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

Tips on Feeding Birds in Early Spring

Author: Mary Fesio
It may not seem like spring with the word "snow" still popping up in weather forecasts.  But the calendar says "yes, it is really here".  Not only the calendar, but birds are, also, proclaiming that spring has arrived.  Early in the morning, their chirping is declaring that spring is upon us and our wild feathered friends are going to be looking to us for aid once more.  The chickadees and cardinals are belting out their mating calls for potential partners to hear and it's feeling more and more like spring.
The birds have had a rough time with the winter's bad weather.  Food sources such as seeds and berries are bent over from snow pilings and freezing weather has frozen over many water supplies.  Hopefully, there were many kind people feeding the birds during the winter and providing water that was free of ice.  But the poor birds are going to be under additional stress looking for their own territories and mates.  This will require even more energy.  Following is a list that one should follow in order to insure healthy birds and broods in the spring:

• Suet is a very good staple to offer the birds in early spring.  Sue is rendered beef fat and it is a very important staple during cold months.  Birds are very fond of it and it gives them plenty of calories in a concentrated form.
• Seed mixes that contain more than half black oil sunflower seeds should be chosen.  The fat content per seed is greatest in these seeds and gives the birds the greatest amount of calories to get them through this stressful time of year.
• Another form of high fat and high protein foods is nuts such as peanuts, pecans, almonds, walnuts and other types of tree nuts.  Fruits are, also, enjoyed by birds.  Bananas, apples, blueberries, chunks of apples and dried cranberries offer birds a wonderful and healthy treat.
• Fresh water cannot be overlooked.  In the winter, birds may be forced to eat snow or drink water from dripping icicles.  They use a great deal of energy warming snow or cold water to body temperature—energy that can be used for other needs such as foraging for food and keeping warm.  Heated water from a heated bird bath helps birds conserve energy and when the weather is warm enough, the birds may even delight in a warm winter bath.  Clean feathers provide better insulation from the winter cold.
• Leaving the bird houses up through the winter is a considerate move because birds that do not migrate will be able to use these homes as shelter during cold, wintry nights.  Stuffing the ventilation holes with rags or hay is, also, a good idea.  If this was not done this winter, it is something to keep in mind for the next.
• Another consideration to be given the wintering aviaries is a winter roost.  They are built with entry holes at the bottom.  This allows the warmer air in the box to rise to the top where the birds perch.  This is something that should be considered during the summer months.  Having several winter roosts in the yard would be a blessing for those that stay around in the winter. 
• Another excellent haven for wintering birds is a brush pile.  This does not have to be anything more than a pile of dead branches, weeds and sticks piled up in one corner of the yard  It gets covered up with snow forming air spaces providing a draft-free place for birds to seek shelter.

The main points to be taken are to have plenty of nutritious food in the feeders and fresh water flowing with nice, warm habitats.  Your bird friends will be most grateful to you and will enchant you with their songs and antics come the warmer days of spring.

Category › bird feeder , bird feeders , bird watching , birdfeeder , birdfeeders , outdoor bird feeder , outdoor bird feeders , outdoor birdfeeder , wild bird feeder , wild bird feeders , wild birdfeeder , wild birdfeeders

Top 6 Bird Feeding Mistakes to Avoid

Author: Mary Fesio
Many bird fans try to encourage wild birds to come to their website.  But, not knowing the care wild birds need, mistakes can be made which can, actually, hurt the birds.  Below, are feeding strategies that can cause illnesses to birds.

1. Feeding on the ground in the same place all winter—If you feed on the ground in the same place all winter, you will create a stinky, messy, unhealthy place that will be difficult to clean up in the spring.  The best thing to do is to change the feeding spot frequently, especially when the weather is wet.
2. Ignoring the cleanliness of the feeder—Even though it's cold outside, cleaning those feeders on a regular basis is very important.  You should make it a ritual to clean the feeder in a light bleach/water solution, at least, on a monthly basis.  Then rinse the feeder thoroughly and let it air dry.
3. Taking your feeders down so birds would migrate—It is not true that bird feeders keep birds from migrating.  Bird feeders or no, the birds know when it is time to fly south and bird feeders will not keep them from going.  No matter how well your feeders are stocked, when it is time to go, the birds will go.
4. Feeding birds stale bread—Birds may seem to love bread.  But bread to a hungry bird is like feeding popcorn to a hungry child.  The stale bread is filler but has very little nutritional value.  A better feast is fruit like oranges, apples, mealworms or rendered suet.  The birds will be very appreciative.
5. Going to the grocery store to buy seed—Most seed mixes from the grocery store is not of a good quality.  If you notice that most of the seed are wheat, barley or milo, you need to find some other place to shop.  A good seed mixture should be comprised of cracked corn, millet or sunflower.
6. Feeding seed left over from last year—Seed ages like any other food.  Weevils and moths get into it and contaminate the seed.  It gets full of flour moths and cobwebs.  The solution is to throw it out and get fresh seed.

By following these few pointers, you will find that your visitors will come to visit frequently.  You will feel good for helping them stay happy and healthy, causing them to visit your yard frequently.  You will be a popular person with the bird community.  That will make a wonderful win/win situation for the birds and the bird watchers.  We wish you happy bird watching right through the winter.

Category › bird feeder , bird feeders , bird watching , birdfeeder , birdfeeders , decorative birdfeeder , decorative birdfeeders , wild bird feeder , wild bird feeders , wild birdfeeder , wild birdfeeders

Birds, Butterflies and Benefits

Author: Ken Goodwin
There are many benefits to attracting butterflies and birds to your backyard. The benefits range from personal and family to ecological and environmental.
Let's first start with benefits to you and your family. The first benefit that comes to my mind is the pleasure you derive from listening to the songs of the unseen birds. Then there is also the enjoyment one gets from watching them in the comfort of your own backyard. In the attempt to attract them, you are helping them by providing them with a safe haven and staving off possible extinction. You are also receiving an education by creating the possibility to study their habits and personalities. It can be a fun means to bring the family together for 15 minutes or even an hour or more. Taking the time to watch them provides stress relief in our busy lives. The fresh air during the upkeep of your garden, and then during your relaxing vigils, provides more vitamin D and detoxifies the body.
Birds and butterflies eat insects. The birds alone are able to hold check on the most powerful race on earth-insects. Amongst the insects they eat are aphids, mosquitoes, spiders and others that might not be welcome in your yard or garden. This eliminates the need for harsh insecticides. Our feathered friends also eat seeds that would otherwise develop into weeds. Another source of food for the birds is the butterflies themselves. The butterflies, when they are in the caterpillar stage, provide a food source for birds, particularly the nestlings. There are a lot of nutrients packed into that small, soft body packet.
They also provide for flower pollination. Some plants are pollinated by the wind. However, most are pollinated by insects. In the case of butterflies, they collect pollen on their long legs as they sip nectar. This pollination is not only beneficial to the plants, but as the plants grow, they in turn attract more butterflies and birds, and increase the beauty and joy of your garden. The abundance of butterflies indicates a consistent and healthier ecosystem and environment. This environment can be enhanced by using native plants to attract the butterflies and birds. By using native plants, you use less water, thereby using environmental conservation. The use of native plants also helps to increase the value of your home.
As you can see, there are several ways that both the butterflies and birds provide benefits to us, the environment and to each other. Just remember to take time out to not only smell the roses, but to also enjoy the creatures you have worked so hard to bring into your own little piece of paradise.

Category › attracting birds to your backyard , bird baths , bird feeders , butterfly houses , butterfly puddler

The Reality TV Bird House

Author: Mariya K Moore
Reality TV has finally come to the backyard. Who knows for how many centuries people have been putting up bird houses. But, until recently birding enthusiasts had to be content with simply watching the birds come and go from of the bird house; not being able to see the real action going on inside.
For birders, missing out on all the nest building, the breeding, laying of eggs, hatching, rearing of the young and finally fledging, came to an end a half dozen years ago, with the development of miniaturized video cameras, so small that they fit neatly in an out of the way corner of any bird houses. A thin cable running from one of these nature cams -- which are often fitted with infrared night vision, and even a built in microphone -- is then plugged into a nearby television, or computer allowing up close and personal viewing, 24/7, whether at home, office, school, or retirement center.
Such cameras are used not only inside birdhouses, but around bird feeders, bird baths, and even out in the field for university and government research projects.
There's something about bird watching that is addictive. People who wouldn't give a second glance to the birds overhead, find that once they set up a camera and start viewing the activity, the first thing they do when coming home from a long day's work, is turn on the television to check on the progress of "their birds."
For some, the goings-on in the backyard bird house has turned into a neighborhood event, with friends coming over nightly to sit around and just watch. One lady inPennsylvania even put her television out on her front porch so the neighborhood kids could stop by and watch.
But why think locally, when it's so easy to go global? It wasn't too many years ago that streaming video onto the Internet took a lot of time, money, specialized equipment and computer expertiese. With the advent of streaming services such as, it didn't take long for birders to start streaming live video of everything from, for example, inside bluebird houses to eagle nests. Now, with only a few minute's time and a couple clicks of the mouse, anyone can be broadcasting live, around the world.
A recent check on Ustream, showed 3,600+ birding streams . . . along with another 1,600 streaming wild animal videos . . . plus 16,000 dogs and 8,200 cats.
True to the world of Reality TV, once in a while a real superstar will come along such as Molly and Magee, two Barn owls down in San Marcos, California that garnered more than 21,000,000+ hits. That's not a typo . . . 21 Million-plus hits.
Birdhouse Spy Cam, the manufacturer of one such camera, the Hawk Eye Nature Cam, reports that while bird enthusiasts are by far the largest users of their camera, it is also being used to watch all manner of wildlife such as deer and elk, and has even found its way down into a rattlesnake den. Horse, goat, chicken, and other livestock owners also use it to keep tabs on their charges.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/bird-watching-articles/the-reality-tv-bird-house-5219517.html
About the Author
Mariya K Moore offers you a great variety of Bird Houses, Bird Feeders and Bluebird Houses. A wide range of Bird Houses product await you! Come and check out http://www.birdhousespycam.com

Category › bird baths , bird feeders , bird house , bluebird houses

Looking for the Best Garden Decor Has Become Easy

Author: Sheila Fitzgerald
Do you have an indoor or outdoor garden that may need a special touch? Since your gardens are special to you we can give your garden that extra special touch. Sheila's Garden of Eden has everything you may need or want for your special garden. Are you looking for beautiful Stepping Stones? We have bloom and grow with a vibrant green with a beautiful blue or red flower. Do you like glow in the dark stones for the late evenings? We have them.
Do you have beautiful birds that live around you? Take a look at our bird baths and bird feeders. We have a country chicken or a hanging country lodge, and many more to choose from for a country look. They add wonderful charm to any garden.
Are you an NFL fan? We have NFL helmet rain gauges to make an NFL statement.
We have many other signs that can give your garden a special touch. Sit still and relax in your indoor or outdoor garden as you watch the flame of our great candles. We have Mother, or nursery blessings for a boy or girl. In Sheila's Garden of Eden we hope you enjoy your shopping and come back real often to watch for new items and great specials. Look in www.sheilasgardenofeden.com for the special touch. Do you enjoy wind chimes? We have a very wide variety of wind chimes that will make beautiful sounds in the breeze. So get your list and begin shopping.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/bird-watching-articles/looking-for-the-best-garden-decor-has-become-easy-3691703.html
About the Author
Sheila's Garden of Eden was created by Sheila Fitzgerald since I was no longer able to work. I needed something to work my mind so now I have my own website. I hope you stop by and take a look and come back real often. I enjoy feedback from you and will be looking for it.

Category › bird baths , bird feeders , gnomes , indoor gardens , outdoor gardens , planters , windchimes

Why Feed Birds Anyway?

Author: Lisa Dorsel
Why Feed Birds Anyway?
Well, all you need are a bird feeder and seed, for one. But, in my experience, there are several more reasons that I would like to share. So you know; I've been a rural person for many years. And, when the kids were young, it was not uncommon to have geese or ducks co-existing in our yard.
Flight
At one point, we had three or four geese and, basically, they had just occupied the yard for some time. Geese are a feisty bird, and don't mix well with humans, but I guess we really didn't know until we experienced the nipping and the chasing first hand. At any rate, we had endured them for months. And then, one day, when I was in the yard, an entire flock of them were passing way up high, and right over the backyard. Of course, I could hear them and so could our geese. In just a few moments, they began to run and they took flight. They would join their kind and a life they were suited for and I was in awe. May I suggest that flight equals freedom in our minds and we see it all of the time. Do you escape, if only for a moment, when you see a bird in flight?
Poppy
Poppy was our lone duck at the time, and he developed a ritual that took me a while to explain. He took to the road! Repeatedly, he walked maybe thirty feet up the road, crossed to the other side, and up a driveway leading to the church that we attended. I noticed this and then I began to notice the neighbors, traveling to and from home, just inching, patiently, behind him. They were awesome, dubbing him the "community duck". So, one day, I was at the church and Poppy arrived. There he stood, content and looking in the window. He was looking at one fine specimen of duck! In retrospect, we should have had another duck, to keep him company. You may have lone birds coming to your bird feeders, but generally, they will come in groups and on a daily, even hourly basis.
Mom
And, of course, there is the beauty of nature. One of our ducks had wintered under the big Blue Spruce in the yard, whose branches touched the ground. And, all of us just went about indoor living until spring. So, on a warm and sunny day, I was walking in the yard when something caught my breath and I stopped. It was the eloquence of nature. One momma duck appeared from beneath the tree with about ten ducklings, in a perfect row, following behind her. Believe me, you want them to survive; to stay alive! But do you pin them up or bring them inside? No, you stand and watch. They went to an undisclosed location of their mothers' choice.
If you would like to feed wild birds, please be encouraged and keep this in mind; winter is the most difficult time for birds. Our ducks would slip and slide on ice and snow and often fall prey to predators. Shelter is much less abundant in bare trees. Fruit, nuts and berries are more difficult to find and insects lay dormant. Temperatures dive and our feathered friends need high energy food to produce heat. Please visit www.polypolly.com for your eco-friendly wild bird supplies.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/bird-watching-articles/why-feed-birds-anyway-3307925.html
About the Author
Lisa Dorsel is the owner and President of www.polypolly.com, an eco-friendly website featuring wild bird supplies.

Category › bird , bird feeder , bird feeders , birds , eco-friendly wild bird supplies , feed wild birds , wild bird supplies

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Scientific Name: Melanerpes carolinus

The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a member of the Picidae family, and is the largest common woodpecker of the eastern United States. It is found primarily in northeastern US and southern Canada, ranging as far south as Florida and as far west as Texas. Its common habitat is wooded areas, including suburban neighborhoods and parks. Red-Bellied Woodpeckers are very tolerant of humans, and are regular visitors to backyard garden feeders (especially during the winter), favoring sunflower seed, suet, and fruit. Red-Bellied Woodpeckers climb and "hitch" along branches and trunks of trees, picking at the bark.
Red-Bellied Woodpeckers have a very thick skull and strong neck that protects them from brain damage when they "drum" to attract mates, excavate nest cavities and forage for food. They are equipped with a unique tongue that can extend 2 inches beyond its beak, and is barbed and sticky to catch insects inside deep crevices, where they gather and store food.

Identification Facts

Head to Tail Length: about 9" - 10.5"
Distinctive Features: The Red-Bellied Woodpecker can easily be identified by its red crown and black-and-white striping on its back. Its name is derived from a subtle red patch on it's abdomen that is rarely seen. Adult Red-Bellied Woodpeckers' abdomen, chest and face are mainly grayish white.
Male & Female Characteristics: Males have a red crown running from their bill to their neck, where females have a red patch on the nape and another above the bill. Males have a bigger tongue than females.

Songs & Calls

Red-bellied woodpeckers are highly vocal and noisy birds. Their calls sound like churr-churr-churr or with an alternating brr sound. Both sexes are vocal, but males call and drum more often than females. Male woodpeckers drum their beaks to attract females in the spring, sometimes pounding on metal siding and even cars to create a resonating sound.

Nesting Behavior

Distribution: The red-bellied woodpecker can be found in most of the eastern United States, except for northernmost New England.
Nest Type: Cavity

Breeding Season: The breeding season lasts from late January to late June
Migration: During severe winters, Red-bellied Woodpeckers have been observed migrating south from northern areas to escape extreme weather.
Nest Facts: Red-bellied Woodpeckers are cavity nesters. The male carves and excavates a new cavity in a dead tree or sometimes a live tree in 7-10 days. Three to six eggs are incubated by both the male and female. The male incubates at night, the female during the day. Chicks hatch in about 12 days, and fledge in 22-27 days. Both parents care for the young.
In some areas, many Red-bellied Woodpecker nesting cavities are taken over by starlings. Red-bellied woodpeckers will occasionally use bird houses.
Recommended Bird House: Audubon Woodpecker Bird House

Diet

Red-bellied woodpeckers eat mostly nuts and fruits, with seeds being their primary food source during the winter. They also eat berries, corn, acorns, beechnuts, tree sap, ants, grasshoppers, beetles, lizards, frogs, and some bird eggs and nestlings.
Commercially available food options include sunflower seed kernals, fruit and nut blends and suet.
Recommended Feeders: Clinger Feeder, Fruit Feeder, Suet Feeder and suet log feeders

Similar species

The Red-headed Woodpecker is a rather close relative but looks entirely different. The Gila Woodpecker has a darker brown head and abdomen, and lacks the red neck and spot above bill. The Golden-Fronted Woodpecker is also similar in coloration to the Red-Bellied Woodpecker.
Originally published at New England Birdhouse blog.

Category › backyard birding , bird feed , bird feeder , bird feeders , bird house , bird houses , Red-Bellied Woodpecker , woodpecker