Birdfeeders

As far as birds are concerned, the only difference between a hanging bird feeder and a post mounted bird feeder is stability. Some birds are bothered by the swaying in the wind of a hanging bird feeder. I don’t think this is really an issue for in my experience, it doesn’t take long for even the most timid to figure out how to feed from the hanging bird feeder. Both of these systems have advantages so it really is matter of choice. Of course, you must take into account the style of bird feeder you want. Many of the large hopper feeders are designed to be pole mounted and most tube bird feeders and hummingbird feeders are meant to be hung. Post feeders are mounted on either a metal pole or 4″ x 4″ wooden post that is set permanently in the ground. Some of these are quite fancy set-ups with multiple arms for several different feeders. Hanging feeders are much easier to set up. They can be hung from a hook on a fence, from a deck railing, from a tree branch, from a hook under the house eves - anywhere that seems right for your yard. If any of these backyard bird feeders are filled with black oil sunflower seeds or a wild bird seed mix, expect a wide variety of feathered visitors!

It is perfectly fine to offer food directly on the ground for lots of birds are ground feeders including jays, doves, cardinals, many sparrows, towhees, juncos, quail, thrushers and many more. However, we have found that we need to spend too much time cleaning up the debris. It is necessary to regularly rake up the old hulls and uneaten seed. Not only is this mess ugly to have in the yard, it isn’t healthy for your visiting birds. Instead of throwing seed directly on the ground, I much prefer using a platform feeder on short legs. The ground feeders quickly learn to eat from it and the seed stays cleaner and drier if you use a platform feeder that has a screen bottom. One word of caution - be sure to place a platform feeder on the ground at least 10 feet from any shrubs or other protective plants that could hide an approaching cat.

You bet! First you have to decide how many bird feeders you are comfortable having in a small space. The easiest bird feeders to have in a small space are hummingbird feeders, hung near the house and window bird feeders that attach right to windows and bring birds up close for easy viewing. Since all birds appreciate water, a small bird bath is always a good idea. The next feeder I would have is a hanging tube feeder filled with black oil sunflower seeds. It takes up very little space and many species of birds love sunflower seeds. If you have a space for a ground platform feeder, that’s great, but my first choice would be a tube feeder for it’s versatility.

We have friends who thought they couldn’t attract birds because they live in a condo complex and only have a large balcony. It took a little experimenting to see what would work for them. Since they use their balcony often for outdoor activities, they didn’t want the mess of seed shells all over the deck. The obvious first choice was a hummingbird feeder that they hung just outside the kitchen window. Then we considered the space available and decided that a large hopper feeder would be too much, but a hanging tube feeder would be perfect on a hook hanging from the railing. Instead of filling it with whole sunflower seeds, we filled it with sunflower hearts and chips. With no shells to deal with, this is a very clean feeder. Soon, they were thrilled at the number of visitors to the hanging tube feeder! Birds don’t miss a good opportunity and a feeder that offers seed without having to work to get it out of the shell will be a very popular place indeed.

Yes, we are still in the throws of winter, but I am already thinking about spring! One of the great joys of spring is to have birds build their nests nearby and then later bring their offspring to our bird feeders and bird baths. One of the best ways to get the attention of nest builders is to supply nest building materials and now is a good time to start collecting assorted bits and pieces for this. Our suet feeders are now in demand to supply suet for winter feeding, but during the warm days of spring, these suet feeders can become containers for nest building supplies. For now, start collecting the lint removed from the dryer trap, the softener sheets used in the dryer, odd pieces of white string and yarn, pieces of soft cloth (like worn out pillow cases), dog and cat hair, feathers from an old pillow, anything that would make good nest building supplies. Just be sure that cloth is cut into narrow strips and no piece of cloth or string is longer than about 6 inches. When the spring courtship rituals begin, get out your collection of nest building supplies and loosely fill suet feeders with these items, or simply display them in a box or basket or hanging over branches - anything to get the attention of courting birds. Offering a mud puddle will also draw robins, phoebes and other birds who use it in nest construction.

For any of us who enjoy feeding birds, squirrels are a constant challenge. We should know something about them since they are often “visitors” in our yards. Worldwide there are over 365 species of squirrels, but I think the gray and fox squirrels are the most common in the U.S. Generally, an adult squirrel lives alone, although there are 2 that normally visit our yard together. During very cold weather, they will huddle together in a nest to keep warm. In the winter months you will usually see squirrels being quite active during the morning hours, then spend much of the day in their nests. Since mating season begins in the late winter, acrobatic chase scenes are common at this time. The typical litter size is 3-4 and squirrels can eat their weight in seed in a week so squirrel proof bird feeders suddenly seem like a great investment! Their exceptional jumping ability makes it quite challenging to keep squirrel proof bird feeders out of their reach. Squirrels can jump about 6 feet vertically and 8 feet on the horizontal, so it is important to carefully plan the best place for a squirrel proof bird feeder. A little bribery has been pretty successful at our home. In an area apart from the bird feeders, I scatter peanuts, dried corn and other leftover nuts. This keeps them busy for a while, but nothing beats a good squirrel proof bird feeder for keeping them out!

We are use to hearing all the bird songs during the spring when birds are busy attracting mates and raising their young, but winter is different. Our resident birds seem to be pretty quiet during bad weather, or maybe I am just not outside to hear them much. However, let the sun come out and the skies clear and the yard is alive with song. As the finches all crowd to the thistle bird feeder and the jays, titmice, sparrows etc. gather at the tube feeders, the sounds of bird songs fill the yard. Are they singing just because it’s a beautiful day (why not?) or are they anticipating the arrival of spring? Or both? This break from winter storms is good for us all and I certainly appreciate the sounds of joy coming from the yard. Right now I count 10 finches hanging on the thistle bird feeder with many more chattering in the nearby tree waiting their turns. We all need to appreciate this morning’s sun, for the next storm is due in this afternoon.

After many days of either fog or dreary rain, we got up this morning to a beautiful blue sky and bright sunshine. I walked out to the backyard to simply enjoy the sun on my face so tilted my head back to the sun and was quite delighted at what I saw. Our flowering plum tree, completely devoid of leaves, was full of finches. There were over a hundred gold finches, house finches and purple finches, as well as a scattering of pine siskins - all sitting on branches facing the sun and enjoying it just as I was. Occasionally, one or more would fly down and splash in the bird bath, go back to the tree and begin preening. What a wonderful sight on a warm Saturday morning! Keeping the bird bath full of clean fresh water has drawn many birds, but this was a very special treat. I wonder if they know that the weather prediction is for another week of rain?

A good friend who lives in the snow country of the midwest asked where all her backyard birds went. The sun finally came out, the sky cleared and the birds vanished. She has a couple of tube bird feeders that she keeps full of black oil sunflower seeds, but her yard is mysteriously empty. In all probability, the good weather has encouraged the local birds to explore other areas of their normal range. They can be looking for fresh water and natural foods that are hard to find during bad weather. If this has happened to you, don’t worry. At the first sign of bad weather, they will all be back. If they sense that a storm is coming, your tube bird feeders may be attacked with gusto as birds try to stock up while they can. Even here in northern California where we don’t get any snow, the birds flock to our many bird feeders to fill up before a rain storm, but are mostly seen morning and evening on nice days.

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.