FEATHERED FOOTNOTES - PART TWO

By Jim Hovda, Little Rock Lake Bird Watcher

January 2011

Many of us enjoy watching birds and wildlife. A short time ago, I wrote about the different birds and wildlife that come to the feeders that Jan and I maintain. It is a very successful endeavor. How did all this come about? What were the things that we did to make this so successful in attracting the birds? I’ll give it a stab at telling you the things that I think were important.

Yes, there are things that Jan and I had no influence on. Where we live is surrounded by maple, oak, spruce and pine trees. Lots of them. Maples and oaks are in abundance. Additionally, a lake and marsh are there too. Another plus, although I’m not sure that this plays a major role, it’s quiet, very little road and people traffic. I’m convinced that a tree population plays a major role in ones ability to attract birds. (Lots of nesting places)

Now I’ll list some of the things that Jan and I did that we think played role in attracting our feathered friends:

 Right next to one of our tray feeders we planted a Spruce, White Cedar and a Yew shrub. This gives the birds a place to hide and launch onto the feeder. This is by far the most active feeder we have. We have two other tray feeders that do get a lot of attention.

 Three tower feeders are hanging in several areas. All contain sunflower seeds. Mixed bird seed does not work well in these feeders.

 One shallow pan on the ground under a tray feeder contains cracked corn.

 A thistle sack. I like the sack in comparison to the tower feeders that have just a small slot for getting the thistle. I believe that the birds are more successful in retrieving the seeds. There have been as many as six birds hanging on the thistle sack at one time, usually goldfinches.

 Suet - a couple of trays that have very large (bowling ball size) chunks of suet, a couple of small wire cage types that have the small squares of store bought suet. I get the large suet from a local meat market that processes meat. Last, several deer carcass’ hanging from trees that I got from deer hunters after they processed their deer. I’m here to tell you that by spring there is nothing left. The birds took everything. Then I toss what’s left of them in the woods and the small animals eat the bones for calcium and other minerals. Nothing goes to waste in natures plan.

 A heated birdbath. Very popular with just about every species that visits the feeders. The colder the weather the more attention the birdbath gets. I might mention that in times of really cold weather when there is no snow this source of water is really important for all the wildlife. Water is a lifesaving item. Last year I planted an oak tree a couple feet from the birdbath. It was a good move. Many of the birds will perch on the tree looking to see if it is safe to get a drink. Another tip you might find interesting, algae is a problem even in the winter. I put four pennies in the birdbath. You’d be surprised as how efficient the pennies are in keeping algae to a minimum. It also works well in the summer. I found that four seems to be about the right number. The copper must have something to do with it.

 Be a consistent dependable feeder. Even in the summer I leave at least one feeder with seeds just to let the birds know we’re here. Granted, in the summer the feeders receive little activity. I’ve been doing this for several years. It takes awhile for some birds to find your feeders.

 After a storm, feeders need cleaning. Brush off the snow. In some cases when rain freezes it may be necessary to scrape off feeders. Or, in some cases, bring in a hanging feeder indoors and thaw it to free up the space for the seeds to automatically get to the feeding area. Sometimes it’s a major task. The feeder probably needs cleaning anyway.

 We have tray, tower and places on the ground for seed. Many birds strongly prefer tray or ground feeding to the towers. Especially when it comes to mixed seed. The Northern Cardinal is a good example. Although they will eat from a tower feeder, they seem to eat more aggressively from the ground or from flat trays given a choice.

Well, there you have it. My recipe for attracting our feathered friends. You’ll get other visitors too. For me, the dreaded grey squirrels can be a nuisance. Some years they pose a real challenge. This year, only a couple are hanging around. Only occasional flying squirrels pay visits this year. Lately when they come, it around 10:00 P.M. I’ve had an occasional raccoon, possum and to my displeasure, the neighbors cat, fortunately at night. Jan and I hope you are as successful at attracting the birds (and other critters) as we are.