Backyard Birding

No matter where you choose to position your feeders, birds will eventually find them. They will also slowly become accustomed to your presence. A downy woodpecker once remained at the suet feeder, eying me cautiously as I filled the feeders. I was less than three feet from him! Still, there are a number of things to take into consideration before placing your feeders in your yard.

Proximity to windows

The whole point of adding a feeder to your yard is so that you and your family can enjoy watching the activity they bring about. Make sure to select a location easily visible from a comfortable spot within your home. Unfortunately, however, windows are also responsible for a large number of feeder birds each year. Startled birds take flight, see the reflection of open sky in your window and think they are flying to safety. There are two things you can do with regards to your feeders to limit this. First, you can try placing your feeders further from windows, giving startled birds a greater chance to fly away rather than into your window. Second, you can try placing the feeders closer to a window. This does not cut down on the number of birds hitting your window, but it does limit the speed at which they strike. We did this for awhile, and the birds did not even fall to the ground after hitting the windows; they simply flew on.

Proximity to safety

While you do not want trees and shrubs to obscure your view of your feeders, a nearby refuge is welcome to these backyard visitors. The feeders attract song birds, and the activity of the song birds eventually will attract predators, including cats and hawks. We have a pine tree and a bush each about 10 feet from where we have placed our feeders. This give the birds a welcome shelter to dive into when startled, and a safe place to wait when the feeders are full. Most of our birds fly first into the bush or tree, watch the feeders and check out the surroundings and then fly to the feeders. We have had flocks of up to 50 goldfinches flittering about our lilac bush, each waiting his turn to eat.

Low lying brush

As much as shrubbery and trees are appreciated near feeders, be careful of the height plants near your feeders can get. You want your birds to be able to have a good view of anything that can walk up to the feeders. Cats will use brush and thick plants to stalk the birds at your feeders. Before we took this into consideration, I would often find the neighbor’s cat lying in the garden, watching the bird bath.

Keep an eye on your birds, note how they use the feeders and be ready to make any necessary adjustments if you notice any problems.

backyard birding, birdwatching, birding, feeders