Kathy’s Home & Garden Tips – Wild Bird Feeding Tips

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We often think that once better weather comes we can leave birds on their own. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is nary a bud out yet; not even one seed. Spring and summer are high feeding times. Defining territory, building nests, and raising young takes a lot of energy and our bird visitors will supplement their wild feeding with our backyard food.

When choosing food, you get what you pay for. Cheap mixes are mostly milo, tiny round yellow seeds, and cracked corn. Neither of these interest the birds we want to see. Buy a good quality mix and supplement with a safflower/ black sunflower mix. This is usually referred to as cardinal or songbird mix. Keep the seed fresh. Old, dry seed is useless and can attract rodents. We keep ours in the basement; storing in the garage is not a great idea. Suet is great for all types of birds and will attract woodpeckers as well, if you place on or near a tree trunk.

You should have at least two types of feeders: a tube or round feeder for perching birds and a platform one for flat feeders like Mourning and Turtle doves. Cardinals also prefer platform feeding. In any event, change the seed daily. This keeps both the seed and feeder clean. Do a more thorough cleaning monthly with a couple stiff brushes. The most important thing is to feed daily.

Squirrels are a pest when it comes to bird feeders, as it is nearly impossible to keep them away. You are welcome to try all the squirrel proof feeders you want, but I prefer to live and let live. Instead, we feed the squirrels raw peanuts in the shell. They still eat the bird seed but not as much. Blue Jays also love peanuts! They call me from the birch tree in my backyard to throw some out. All  other types of birds will also partake if a squirrel drops a shelled one.

Bird water, while not as dire as in the winter, is still necessary. Water needs to be changed daily to keep it fresh and to prevent mosquitos. Scrub the container weekly and use a little mild detergent monthly, making sure to rinse thoroughly!

With a little effort and a little investment, you can enjoy all the wild creatures around your backyard. I know all the squirrels that come to our back porch by sight. We’ve even named a few! I know many have lived much longer than your average squirrels.  Even a while back, when all our Blue Jays were killed off, we still had a few and now they are back in full. You never know what an impact you can make on your neighborhoods’ birds.