Birdfeeders

Putting up hanging bird feeders in the yard will most certainly draw birds to the yard. The birds most likely to visit our hanging bird feeders are the seed eating species that are normally living up in the trees for they are use to clinging on branches and swinging twigs. Titmice, goldfinches, titmice and Pine Siskins are common visitors. Other birds such as woodpeckers and nuthatches have actually changed their behavior and have learned to visit our hanging bird feeders. Tube feeders, hopper feeders and platform feeders that have places to easily perch will also attract the larger birds like grosbeaks. Thistle feeders that hold tiny nyjer seeds will be very popular with goldfinches, redpolls and siskins. If squirrels are a problem in your yard, there are many styles of squirrel-proof bird feeders to keep them out of the seed.

We feel terrible when a bird we have attracted to our yard with our hanging bird feeders is killed by local predators. There are things we can do to reduce the losses. In our yard, cats are an issue. They are mostly feral, but also some of our neighbors think it’s fine to let their cats roam. We have done everything we can to make our yard unfriendly to cats so now, they are only appearing occasionally and the instant they see us, they streak out of the yard. For a while, we kept a hose with a high pressure nozzle on it in the yard. Upon seeing a cat, we would pretend not to see it, casually walk out and turn on the hose, then suddenly swing around and soak the cat. It didn’t take long for cats to take off upon seeing us. Now they are rarely in our yard. As a further precaution, we have cleared the area near our hanging bird feeders of all possible hiding places. Since many birds feed on the ground right under the hanging bird feeders, we have also put up short decorative fencing to make a cat’s approach even more difficult. Additionally, we have 6 foot hedges that make great hiding places from hawks as well as good nesting sites. We have had very little trouble with birds flying into windows, but if this is happening at your house, keeping a shade or curtain closed will reduce the glare and probably solve the problem. There are also hawk decals to put on windows to keep birds away. Anything we can do to save a songbird is a step toward saving these declining populations.

Sometimes we have winters where there are dramatic increases in the number of birds visiting our area and certainly taking advantage of our hanging bird feeders. This is called an irruption which is defined as irregular movements on a larger scale than normal, both in the number of birds and often in the distances involved. There are a couple of reasons for these irruptions. When a food supply in a normal habitat fails for some reason, birds are forced to either find new sources of food or perish. A normal example of this happens every few years when northern pines and other conifers fail to set seed. When this happens, flocks of evening grosbeaks especially appear at hanging bird feeders in yards as far south as the Gulf states as winter sets in. As the populations of rodents fluctuate, snowy owls and northern shrikes will fly south in search of food. These are all natural events that birds must adjust to in order to survive. Yet another reason to keep our bird feeders full all the time.

Bird have two basic needs for water during the winter as well as other times. They need drinking water and water for feather maintenance, but during freezing weather, open water can be difficult to find. If they cannot find water, they will resort to eating snow. Eating snow really uses up their energy, for it can take 12 times as much energy to warm water from snow as it does to warm water from the freezing point to the bird’s body temperature. Therefore, especially in very cold areas, bird baths can be very important to a bird’s survival. It is also important for birds to be able to bathe in the winter for maintaining their feathers in peak condition is necessary to keep warm. If birds cannot find water, their insulation will be impaired and this is a huge energy waste. Bird baths are only useful if they are not frozen, so the practical solution in very cold areas is to use de-icer. They are easy to hook up and use very little electricity. They have a themostat and only turn on automatically when necessary. Some bird baths come with them, but if you have a bird bath and need a de-icer, they certainly can be purchased separately. Please don’t use antifreeze or salt in or near your bird bath, for these are harmful to birds.

As the days get colder and food becomes more scarce, the birds feeding our backyards can go through a lot of seed which can get expensive. I have already talked about supplementing with leftovers from the kitchen, but the other 2 food categories to consider are fruit and nuts. Fruit is an important energy provider for many birds. When we have apples, pears, grapes or bananas that are passed their prime, rather than throwing them out, put them out in your hanging platform bird feeder or stick them on a nail that has been hammered onto the hanging bird feeder. You can just throw them on the ground, but know they will disappear overnight as animals come to get them. All kinds of nuts are popular with birds and their fat and protein make them a good food source. Nuts can quickly disappear from hanging bird feeders because they are taken and stored away. Chopped nuts will attract the smaller species that cannot eat whole nuts.

For those of us who live from the Rockies to the west coast, Steller’s Jays are common in pine and oak woodlands and coniferous forests. In campgrounds and picnic areas they are constantly watching for any unprotected food. They are bold and smart and manage to take food from careless campers frequently. From our backyard, we can see wooded hills, but have not had steller’s jays visit until recently. We have been delighted to see first two and now three of them occasionally appear in the yard. The largest one quickly found our No/No bird feeder which is filled with black oil sunflower seeds. The perches are too small for these birds, but he can reach it from the deck railing. The smaller ones kept trying, but couldn’t quite reach the seeds. It took about a week, but they are so smart, they found a solution! They can reach the perch, so are now tapping it to get the No/No feeder to swing just enough that they can grab a seed as it swings toward them on the deck railing. We are really enjoying watching these smart birds.

The most economical way to feed birds in your yard is by giving them leftovers from your kitchen. I tend to limit this to only baked goods during the warm months for other foods quickly spoil or attract ants and flies at least. However, during the cold winter months when food is scarce and birds need more food to keep warm, I add many other items to the list. First of all, it is important to use either a suet feeder or a hanging platform feeder . If these kitchen scraps are just scattered on the ground, you are quite likely to invite rats, raccoons and other unwanted creatures to your yard. I like using my hanging platform feeder just because it is easier than regularly opening the suet feeder to put in scraps. The leftover bread crumbs, broken cookies, leftover cake and stale donuts are always enjoyed, but during the winter I add dried cheese (only mild varieties - not blue, etc.), cooked rice and pasta, even a whole baked potato. Meat products should only be put out when it is really cold, for they can turn rancid quickly. Fat trimmed from meat, bacon rinds and cooked hamburger may all be offered during those really cold days, but are best offered in a caged suet feeder. When you cook that morning bacon, pour the leftover grease over a tree branch or pine cone. Birds are even fond of dog and cat food, so that can be added as well. Instead of throwing away those scraps, experiment with what your bird visitors like and don’t like.

From a bird’s point of view, a lawn is like a clearing in the woods. They have a clear view of nearby protective trees and shrubs while feeding in the open space. Please avoid using chemicals on your lawn. The “perfectly groomed” lawn is really not bird friendly (not a problem at our house!). For the most bird visitors, have a lawn that has some weeds growing in it. If the lawn is allowed to grow a little long, these weeds will have seeds that attract doves, finches and sparrows. We have hung a platform feeder above the lawn so there are constantly ground feeders exploring below the platform feeder for the seeds dropped from above. Robins will hunt for worms and grubs, starlings will be checking out small holes for insects, flickers search for ants while all the ground feeders will be searching for seeds. Open soil at the edge of the lawn and around plants will attract seed eating birds such as doves who need to swallow grit to help their stomachs grind hard food. For us, the biggest advantage of the lawn right outside our family room window is the delight of easily watching all the activity on our lawn.

Many people say if you are feeding birds during the winter, it is absolutely necessary to always make sure your hanging bird feeders are full for birds rely on this food source. During particularly frigid snowy times, I’m sure this is true, but as a general rule, I have always thought birds are feeding in many places, not just my hanging bird feeders. I recently read a report written by the assistant director of the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology that agrees. He says that while the food in our bird feeders certainly makes winter life much easier for birds, none of them depend entirely on one source of food. As food sources change, a bird’s survival depends on its ability to quickly find new supplies of food. If your bird feeders are temporarily empty, “your” birds will find someone else’s bird feeders or a natural source of food.