Hi Friends. I must apologize for no recent postings. Upon my return from vacation I jumped right back into work with both feet! I've been working diligently on shopping for some attractive packaging for my bird feed mixes that I hope to peddle to some local stores. I've gone back and forth about using and not wanting to use plastic bags. I am committed to finding recyclable and reuseable packaging for a product that feeds wild birds. I think I've come up with some good options for my finished product.
So anyway, I'm back to share more thoughts and ideas with you, my patient pals.
I hope, in the next few postings, to start a discussion on bird feeders. I plan to take pictures of some of the feeders I've used and am using, with the pros and cons I have personally found in using them. Today I went out to my snow filled backyard to refill my feeders. I don't get to them as often as I compulsively did in years past, now that I actually have my own business and work long hours from home.
I fill my feeders with my own tested and loved mix, but I recently filled my under deck space and ground feeder with plain sunflower. Today when filling my feeders, I was thankful that I did start that practice because even though the feeders I usually put my beloved mix in were empty, the under deck and ground feeder still had black oil sunflower in that the birds were using as a "last resort". So, they are still getting fed, just not the caviar they seem to prefer.
So let me leave you with that idea today. That is, allow yourself to experiment and try different feeds or seeds in different feeders. Those of you that are also compulsive and collect feeders like I have, will have plenty of options to experiment with. And if you do experiment, please feel free to leave your findings or thoughts here and we can discuss them.
So until my next posting, I hope some wild birds find a well filled feeder out your window!
Showing posts with label bird feed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bird feed. Show all posts
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Monday, December 15, 2008
Protected Bird Feeding Sites
NE Wisconsin has been pounded with snow lately and now today it is frigid with single temps and a bitter wind. I'm glad I found the time to fill my feeders before this weather hit.
A couple tips I'd like to share regarding feeding birds in the Winter with weather such as we're having in Wisconsin right now. For those of you that have open platform feeders (which are very popular with the birds) you know that snow covers the feed. So let me recommend in addition to sweeping the feeders of snow with a whisk type hand broom, that you find a covered spot like a patio table, or deck where there is open space beneath, that birds will be able to access snow and rain protected feed. To the right here, you will see my version of a UK bird feeding table. I read about feeding tables in the many published bird feeding bits from the UK that
I get from my Google Alerts to my e-mail. And actually, I believe their's are standing upright in the yard. But here in Wisconsin this is more what we may need in the Winter.
This is my patio table stored upside down underneath my backyard deck. It is a great place for me to throw some of my bird feed. It is a nice open spot that birds (and critters like deer, squirrels, and rabbits) feel comfortable feeding at. It is underneath the deck so it is protected from rain and snow. At this particular time that I took the picture, last week, we had just gotten about 6 inches of snow and you can see that the front edge of the table is only sparsely covered with a thin layer of snow and the back is entirely clear of it. Yet you can also see it is quite open, so this makes an ideal protected feeding spot for birds, and other animal yard visitors.
The orange cord is an extension cord Bill, my husband, set up for my heated bird bath that he attached to the top of the deck railing for us to view from inside our kitchen area. House finches were just bathing in it after the last snowfall! I don't see as much bathing from it, as I do drinking by the birds. In fact, woodpeckers have even visited lately to "wet their whistle".
Now to the second suggestion I have for winter feeding, and this is primarily for when the temperatures dip to bitter single degrees, and below, with windchill. I have taken to using Hulled Sunflower in my feed, especially during the Winter because I really dislike the black mess the Sunflower shells leave around my feeders on top of the white snow. Because their are no hulls on the sunflower, using it in hopper type feeders is best. Protecting it from the rain will deter it from spoiling. But the hulled Sunflower not only is a neater feed to give the birds, it also allows them to get the high oil and energy provision without having to take the time to shell it first. So when the birds are stressed with the cold temperatures, they can access the food quicker and don't have to take the time to get the shells off. So for me it is a win-win situation. It helps both me and the birds when I use the more expensive hulled sunflower this time of year. And that is in addition to the fact that I'm not paying for the shells, but for only sunflower meats.
That's all for now. Stay warm, and Midwest Feeders, find a protected spot for those bird friends, for you know how their visits can warm your heart!
A couple tips I'd like to share regarding feeding birds in the Winter with weather such as we're having in Wisconsin right now. For those of you that have open platform feeders (which are very popular with the birds) you know that snow covers the feed. So let me recommend in addition to sweeping the feeders of snow with a whisk type hand broom, that you find a covered spot like a patio table, or deck where there is open space beneath, that birds will be able to access snow and rain protected feed. To the right here, you will see my version of a UK bird feeding table. I read about feeding tables in the many published bird feeding bits from the UK that
I get from my Google Alerts to my e-mail. And actually, I believe their's are standing upright in the yard. But here in Wisconsin this is more what we may need in the Winter.This is my patio table stored upside down underneath my backyard deck. It is a great place for me to throw some of my bird feed. It is a nice open spot that birds (and critters like deer, squirrels, and rabbits) feel comfortable feeding at. It is underneath the deck so it is protected from rain and snow. At this particular time that I took the picture, last week, we had just gotten about 6 inches of snow and you can see that the front edge of the table is only sparsely covered with a thin layer of snow and the back is entirely clear of it. Yet you can also see it is quite open, so this makes an ideal protected feeding spot for birds, and other animal yard visitors.
The orange cord is an extension cord Bill, my husband, set up for my heated bird bath that he attached to the top of the deck railing for us to view from inside our kitchen area. House finches were just bathing in it after the last snowfall! I don't see as much bathing from it, as I do drinking by the birds. In fact, woodpeckers have even visited lately to "wet their whistle".
Now to the second suggestion I have for winter feeding, and this is primarily for when the temperatures dip to bitter single degrees, and below, with windchill. I have taken to using Hulled Sunflower in my feed, especially during the Winter because I really dislike the black mess the Sunflower shells leave around my feeders on top of the white snow. Because their are no hulls on the sunflower, using it in hopper type feeders is best. Protecting it from the rain will deter it from spoiling. But the hulled Sunflower not only is a neater feed to give the birds, it also allows them to get the high oil and energy provision without having to take the time to shell it first. So when the birds are stressed with the cold temperatures, they can access the food quicker and don't have to take the time to get the shells off. So for me it is a win-win situation. It helps both me and the birds when I use the more expensive hulled sunflower this time of year. And that is in addition to the fact that I'm not paying for the shells, but for only sunflower meats.
That's all for now. Stay warm, and Midwest Feeders, find a protected spot for those bird friends, for you know how their visits can warm your heart!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
How To Throw Wild Bird Party
Ever hang up a bird feeder and wonder why the birds don't come to it? Well it could be for several reasons, but one of the reasons is because it isn't causing a stir. It's my philosophy that in order to attract birds you need to throw a bird party. That means just one dish of chips and dip isn't going to do it.
I believe you should have at least three feeding stations filled with quality bird feed in order to make a bird party. Keep 'em filled, have a water feature, and multiple levels of bird friendly plants, shrubs, and large trees, and you will have one serious bird party happening every day. But the feeding stations need to be made up of feeders in styles that birds like to eat from and feel comfortable at. They need to offer enough room for multiple birds to eat at from one time. Such as screen feeders where birds can cling all over, or a platform where they can feel safe landing. Perches are ok for smaller birds, but even they limit the number of birds that can eat at one time. Therefore, no party can happen, and if no party, no other birds will want to stop by.
I've seen people choose bird feeders because they like the way they look....to them. Sometimes the most darling looking feeder will have no birds come to it unless the neighbors ran out of the good stuff and the birds are desperate. That's why birds may come occasionally, but would rather eat from the one down the street and won't show up regularly at your feeder (or it's because you use the cheap feed and the man two doors down puts out the caviar). See how it's a combination of a few different things going on at the same time? Bird friendly feeders, quality feed, natural bird habitat, and fresh water. With birds enjoying all the atmosphere these elements provide, other birds want to get in on the fun, too. And they will.
But why multple feeders? Because a few of them within 50 - 100 feet of each other will cause a stir. Birds will fly by, see other birds stopping, this will peak their curiosity, they will stop by and check it out too. When you have good quality feed (high portion of Black Oil Sunflower and other seed mixed in depending on the birds in your area and what they prefer to eat as a first choice, or what birds you want to attract) they will return often and will attract more birds with them. Then you have a bird party every day!
And you get to enjoy the show. Hooray for you.
I believe you should have at least three feeding stations filled with quality bird feed in order to make a bird party. Keep 'em filled, have a water feature, and multiple levels of bird friendly plants, shrubs, and large trees, and you will have one serious bird party happening every day. But the feeding stations need to be made up of feeders in styles that birds like to eat from and feel comfortable at. They need to offer enough room for multiple birds to eat at from one time. Such as screen feeders where birds can cling all over, or a platform where they can feel safe landing. Perches are ok for smaller birds, but even they limit the number of birds that can eat at one time. Therefore, no party can happen, and if no party, no other birds will want to stop by.
I've seen people choose bird feeders because they like the way they look....to them. Sometimes the most darling looking feeder will have no birds come to it unless the neighbors ran out of the good stuff and the birds are desperate. That's why birds may come occasionally, but would rather eat from the one down the street and won't show up regularly at your feeder (or it's because you use the cheap feed and the man two doors down puts out the caviar). See how it's a combination of a few different things going on at the same time? Bird friendly feeders, quality feed, natural bird habitat, and fresh water. With birds enjoying all the atmosphere these elements provide, other birds want to get in on the fun, too. And they will.
But why multple feeders? Because a few of them within 50 - 100 feet of each other will cause a stir. Birds will fly by, see other birds stopping, this will peak their curiosity, they will stop by and check it out too. When you have good quality feed (high portion of Black Oil Sunflower and other seed mixed in depending on the birds in your area and what they prefer to eat as a first choice, or what birds you want to attract) they will return often and will attract more birds with them. Then you have a bird party every day!
And you get to enjoy the show. Hooray for you.
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