Using a Bird Feeder to attract Wild Birds to your Garden

Author: Steve
Wild birds are a wonderful addition to any garden. One of the best ways to attract them is to use a bird feeder and ensure there is a steady supply of nuts, seeds and suet for them to eat throughout the year. Bird feeders are cheap to buy and there are different designs to hold different types of wild bird food.
For peanuts, typically a tubular design made from wire is used. The holes are generally small enough for beaks to get through but too small for a nut to come out without being broken up.
For bird seed, a plastic tube with a small hole at the bottom will hold a plentiful supply and allow easy access for the smaller garden birds.
For suet, a larger diameter tube with a larger holes is ideal for holding 2 or 3 suet balls or cakes at the same time.
Typically bird feeders are hung from a tree or pole. Several feeders can be placed together to form a bird feeding station and attract lots of different bird species.
Care should be taken to place the bird feeders away from predators reach. Cats will prey on any birds feeding close to the ground and squirrels will steal the food and can vandalise the feeder. For this reason, place the bird feeder high enough off the ground and far enough away from the tree trunk, wall or building to stop cats and squirrels from jumping onto the feeder.
It is always a good idea to make sure the birds have water too when feeding them so provide a bird table or similar with a dish of water nearby to the food. Birds need food especially in winter but it is a good idea to keep feeding them throughout the year once you have started.
There are also special bird feeders designs available that include: squirrel proof bird feeders and window bird feeders.
You can find more information on bird feeders at Bird Feeders. As well as information on bird nest boxes, insect nest boxes, owl nest boxes, nest box cameras and other hints and tips on attracting other wildlife into your garden.

Category › animal feeder , bird bath , bird feeder , bird feeders , bird feeding , bird feeding station , bird food , bird table , bird tables , garden birds , squirrel proof bird feeders , wild birds , window bird feeders

The Northern Mockingbird

Author: Marina Benson
I'm a bird lover and a bird watcher. Another day I was in my front yard with my family doing a barbecue when I saw a different bird. I was watching that bird for few minutes and I asked my father in Law what type of bird is that? He told me that it was a Mockingbird. I kept watching and I saw another Mocking bird. They were flying back and forth to a bush close to us. When they flew away I went to see what was going in on in that bush. I saw a nest with 3 eggs so I kept far from the bushes. After seeing that I got curious and I started my research about the Mockingbird.
I watched them for several months. While I was watching them I wrote about their behavior, their descriptions and what they ate. According to Wikipedia There are about 17 species of the mockingbird family. Here is a list of them.

• Brown-backed Mockingbird
• Bahama Mockingbird
• Long-tailed Mockingbird
• Patagonian Mockingbird
• Chilean-Mockingbird
• White-banded Mockingbird
• Northern Mockingbird
• Socorro Mockingbird
• Tropical Mockingbird
• Chalk-browed Mockingbird
• Hood Mockingbird
• Galapagos Mockingbird
• Floreana Mockingbird
• San Cristobal Mockingbird
• Blue Mockingbird rare in USA
• Blue and white Mockingbird

The Northern Mockingbird is the only mockingbird species seen in Florida.
I see them often in my backyard and I love to watch them. They are beautiful. In my opinion when I see them standing still with their long straight tail it creates an impression of respect, power and majesty.
The Northern Mockingbird description
Their tails are dark gray with white outer tail feathers. Their wings are primarily dark gray with white marks and their bodies are light gray on the top and white on the bottom. They have long legs, long tails, and pale eyes.
Their behavior
They're not afraid of the human presence as they get close to me to sing their songs for long periods of time. Each song is repeated for several times before changing to the next song. They remind me of Blue Jays because they mimic sounds of other birds, cats and dogs, as Blue Jays do.
The Northern Mockingbird is extending its territory further north, however it is still primarily a Southern bird. The Northern Mockingbird is considered the state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas.
What do Mockingbirds eat?
I have a squirrel proof bird feeder in my backyard and I filled it with fresh seeds. I waited to see if the Northern Mockingbirds would be attracted by the food and if they would stop to eat the fresh seeds that it is in my squirrel proof bird feeder. It has been several months now that the mockingbirds have been in my backyard. I have never seen any Mockingbirds eating from my squirrel proof bird feeder. I then found out that they don't like to eat from the squirrel proof bird feeders because they don't eat seeds. They like to eat bugs, insects, worms, suet, dried grapes or dried raisins, figs, berries, apples, oranges and dogwood.
The type of feeders that you should put in your yard for them are suet feeders, platform feeders, and fruit feeders.
The Northern Mockingbirds love water. I can see them in my backyard taking a bath and refreshing from the hot summer. By providing Mockingbirds with a bird bath you can attract them to your backyard and capture beautiful scenes like this one.
Their Nest
The Northern Mockingbird prefers to nest in small trees or bushes. The male and female Northern Mockingbird builds their nest in a cup shape using small twigs, hair, weeds, leaves, moss, feathers, thin roots and freshly cut grasses. After the nest is built the female mockingbird lays between 3 to 5 eggs per nest and incubates them for about 2 weeks. When the eggs are hatched, the female and the male take turns feeding the chicks. The eggs are blue with brown markings.
The Mockingbird is a territorial songbird. They will protect their territory and their nests from other birds and predators all the time. It doesn't matter how big the predator is, they will chase and attack anything that approaches their nests including people.

Category › bird behavior , bird food , bird habitat , bird nest , mockingbird , mockingbird habitat , northern mockingbird , songbirds

What to do With Grey squirrels in Your Garden

Author: Fredrick
Many people think the grey squirrel is an attractive little animal and often they try to encourage them to visit their gardens.

The trouble is grey Squirrels are destructive little fellows and they have a tendency to chew everything and anything that gets in their way. So be warned if you encourage squirrels to visit your garden you run the risk of damage, another favourite pastime of squirrels is to try and get into house roofs were they while away the hours chewing through electric cables.


Ways to Deter Grey Squirrels

Deterring the grey squirrel from stealing all your bird food is going to be challenging as they are highly intelligent animals but you could also see this as a fun pastime, a kind of game maybe?

Try to place bird feeders at least 8 feet from any vegetation such as trees were they squirrel could jump from.

Have a look at squirrel proof feeders which either have a built in design that makes life difficult for the squirrel, things like upturned plastic cones as these prevent the squirrel from climbing up the pole to the bird feeder. A quick fix would be to grease the pole, this may stop some squirrels from climbing the pole, well worth a try if you have some grease lying around in the shed or garage at home.

Cages around the bird feeder often work well as they allow small birds in or larger birds can access food with their beaks, squirrels either can't get in or their escape route is awkward and thus they feel trapped so tend to look for easier pickings. Always ensure though you buy metal feeders as the plastic ones can get gnawed through by squirrels.


Squirrel Deterrent Devises

There are of course alternative methods of deterring squirrels from your house or garden, popular ones would include an ultra-sonic or sonic device to repel the pests or live squirrel traps, humane spring loaded trap door cages made from galvanised steel to prevent rusting, these cages can be used outside or in your loft space. Bear in mind what would you do with the squirrels you might capture.

Feeding the Grey Squirrel
Feel like you're fighting a losing battle trying to prevent the grey squirrel from eating all your expensive wild bird food, well why not change tact and invest in a special squirrel feeder for your garden, these special squirrel feeders can be loaded up with cheaper seeds, the little blighters are then less likely to eat your more expensive bird food or destroy your bird feeders in the process.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/bird-watching-articles/what-to-do-with-grey-squirrels-in-your-garden-4905293.html
About the Author
Vine House Farm, the online bird food shop which sells Squirrel Proof Feeders, bird food and accessories, and all supplied direct from our farm at low prices. We support the Wildlife Trusts, and grow as much of our wild bird food on our conservation award winning farm as possible.

Category › bird feeder , bird food , grey squirrels , squirrel deterrent , squirrel feeders , squirrel proof feeders , squirrel resistant feeders , squirrels

Your Backyard Birds: Black-Capped Chickadee

Author: Bill Askenburg

Black-Capped Chickadee

Scientific Name: Poecile atricapilla

The state bird of Maine and Massachusetts, the Black-Capped Chickadee is a small, common songbird in the Tit family generally found throughout Alaska, Canada and the northern United States.
Their rounded head, distinctive black cap, white cheeks and long narrow tail make them easily identifiable in the suburban backyard. Their innate curiosity makes them likely to be the first birds to discover a new garden feeder, and their nests can be found in the backyard by observing and following them carrying wood chips while they excavate a nesting cavity.
The male and female look alike, although males tend to be a little longer and heavier. Black-Capped Chickadees have an average life span of about 2-3 years.

Identification Facts

Head to Tail Length: 4 - 5 inches
Distinctive Features: round head, black crown and throat, white cheeks, short bill, pale gray top, gray to ruddy orange bottom
Male & Female Characteristics: very similar, males are a little longer and heavier

Songs & Calls

The Black-Cap Chickadee’s vocalizations are very complex in meaning and use. Their song is a simple, clear whistle of two notes, identical in rhythm sounding like bee-bay. The song is used to maintain contact with the flock, as the males only sing when in relative isolation from other chickadees.
Their most familiar call is chick-a-dee-dee-dee, which gave this bird its name. It is commonly a warning message and includes variations for specific predators. Research has shown that the number of dees in a call relates to the severity of the threat from nearby predators.

Nesting Behavior

Distribution: Alaska, Canada and northern US
Nest Type: cavity nesters
Breeding Season: April - May (depending on region), laying eggs shortly after building nest. One brood per season
Migration: do not migrate, rather form “foraging flocks” in winter - traveling from area to area for food together for safety.
Nest Facts: Both male and female excavate for the nest, but only the female builds the nest. To find their nest in your backyard, follow Black-Capped Chickadees carrying wood chips, because they commonly are seen carrying chips away from inside their nesting cavity.
They typically lay 6-8 eggs, and incubation lasts about two weeks, with only the female showing responsibility. When eggs begin to hatch, the male brings most of the food so the female can continue to warm the eggs.
Once all of the eggs are hatched, both parents bring the nestlings food. Fledglings leave the nest approximately 5-7 weeks after hatching.

Diet

Food Type: primarily eat insects, snails, seeds and berries. Seed mixes that include black oil sunflower seeds, gray striped sunflower seeds, peanut kernels, hulled sunflower seeds will attract Black Capped-Chickadees. They especially enjoy insect or fruit suet.

Similar species

Carolina Chickadee - Telling the difference between the Black-Capped and Carolina is virtually impossible, with the most obvious difference between them being their songs. Black-capped sings a two note song while Carolina sings a four note song.
Chestnut-Backed Chickadees - reside along the coast of the Pacific Northwest, ranging from Central California up into Canada.
Boreal and Chestnut-backed Chickadees have more brown in their plumages than the Black-capped.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/bird-watching-articles/your-backyard-birds-blackcapped-chickadee-982766.html
About the Author
“by Bill Askenburg, Owner - New England Birdhouse. We specialize in fine architectural bird houses and feeders, offering handcrafted custom and stock replica bird houses and backyard birding supplies and garden decor. For more information or articles please visit our blog.”

Category › bird feeder , bird food , bird nest , black capped chickadee , boreal chickadee , carolina chickadee , chestnut backed chickadee , fruit feeder , state bird of maine , state bird of massachusetts , suet