Feeding birds can be perfect family pastime
As fall and winter return, days become shorter and colder. Many of us will shift our outdoor activities to those indoors.
The continued presence of COVID-19 and the onset of flu season also affect fall and winter social activities, keeping us at home and away from humans.
During these times, we can all use a few bright colors, some lively entertainment and distractions. Bird feeding in your yard may be just the pursuit! Feeding birds benefits both birds and people.
Bird feeding is a pastime in which the entire family participate. The initial monetary investment doesn't have to be large; one feeder can bring months of enjoyment.
You can attract the most variety of birds by feeding a variety of food.
If you have the room and are willing, consider setting up a feeding station that offers several kinds of seed. If you place feeders at varying heights within your feeding station, you will also increase the variety of birds that feed.
To begin, find the location in your yard where feeders can be seen from a window or windows. There should be some vegetation nearby so that birds can avoid predators and have a place to roost when not feeding. Having native shrubs and trees nearby can provide birds with natural fruit and seeds.
Choose the feeder(s) that you will place in your yard.
There are ground level feeders that are usually an open tray positioned close to the ground from which you can feed a mixed seed usually containing sunflower, cracked corn, and millet. Ground feeders will attract mourning doves, dark-eyed juncos, and a variety of sparrows.
Place a ground feeder in an open area at least 10 feet from trees or shrubs to provide birds with a safe place to hide from predators. Do not use ground feeders if there is a chance that cats can hide nearby and hunt.
Larger quantities of seed can be offered to birds by using a “hopper feeder” which has a large space to keep up to several pounds of seed dry and available for birds that perch on the feeder.
Hopper feeders should be situated on a pole about 5 feet off the ground. Hopper feeders will attract similar birds to those that will feed at a ground feeder with the addition of blue jays and cardinals.Tube feeders are a clear plastic or wire mesh tube with several levels of perches and feeding ports that allows multiple birds to feed at the same time. Tube feeders can be purchased that will feed sunflower seed, peanuts, or nyjer (thistle).Hang a tube feeder from a pole at least 5 feet from ground level to attract smaller bird species such as black-capped chickadees, tufted titmice, nuthatches, American goldfinches, house finches and less common species like pine siskin and purple finches.If you can only have one feeder, a tube feeder should be the one you choose.The last type of feeder is a suet feeder. Raw suet can sometimes be purchased from a butcher and fed directly to birds by hanging chunks of suet in a mesh onion bag.More often, suet is purchased in preformed “cakes” that mix fruits, nuts and seeds in varying combinations into the suet. There are recipes available on the internet for making suet dough.A suet feeder will attract woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and titmice.In spring, when food is not easily available, even robins and returning migrant species like warblers will feed on suet for the quick energy derived from the high fat content.Suet feeders can be hung from a pole, nailed to a tree, or can sometimes be found combined with a hopper feeder.Stop feeding suet during the summer when higher temperatures can cause the suet to spoil.Avoid purchasing seed with milo, oats or wheat. Birds will discard these seeds and this waste will accumulate on the ground attracting chipmunks, mice and voles.Squirrels are persistent when it comes to attempting to access bird feeders and can be frustrating to control.If possible, place your feeders in an open area at least 5 feet off the ground and 10 feet from trees, shrubs or buildings that may provide a launching point. Special baffles that fit a feeder pole can be added to prevent squirrels, chipmunks, and other rodents from climbing the pole.Feeding birds comes with a responsibility to keep your feeders clean to reduce the potential of spreading disease.
If you have multiple feeders in place, spread them out to avoid overcrowding and the possibility of spreading disease. Moldy seed can sicken birds, and because birds are congregating in closer proximity at feeders, disease can be spread easily.To keep your feeding area clean, disinfect your feeders in a solution of nine parts water to one part bleach and rinse it thoroughly at least once or twice a month. Remove seed from under the feeders and discard.If you are interested in identifying the birds coming to your feeder(s), purchase a field guide to the birds of the eastern United States or specifically Pennsylvania. Grab a pair of binoculars, then gather at the viewing area in your home, sit back, and enjoy the show!If you have questions about gardening, call the Master Gardener Garden Hotline at 724-287-4761, Ext. 7, or email the Master Gardeners at butlermg@psu.edu.Garden Hotline LIVE continues! Our expert Master Gardeners and Extension Educators from across the state answer some of your questions during our program, “Garden Hotline LIVE.” Submit questions for the live show here: https://pennstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6fbKDzHz5bNgknj.For more information about how to watch Garden Hotline LIVE, please visit our statewide Penn State Extension Master Gardener group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/696217890434068.<i>Mary Alice Koeneke is a Penn State Master Gardener of Butler County.</i>
