Birdfeeders

As we began to have more bird feeders in our yard, the bird seed expense started going up. Especially during the winter and early spring, a tube bird feeder can easily use a quart of black oil sunflower seeds in a day. We realized that buying seed in small quantities just didn’t make sense. It is much more economical to buy large bags of sunflower seeds and store them in a clean, dry covered container. Some people use a metal trash can, but we use a large plastic container with a tight fitting lid. If it is stored outside, be sure to have a container that can be locked. If there is any way to get in to it, raccoons will figure it out. Then use a large scoop to fill the tube bird feeder. During the summer months when usage is down, be careful not to keep large quantities of seed, for the heat will cause your seed to be full of moths. Be sure to clean all bird feeders regularly and throw out any old or moldy food at all feeders. After all, we don’t want to cause harm to any birds.

So you want to start feeding birds in your yard, but what is the best way to start to insure success? This is actually pretty simple. To start with, there are some basic things to consider. Birds will be most comfortable in an area that offers protection, food and water. If you have shrubs and trees nearby to offer protection from predators, shelter and places to raise their young, birds will be comfortable in your yard. There are many types of bird feeders that are all designed to attract different species of birds, but to begin, it is best to invest in a good tube bird feeder which is then filled with sunflower seeds. A tube bird feeder can be hung from a tree branch, mounted on a pole, or hung on a hook attached to a deck railing or fence. These are easy to fill, have multiple perches and are familiar to most birds. Fill it with sunflower seeds, for the greatest  variety of birds love sunflower seeds. There are three types of sunflower seeds: the gray striped seed is the largest, next is the medium sized black striped seed and the smallest is the black oil sunflower seed with solid black hulls. Birds like them all, but the small black oil seed is preferred by most seed eating birds. Its thin shell makes it the easiest to eat and it has a higher oil content than the other two. Hang your new tube bird feeder in plain view and not too close to the house and you will be thrilled with the bird activity which begins in your yard. Be sure to have a source of water nearby as well. An attractive bird bath is a nice addition, but not necessary. Any shallow container filled with clean, fresh water and placed near places to perch and preen will be enjoyed.

It was not too many years ago that orioles rarely visited feeders. Now, they seem to have learned that oriole bird feeders mean food. They are attracted to the color orange, so good oriole feeders are orange and have perches for the birds to land on. These are nectar feeders and should be filled with a solution made of 4 parts fresh clean water and 1 part white sugar.

From spring until fall, orioles are frequent visitors to oriole feeders over much of the United States. They move far southward during the winter, but these bright colored birds are a joy to have visit during the warm months. The most common species is the northern oriole which includes the eastern Baltimore race and the western Bullock’s race. Both are bright orange and black, but the Bullock’s also has big white wing patches and the Baltimore has a full black hood. Commonly seen in the southwest is the Scott’s oriole which is vivid yellow and black. These beautiful birds will frequently visit oriole bird feeders but will also be drawn to orange halves.

These brightly colored birds are easy to identify, but they are not as quick to find an oriole bird feeder as a hummingbird is to find a hummingbird feeder. It just means that a little patience is necessary, for they will come. These are an arboreal bird, which means they stay mostly in the trees. Therefore, we need to be sure to look up when watching for them. If there are trees in your yard, the orioles will move from one tree to another on their way. Once they reach the oriole bird feeder, they may spend many minutes enjoying the treat.

It can be very rewarding to add an oriole bird feeder to the yard. These beautiful birds seem to come back to the same area year after year, so it is worth being patient waiting for them to find your bird feeder. It is great fun to watch them bring their offspring to the feeder for the first time. Also offering grape jelly or orange halves will encourage them to visit.

Sometimes when setting up a birdhouse in the yard, it can fail to attract birds for months and even years.  This can be due to numerous factors, but it’s also important to remember that birds often won’t enter a birdhouse the first year it’s available.  Often the birdhouse smells like humans and birds tend to be wary of it until it’s been weathered.  The other factors that can cause birds to avoid birdhouses can be attributed to their position in the yard.  For example, smaller birds want to have a sheltered area where they can be out of sight of predators.  These areas might be near a bush, on a tree trunk, or in an area with deep foliage or tall grass.  Birdhouses that are out in the open will be avoided for fear of predators viewing the birds from above.

When placing a birdhouse, it’s also a good idea to have a bird feeder at a nearby location.  The bird feeder should correspond to the same type of birds that use the birdhouse, for example, a peanut feeder shouldn’t be near a birdhouse intended for chickadees, swallows, and finches.