Archive for the 'Bird feeders' Category
Hummingbirds are indeed amazing creatures. Among those who were given the gift of flight, they are the only ones who can fly backwards! Their wings also beat the fastest among any other bird. It is definitely a treat to see one of these incredible birds up close.
These birds love the nectar from honeysuckle flowers. But these plants are not as common as they were before. So, to encourage these creatures to visit your home, try putting up hummingbird feeders in your backyard. They will surely flock to your garden and grace you with their presence. You can find these bird feeders online at reasonable prices. In exchange, you will have priceless hours observing these magnificent animals.
Bird watching is a popular hobby among many senior citizens. Something about watching the frenetic movements of those feathered creatures is so satisfying. My grandmother is one of those avid birdwatchers. She used to get up early every morning in order to sit by the kitchen window to watch the finches and blue jays that frequented her backyard feeders.
Last year grandmother fell and broke her hip. Her greatest sorrow wasn’t that she couldn’t walk—it was that she couldn’t make it to the garden to watch her beloved birds. I found the greatest solution: a window bird feeder was the perfect way to let her rest in the bed while watching the birds on her outside of her bedroom.
People who enjoy bird feeders are often extremely frustrated with a flock of “bully birds” descending upon their feeders, draining them of all the food and chasing away their favorite songbirds in the process. Some of the most common varieties of “bully birds” are blackbirds, grackles, pigeons, and house sparrows. These invaders are usually attracted to a bird feeder by readily available birdseed or suet on the ground or in easy-access feeders.
Some solutions are to lock out the bully birds, which are usually larger in size, by limiting the accessibility of feeding ports. Keep the areas under your bird feeders as clean as possible to keep pigeons away. Selecting only certain kinds of foods to dispense in your feeders can be beneficial, because bully birds tend to prefer bread, corn, wheat and sunflower seeds. Finches will be drawn to hanging tube feeders with only nyjer (thistle) seeds. Cardinals, chickadees, and nuthatches like safflower seed in hopper or tray feeders.
Along with your birdfeeders, Suet is an important winter food for birds. It provides the fat and energy they need to survive the cold weather. Suet can be purchased raw from a butcher.
To render suet, finely chop it and heat in a large pan over medium heat until it liquefies. Strain through fine cheesecloth into a bowl and let cool until it hardens. Heat and strain suet one more time to ensure that it will cake properly when mixed with birdseed.
Mix together 5 pounds mixed wild birdseed, 2 pounds rendered suet, 1 pound dried cranberries and 1 pound raw peanuts (shelled). Firmly pack mixture into plastic containers, placing a loop of twine down the center of each container, for hanging. Freeze until hard (minimum of 2 hours to overnight). Unmold and hang each using twine loops.
Maintenance on your bird feeders include cleaning the feeders, the area around the feeders and keeping the food supply full. Cleaning the feeders and surrounding area keeps your feathered friends healthy and keeps them from spreading diseases. Most feeders should be cleaned at least once per season with the exception of Hummingbird feeders that need to be cleaned weekly.
To clean your feeders, make up a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water. Discard any remaining feed and wash the feeder with hot, soapy water. Dipping it into the bleach solution sterilizes it. Be sure to rinse the feeder really good and allow it to dry completely before refilling it. It is a good idea to clean up the ground area around your bird feeder at the same time. Using a rake, clean the ground of seed hulls. When the seed hulls sit for awhile, they decompose and can spread disease among the birds.
Lastly, refill the feeders on a regular basis to ensure that the birds have a regular supply of food. If you don’t refill the feeders on a regular basis, the birds will move on to other food sources.
Observing a hummingbird in flight, one can’t help but marvel at the rapid clip of the wings. They beat at such a fast rate that it’s no surprise the tiny birds require plenty of fuel. Hummingbirds are notorious for their sweet tooth – or sweet beak – and you can lure them to your window by setting up a hummingbird feeder. These specialized feeders should be replenished with a steady supply of nectar.
Nectar is deceptively simple to make in your own home. Just mix four parts water together with one part granulated sugar. You’ll likely attract a few bees and wasps at first, which could actually deter a hummingbird from dining at the feeder. In order to prevent a swarm of insects from taking over the feeder, dilute the nectar with some additional water. Once you find the right mix, the hummers will come fluttering in.
The most common birdfeeder is a seed feeder. Sunflower seed or mixed seed are popular for use in these bird feeders and will attract many songbirds such as cardinals, finches, and chickadees.
There are specialty “finch birdfeeders” with smaller openings to dispense niger (incorrectly called thistle) seed which is a favorite of smaller finches. Goldfinches are especially attracted to nyjer seed.
Hummingbird feeders, supply liquid food to hummingbirds in the form of a sugar solution. This mixture often is colored red to attract birds. There are many different styles to choose from to enhance your unique garden décor.
Mold tends to grow in hummingbird feeders, so they must be refreshed frequently and kept very clean to avoid harm to the birds. Ants and other insects are also attracted to hummingbird nectar. Smearing petroleum jelly on the feeder’s hangar will prevent the ants from crawling down to the bird feeder below.
Squirrels will usually help themselves to the contents of your bird feeders. They are quite greedy and not only feed, but carry away the food to be hoarded. There are several types of anti-squirrel birdfeeders. Some Birdfeeders have perches that collapse under the weight of anything heavier than a bird. Caged bird feeders are often designed so that birds can easily go through the cages mesh, but the squirrels cannot reach the seed inside. Another way of detracting the squirrels is to add crushed red pepper flakes to the seed. Don’t worry, the capsaicin does not irritate the birds.
The placement of your bird feeder can also prevent squirrels from getting the seed. Or you can try baffles to prevent squirrels from getting a good foothold above or below the bird feeder. Just keep in mind that squirrels are very acrobatic and persistent. They often find a way to overcome any device you try. Watching them try can be quite amusing!