Backyard Birding

The first book I purchased about bird feeding was Stokes Birdfeeder Book : The Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Understanding Your Feeder Birds by Donald and Lillian Stokes. I purchased it for 50 cents from a book sale at the library, but it has remained one of my favorites. It is short, written in a very conversational manner and contains a wealth of information for the new backyard birder.

It has the practical information that I was looking for when I first decided to set up our feeders, including a basic description of feeder types and the seed preferences of the birds I was most likely to attract. It goes over the basics of bird identification, and it was from this book that I learned to not reach for my field guide first upon encountering an unfamiliar bird. It also has a lot of basic information about the life stages of birds and the different behaviors you might notice.

Stokes Birdfeeder Bookhas everything you need to get started, and enough information to pique your interest for more.

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I found some unlikely encouragement for my general lack of a green thumb in the book I am reading, “The Backyard Bird Lover’s Guide” by Jan Mahnken and Jeffrey C. Domm.

Cover is an important aspect of attracting birds to your premises. Indeed, I find one of the more engaging characteristics of birds is their scorn for absolutely immaculate yards. They consider your brush pile, the briar patch, and the tangle of weeds behind the garage totally irresistible. If you can provide some trees and shrubbery, so much the better. Birds are an ornament more common to a yard that is less than spic and span.

Ahem. So that mess in my yard is not a mess at all. It is wildlife habitat. Crabgrass, dandelion, thistle, milkweed and whatever that is that took over last year’s tomato garden…it is all part of a carefully planned bird landscape. I have it here in print. On page 8.

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I am pleased to announce that we already have activity at our feeders. We set them up Thursday and had our first house finches Friday morning. A flock of sparrows, some mourning doves and a blue jay have also made their appearance.

That left me wondering how often birds check a reliable food source once it has “run dry” before giving up on it. We left the feeders out, even though they were empty, so they did not just see the feeders while flying past.

Last year, however, we only had a finch feeder and a hopper feeder when we started and it took three weeks for the birds to find the food. This year we also have a platform feeder and a ground feeder. Perhaps they were just able to see the food better since it is not hidden inside a feeder.

It would be interesting to know.

This is what three weeks of travel can do to your feeding station:

And this is what a lawn mower can do:

Initially, I wanted to weed the garden and preserve as much of what is supposed to be there as possible. As we got started, though, we noticed that there really was not much to salvage. The sunflowers had been picked pretty clean and everything else was weeds. There were some black-eyed Susans against the house, but it was too much easier to mow over everything than try to spare only a few plants.

So now my feeders are once again visible from the window of our sun room and are no longer a risk to the birds. Since it has been about three weeks since our feeders have been filled, I took my own advice about setting up. All except the part about being patient. I must have checked the feeders a dozen times, hoping one of the neighbor’s birds would notice that the cafeteria is open again.

The garden is a little bare. But I recently read that now is actually a good time to plant many types of flowers which bloom in the fall, so we may end up with some color, yet.

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Labor Day has long been a signal to Americans to begin preparing for fall. Many people are also seasonal bird feeders, and thus will be putting out feeders soon to help their feathered friends make it through the winter or prepare for migration. In the natural world, fall brings bounty. It can be difficult to attract birds in the fall because of the increased availability of natural food sources, but do not be discouraged. Birds are taking note of the food sources in their territories so that they know where to go when the weather turns harsh. Here are a few tips for those just setting up their feeders:

Start small

Putting out five pounds of seed in feeders which birds have not yet found makes little sense. As the seed sits, it is more likely to get wet from rain and dew and spoil. Birds may then find the food, but move on due to its poor condition. Particularly goldfinches are picky about the freshness of their food. Put a small amount of food in the feeders you have set up, and monitor it for moisture.

Be visible

Birds are curious and naturally explore every part of their territory. When we first set up our feeders, we enjoyed watching this curiosity in the birds new to our yard. They explored every tree, shrub and even the woodpile. This helps them take note of new food sources and find places to take shelter in inclement weather. You can help them along by making your bird feeding station more visible to them. Invest in a platform feeder or a ground feeder and scatter a handful of seed in it for the birds. This seed can be seen from a greater distance as birds are flying overhead. A small handful scattered on the ground can also work well. That is how we first attracted mourning doves. But be careful. The seed will mold even quicker if in contact with the ground.

Consider what is nearby

If your neighbors have pets or small children who frequent their yard, placing feeders near their property line will likely hinder birds from finding your feeders. Birds can get used to the commotion. We drew some birds into our yard with feeders in places we could not see very well. We then slowly moved them across the yard to our feeding station. Now the birds eat contentedly, even with a Great Dane barking at them. Even the squirrels eventually learned they are safe from this threat and just keep one wary eye on the dogs while they empty our feeders.

Birds also like to be where shelter is nearby. If possible, place feeders near a shrub or tree that will provide cover when birds are startled. Be careful of too much low-lying vegetation, however. This hinders their ability to see what is approaching the feeders and can be a good hiding place for cats.

Don’t forget water

Water is even more important to a bird’s survival than food. It is also needed by all species and may attract birds not normally attracted to feeders. Warblers, blue birds and wrens have all been regular visitors to our bird bath, especially in the fall. As natural water sources begin to freeze, birds are in danger of dehydration. They also need water to keep their feathers clean for flight and warmth. The sound of water will draw birds in even more quickly. You can suspend a bucket over your bath with a small hole in the bottom. The steady dripping is like a magnet for birds. There are also a number of commercial items available.

Be aware of the migrating schedule of your birds.

Hummingbirds will be moving south, soon, and may be entering territory where they are not normally seen. As the birds which summer in your area begin to move south, others will be coming from further north. Knowing who is traveling through and what they like will draw some new visitors to your yard and help them on their journey.

Provide some calories

Winter is harsh and food is scarce in much of North America. High energy sources such as fruits, nuts and insects are in particularly short supply. Even robins will occasionally come to feeders for some diced apples. Suet is a wonderful option for feeding woodpeckers, nuthatches and other insectivorous birds. If interested in offering fruit, however, wait until your feeders are getting some activity or until the weather turns cold.

Be patient

And keep checking your feeders. I think it took three weeks for us to begin attracting birds last fall. Most feeders are eventually found and they add hours of enjoyment to your yard as well as provide some needed sustenance to your local birds.

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Cracked corn is one of the cheapest seed options for attracting birds to your yard. It will attract a variety of birds, including sparrows, jays, cardinals, woodpeckers, doves, juncos, nuthatches and towhees. If wild game is in your area, it may also attract quail and pheasants. We actually purchase our corn from the local feed store for about $5.00 for a 50lb bag. You cannot get much more cost effective than that!

What to watch for when purchasing cracked corn

The interior of the kernel readily soaks up moisture. It therefore is quick to rot.
If the corn is too finely ground, it will turn to mush.
If the kernels are too large, smaller birds such as juncos and sparrows will have a hard time eating it.

How to offer cracked corn

Cracked corn will stay good longest protected in a waterproof hopper feeder. Most of the birds coming to my hopper feeder are finches and grosbeaks, however, and they do not seem to care much for corn.
Offered on a platform feeder, it will attract jays, cardinals, woodpeckers and nuthatches.
At the ground feeder, it will attract predominantly sparrows and juncos.

Added benefits:

Since sparrows eat cracked corn and cracked corn is cheap, I would prefer them to eat this than the more expensive black oil sunflower seed I keep in the platform and hopper feeders. House sparrows will eat from any feeder, but they seem to prefer to feed on the ground. Keeping cracked corn in a ground feeder for them greatly minimizes the amount of other seed they consume. It can also be scattered on a concrete porch or other hard surface. Be cautious about spreading it directly on the ground due to the potential for rotting.

Birds are not the only wildlife that likes corn. Squirrels, raccoons and opossums also eat it. I have not had too much difficulty with nighttime visitors at my feeders (they just got into our feed stores), but squirrels are a constant. In theory, giving them corn will curb their voracious appetites and save a little on other feeds. If this is true, I would hate to see how many sunflower seeds they would eat without the corn!

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After two weeks of traveling, we came back to a bird feeding station that is completely overgrown with weeds. This is how your bird feeding station should NOT look:

Not only is this garden unsightly, it poses a potential hazard to birds. I am glad that we chose to let our feeders run out of seed before we left. We were no longer attracting any birds to our feeders before we even left. It is a perfect hiding place for the neighborhood cats to stalk up on my birds. Last year, we had a cat which laid in a small patch of flowers and kept an eye on the birdbath. Early this year, I chased off another cat with a cowbird she had caught in a similar manner.

Birds appreciate nearby brush where they can find shelter when spooked. It is important, however, to provide a feeding area clear of undergrowth so that birds have a clear view of approaching predators so that they have a better chance at escape.

Needless to say, it will be another day or two before we set up our feeders. We have some serious weeding to do!

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