Cardinals and Blue Jay at Feeder - Sally Robertson
The Intro
Birds have been one of the greatest sources of enjoyment in my life, besides my family. (My wife sometimes wonders, I know) I share this passion with some 20% of North Americans who spend more than 32 billion dollars on the hobby of watching birds.[i] They are colorful, melodic, comedic, diverse and never too far from where we are. There are many ways to get close to these wonderful animals and one of them is to walk out your back door. You may have a head start in the shape of a space that attracts birds just like it is, or you may have to do some work to get it just right. Be careful, the whole process may become addicting.
The Commoners
Most backyard bird visits tend to be repeats of the same kind of bird with a small differences depending on which part of the country you live in. Generally, you will get the standard birds to your feeders and shrubs such as a beautifully crimson Northern Cardinal or The strikingly noisy but handsome Blue Jay. Have a look here to see the most common birds listed during the Great Backyard Bird Count. On the west coast, you may see a Spotted Towhee or Stellar’s Jay in place of the Easterners but the standards like Dark-eyed Junco’s and House Finch are the same the continent round. These visitors have found living among the yards and porches of civilization to their liking and even their very survival depending on the weather. There are several books on backyard birding that will give you checklists of the birds that you may just see visiting your little piece of dirt with some description if you are unfamiliar with them. I like to keep track of our feathered friends on eBird as it is easy, free and helps researchers find important on how birds are making out year to year or even day to day.
The Old Stand By
The quickest and easiest way to have our feathered friends show up in your yard is to have a feeder there. Personally, why stop at one when you can have ten? There are several types of feeders that you can purchase, or make, that will attract a multitude of birds to your back window. Each feeder is designed to hold a different type of seed or feed for the birds in your area. The most common type of feeder is gravity fed style where the seeds are put in the top with several outlets where the birds take the offering and then replaced with the seeds above it. There are many styles of these, like the standard house with one or two openings on either end as well as the tubular feeders with ports and small pegs for the birds to land on. Other styles include the holder style feeder which allows for a brick of suet to be accessed usually by the woodpecker type birds and of course feeders for hummingbirds.
The Menu
There are many seeds and nuts out there to entice many different types of birds with each different type of seed attracting a different type of bird. Millet, which is the most common seed will attract a large variety of songbirds with short stubby bills. These could include finches, sparrows, buntings, and grosbeaks. The sunflower seed and those similar, will attract jays, chickadees, nuthatches and some sparrows. There are specialized seed like the thistle seed that will bring very specific birds like goldfinch and siskin to your feeder. Sometimes it is better to get a blend of seed so that there is an increased variety of birds. The most common seed can be purchased at your local hardware or grocery store but the specialty seed will be found at stores like Wild Birds Unlimited.
The Un-seeded
Birds are diverse and so are their diets. Hummingbirds have nectar needs and have feeders that only supply a sugary water to supplement what they get from flowers. Woodpeckers and other trunk clinging birds will really love a bar of suet which usually contains seeds or berries melted into a lard. These birds also love peanut butter. Most of these must be watched carefully if the temperatures are up past 65°F/16°C and should be taken down if the birds haven’t eaten it. Insects are a great treat for birds and are rarely thought of to put in feeders, but they attract lots of songbirds that are insect eaters only. There are a couple ways to feed your insects, and one is to buy them in the suet cakes at the store. The other is to raise them yourself and offer them in a dish. The nesting birds will not only love the offering, but it will help to keep their broods healthy when food is scarce. Mealworms seem to be the most common live offering which can be found at any pet store.
The Greenery
Plants make or break a backyard when it comes to attracting birds. One of the most important things is for birds to have a place to hide. A simple bush that provides shelter near a feeder can be the difference of a feeder in full time use or just occasional stop overs. Cover is also needed when nesting and birds will find locations that keep their offspring safe and out of the elements. Having fruiting trees and bushes will also bring them flocking to you. Some trees will produce fruit in the fall and not get touched until winter, when other food sources are covered up or have gone into hibernation. Don’t forget the flowers as they will also have an effect on what you see in your outdoor space. Many of the Nurseries have sections dedicated to bird attracting plants. There are several sites that list the type of native plants that will attract birds as well as on line nurseries that will ship your plants to you.
The Location, Location, Location
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It will make an enormous difference to your visitors where you place your feeders, fountains and ferns. Depending on the birds you are attracting, allow for some shade and sun so that birds can choose one or the other depending on the day. Give easy access but ensure its close enough to an escape route as feeders are used by little birds as well as large birds that have little birds for dinner. More importantly birds need to find an escape from cats, but also remember to keep feeders far enough away so cats can’t use the same bush to surprise unsuspecting dinner guests. Don’t place items like feeders too close to large windows to avoid window strikes. To help ensure that birds aren’t striking windows at all, place some window silhouettes up to warn of the danger.
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The Finish
Bird Watching in your backyard is one of the most satisfying things you can do with out leaving the confines of your back window. All you need is a set of binoculars and a small feeder to entice our little friends to visit. Most of our visitors are regulars, but having a rare stranger is sometimes more exciting than having friends for coffee. It could be seeds, suet or sugar water that brings them around and hopefully stay for the season. Be good to you birds and make sure they have an escape route close by and you will be rewarded with those bright cheery colors even on the dreariest days.
