Backyard Birding

There are a number of specialty suet feeders on the market which make feeding your birds suet very convenient, especially if you purchase it. There are rectangular cages to drop in suet cakes and wooden tubes to insert suet plugs into. Some are quite decorative and others are very plain.

This is not a necessary purchase, however, if you want to offer suet to your birds. These also work for homemade suet substitutes like the recipe I shared last week.

1. Smear it right on a tree. Many of the birds which are attracted by suet are woodpeckers and they naturally spend a great deal of time searching under pieces of bark looking for hiding insects.

2. Drill a hole in a large branch or small log. Fill this with suet. If you drill the whole one inch in diameter, you will also be able to use commercially prepared suet plugs.

3. Put some in a used mesh bag. After eating all your oranges, onions, etc., wash the mesh bag in warm soapy water, rinse and fill with suet. This is great for smaller birds such as chickadees, titmice and nuthatches. When the squirrels get to it, they will chew right through, but that is not nearly as frustrating as when they chew through a nice hopper feeder.

4. Fill pine cones. Spread suet in the open leaves of a pine cone and hang them. This, too, is fr the smaller birds. I love watching the agile nuthatches as they hang upside down, swaying and spinning in the wind while they eat.

5. Freeze in muffin tins. Place a length of cord in each cup of a muffin tin, pack with suet and freeze. Hang them outside when it is freezing.

6. Fill used tuna cans. This I thought interesting. Wash out your old tuna cans and fill them with bacon drippings, beef drippings, etc. When it cools, it will solidify. (You can do this with rendered suet as well.) Drill a hole in the side if the can and hang it.

suet, birding, birdwatching, backyard birding

Chatting with a reader awhile back, she mentioned that her son had made a bird feeder from an old soda bottle. I asked if he would like to write a guest post to share his experience with my readers. Here it is, complete with a problem not exclusive to home made feeders. Enjoy!

Building a Bottle Bird Feeder
by Jacob Deckard age 9

One day my mom took out our wooden bird feeder. I thought I could make one out of a bottle! Here is a good way to make a bird feeder.

1. Gather supplies.

You need:

A plastic bottle with a cap
Sharp scissors or knife
A stick
A rope

2. Our first feeder’s seeds sprouted, because the moisture did not drain, so poke small holes in the bottom of the bottle. Be careful not to cut yourself.

3. About 1-2 inches from the bottom of the bottle, make holes for the perch. Insert stick and make holes bigger, if needed.

4. Cut holes above the perch for the birds to get the seeds. Holes should be slightly bigger than the seeds.

5. Tie teether or rope around the top of the bottle, where the cap is, and tie a loop for hanging.

6. Carefully fill the feeder with sunflower seeds using your hands as a funnel or get a real funnel.

7. Replace cap and hang in a high tree.

8. It may take three weeks for the birds to find it. Be patient.

Happy bird feeding!

–
Visit Life Nurturing Education: http://reflective.homeschooljournal.net

backyard birding, birding, birdwatching, feeder, home made feeder

Seasonal decorating this time of year generally includes a number of items related to the harvest: sheaves of wheat, pumpkins, gourds, bails of straw and Indian corn are all popular. Because harvest time is well represented by just about anything that can be harvested, it is relatively easy to create decorations which will please both human and avian visitors to your yard.

Millet sprays.

These may be hung in small groupings on a fence, on a door or anywhere else they are visible and accessible to birds. They have the same general visual effect as hanging sheaves of wheat, but more of our native songbirds will seek out millet than wheat. They can also be woven into a wreath. The millet is knocked off the spray pretty easily so one of the best places to make your wreaths is over the ground feeder.

Indian Corn.

This seasonal favorite is also a favorite of squirrels. In fact, I noticed several places where homeowners were complaining about the squirrels eating their Indian corn decorations. This may be a problem if you want to keep it, but can be entertaining for those of us who enjoy our squirrels. In moderation at least. “Squirrel corn” and dried feed corn have a similar effect, although not as visually striking as the multi-colored Indian corn. And woodpeckers and blue jays will enjoy the kernels of all variations as much as your squirrels will.

Nature wreaths.

My mom loves grapevine wreaths and hangs them year round. This time of year, she decorates them with some colored leaves, but the same color could be achieved with dried berries. Other seasonal fruit, such as apples and pears, can also be dried and added to a colorful wreath.

Nature’s harvest.

A basket of collected pine cones, acorns and walnuts set near a step welcomes the season and your neighborhood squirrels. Woodpeckers and other insect eating birds might appreciate a hanging dish of cracked nuts.

Decorative feeders.

If you have a few decorative gourds which you set out every year, they are certainly dried by now. These can be made into a variety of scoops, feeders and bird houses, limited only by your imagination. Cut one in half to make a scoop. Or fill a half with seed and hang as a decorative platform feeder. A small hole will make an attractive birdhouse, although it likely will not be populated until Spring. If you want to begin the process for next year, it should only take one season to dry a small gourd.

Scarecrows.

While using your scarecrow to offer birdseed may seem a little counterproductive, these little fellows rarely have any real job in our yards today. Consider hanging a small bird feeder from his hand. Place some suet on his shoulder and you may get a variety of birds lined up for a photo op.

These are only a few ideas to get you started. Taking a moment to look at your decorations from your birds’ perspective will help you think of different ways to incorporate their favorite foods into your seasonal decorating.

fall, decorating, birding, birdwatching, backyard birding

There are essentially four basic feeder types, with seemingly infinite variations of each.

The Platform Feeder,

As the name implies, is a simple platform which may be mounted on a pole, tree or even against a window. Other designs, hang from a poll or branch. The seed is highly visible to birds as they fly past since it is not hidden inside the feeder. This feeder offers a nice place for larger birds to feed. A large platform feeder will also allow you to see more of the birds’ natural social behaviors since the accommodate more birds at a time. The main drawback is that most platform feeders leave the seed exposed to rain and snow, allowing for spoilage.

The Hopper Feeder

This seems to be the standard in bird feeding. It has a closed hopper which holds seed, protecting it from the elements. A small seed tray offers seed to the birds. Just about any seed can be placed in the hopper. It accommodates small to medium sized birds well, although our grackles will eat from it when there is nothing at the other feeders. While the seed is somewhat sheltered from rain and snow, it is still important to check the condition of the seed regularly, especially after a heavy rain.

The Tube Feeder

These are tubes which allows seed to be dispersed through holes. The narrower tube feeders with tiny holes and perches are designed for Nyjer seed to attract finches. Larger ones may hold other types of seed, particularly black-oil sunflower seed. Small birds perch comfortably on the small perches provided. Woodpeckers also cling to the side of our long tube feeder to eat.

The Globe Feeder

This feeder is designed with the small songbird in mind. It requires birds to approach the feeding station from the bottom, sometimes even hanging upside down to reach the food. They are particularly attractive to the more agile chickadees and nuthatches as well as pine siskins, goldfinches and titmice. Larger birds cannot easily get to the food and have nowhere to perch so your seed can be spared for your smaller birds.

There are a number of specialty feeders as well, each catering to a specific species such as orioles or hummingbirds.

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Hummingbirds are a favorite of many backyard birders. They are fascinating to watch as they flit about, searching for nectar and insects, and as they hover over a flower or feeder. Surprisingly tame, they will often approach you if you are wearing brightly colored clothing and seem unconcerned about your Hummingbirds are a favorite of many backyard birders. They are fascinating to watch as they flit about, searching for nectar and insects, and as they hover over a flower or feeder. Surprisingly tame, they will often approach you if you are wearing brightly colored clothing and seem unconcerned about your presence as they expend their energy trying to keep the competition out of their territory. If you are quiet, you may even hear their quick, aggravated chirp as they aggressively pursue each other.

Here in Eastern Nebraska, the ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummer we see and then typically only during migration. But it is worth planting some nectar producing flowers and putting out the feeder twice a year to enjoy their antics. Here are some tips for attracting hummingbirds to your yard:

1. Plant native, nectar producing flowers. Many of the same flowers which attract butterflies will attract hummingbirds.

2. Put a mister over your birdbath or somewhere in your yard. Hummingbirds love to play in the gentle spray.

3. Set out a hummingbird feeder. Or two.

4. If you are within their breeding range, do not sweep away all the spider webs around the outside of your house. Hummingbirds use webs to line their nests.

5. When you first begin feeding, try placing brightly colored objects around your yard. The birds will be attracted to the colors as they fly by and will hopefully locate your feeder more quickly this way.

If you choose to set up a feeder, there are a variety of styles to suit your preferences. Make sure it seals securely. The biggest problem we have had with these feeders is that they often do not seal and the nectar leaks out. You can fill them with commercially prepared nectar, but making your own sugar solution is easy and much cheaper.

1. Ensure the feeder is clean.

2. Boil some water to make sure it is sterile.

3. Mix 1/4 cup sugar with 1 cup of the boiled water.

4. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Do not add any coloring to the water. It is not necessary and may actually harm the birds.

5. Fill the feeder and set outside where you can enjoy it.

6. Clean the feeders daily. The sugar water is the perfect place to grow mold on a warm day and could make your hummingbirds very sick.

If you feed regularly and are patient, you might get some close up looks at these amazing birds, just like George here.

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hummingbird, hummingbirds, backyard birding, birding, birdwatching

We have a Heath Multi-Purpose Platform Feeder, made of redwood which has been one of my favorite feeders. That may not be a very meaningful statement coming from me, however. I love all my feeders. Let’s say it was a surprise to me just how much I would like it. It got added to my wish list after reading several books on bird feeding, although I had never previously seen much use for one. What does it offer that is not offered by the hopper feeder and the ground feeder?

I may not see much of a difference, but the birds certainly do! Ours has a large screw in the middle of the feeder to hold a corn cob. The squirrels do not pay very much attention to this obvious ploy to fill their tummies with something besides sunflower seeds. Blue jays and red-bellied woodpeckers, however, seem to love it. When the orioles first arrived, I tried placing orange slices on the screw, but this did not appear to be successful. The male oriole seemed to prefer to eat sunflower seeds off the ground and the female preferred a suet feeder that was hung in the pine tree. Birds which favor this feeder (from our experience):

goldfinches
house finches
blue jays
cardinals
purple finches
red-bellied woodpeckers

Our sparrows, cowbirds and grackles will eat from it when the ground feeder is empty, but they generally leave it alone.

We have tried safflower seed in the platform feeder, but without success. Since birds can be leery of new foods, I am not sure if we lacked the patience, or if safflower truly is a second-rate seed in the eyes of our birds. We fill it predominantly with black oil sunflower seed, and occasionally add some dried fruit or other tidbit we think the birds might like.

Don’t forget the comment contest going on for the month of August here at 451 Press. Every comment counts!

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There are a wide range of suet feeders on the market, some merely functional, others decorative as well. The one pictured here is our favorite for the obvious reason that it is home made. My husband and the children spent some time going through our woodpile looking for promising branches large enough to drill a large hole through. The hole is one inch in diameter in order to accommodate commercially prepared suet plugs.

Our homemade suet feeder has attracted a variety of birds, including:

1. nuthatches
2. downy woodpeckers
3. hairy woodpeckers
4. red-headed woodpeckers
5. red-bellied woodpeckers
6. orioles
7. northern flickers
8. one hummingbird

I think the hummingbird was inspecting the suet feeder for insects, or perhaps it was just curious. It actually chased off a downy woodpecker in order to investigate further.

We have tried a variety of types of suet in the feeder, including my homemade imitation suet, commercial suet plugs and even suet cakes. We just cut the cakes into bars and push them into the holes. Any of these are messy, but I think it is probably good hand lotion!

We also have a basket suet feeder, but it gets emptied quickly when we fill it because of the sparrows and grackles. Although the sparrows can still eat from our wooden one, they prefer not to and will only feed from it when all the other feeders are empty. Since that is a rare occasion, they leave it alone for the most part. I have only seen the grackles eat from it when they stood on a nearby branch and stretch for it. A little repositioning has prevented that from reoccurring.

If you have not tried offering suet before, it is a wonderful way to attract a number of birds which normally feed on insects. Even bluebirds can be trained to eat from it if you are patient.

suet, birding, backyard birding, bird feeding, bird feeder