered with thousands of feathers that birds spend much of their day maintaining. Bathing helps to reorganize the plumage more than to actually clean it and is usually followed by active preening and spreading of oil from the preen gland. When a bird is seen splashing around in the birdbath, watch and usually the bird will soon fly to a nearby branch or railing and begin the preening process. Most landbirds and waterbirds bathe in our birdbaths, but some, such as quail, perform their bathing behavior in depressions scooped out of loose and dusty soil. Some birds, such as hawks and sparrows, seem to bathe in both soil and water.

You can see birds wherever you go, but the best place to begin watching birds and identifying them is in your own yard. You will notice the same species visiting your bird feeders regularly which makes it easier to sharpen your birding skills. Begin by looking at features such as shape, size and behavior to place a bird in the correct family. Once you identify a family, the number of possibilities is greatly reduced so you only need to consider species that are likely to be in your area at this time of the year. By observing coloring and posture, you can further narrow your possibilities. Soon you will easily identify the regular visitors and be thrilled by newcomers. Then start watching the behaviors around your yard.  Which species frequent the swinging tube feeders? Which would rather feed on the ground or from platform feeders? Who are the regular visitors to the suet feeders? Do you need to add a large hopper feeder to accommodate the larger birds? By paying close attention to traffic around your bird feeders, it is easy to decide what kind of feeders to add during what seasons.

There are about 800 different species of birds in North America. Therefore, it is easy to start identifying birds at the bird feeders in your own backyard. The more the yard is improved as a bird feeding habitat, the more species are likely to visit. Take pride in the number of species you can encourage to nest or feed. There are many ways to do this. By adding trees and shrubs for cover, bird baths and different kinds of feeders at different levels, you will quite likely be amazed at the number of visitors that arrive. It is a good idea to place feeders no closer to the house than about 25 feet to avoid having birds fly into windows. The exception is window bird feeders. When these are attached directly to windows, birds will visit them regularly and offer a real close up view.

There are some really interesting statistics about those of us who are hooked on having bird feeders in our yards. Bird watching is recognized as one of the fastest growing outdoor activities in North America. A 1996 study study found more than 42 million backyard bird watchers in the United States. One out of five adults in the U.S. watches or feeds birds. To put this in perspective, more people watch birds than pursue other wildlife sports such as fishing and hunting. It’s no wonder that everywhere I go, I end up talking to people about bird feeders and bird watching. We all want to talk about what species have recently visited our tube feeders, platform feeders, hopper feeders and suet feeders.

The study also found that serious bird watchers were the best informed group on a broad range of ecological and animal life topics. This research also found, not surprisingly, that an interest in birds is often a first step toward building a sound conservation ethic. Because birds are sensitive indicators of the health of our environment, it is likely that a commitment to their well being will lead to a more widespread concern for the quality of the entire environment. As we all become more knowledgeable about the species that visit our bird feeders and their patterns, we are becoming more aware of the changing patterns in our entire environment.

The noisy Blue Jay is known by its jaunty crest and white spots in its wing and tail. It is widespread in eastern North America, but has spread to the Colorado Rockies where it has met with the dark blue Steller’s Jay. The Steller’s Jay  is common in the western forests. It also has a crest but does not have the white spots of the Blue Jay.  The scrub jay, shown in the picture, is crestless and is common in the wester states. Many people think of jays as nuisance birds around their bird feeders. However, these birds are also benefical, even though they are the bullies of the yard. Yes, they can hog the bird feeders, for they love sunflower seeds. One solution to this is to use hanging tube feeders for they have trouble perching on them, so don’t stay long. On the plus side, they are very curious so are always the first to discover a new feeder or new food offering. After they try something new, other birds will follow. They are also the first to sound the alarm to danger. If a hawk or cat is approaching, you can count on jays to sound a loud warning.

During the winter, birds can get water from snow where it is available, but it’s so much easier for them if you have a birdbath in your yard. When choosing a birdbath, always consider it’s characteristics. The best birdbaths are not too deep (1-3 inches is ideal) and have gently sloping sides that are not slippery. These birdbaths can be on a pedestal, hung from a pole or a tree, or attached to a railing of a deck or side of a fence, etc. Our birdbaths are regularly visited by finches, jays, woodpeckers, towhees and often migrating birds. If you live in an area where temperatures often are below freezing, you might want to consider adding a birdbath heater. These are specially designed to keep the water from freezing without harming visiting birds.

The best way to draw the greatest number of species to your bird feeders is to mimic their natural habitat with native plants. The perfect backyard habitat will have trees, bushes and plants of varying heights since some birds spend much of their time in trees  while others are usually feeding or foraging near the ground. This tube feeder is hung next to a large bush and about 15 feet from a huge oak tree. The oak tree is constantly full of chattering birds waiting their turn at the tube feeder. The added benefit of using native plants is that they are easiest to take care of and don’t need to be replanted every year. Having different types of bird feeders at these different levels will also encourage many species to visit your yard. To further encourage birds to your yard during nesting season, consider providing nest boxes or houses.