For many years I have not had the time to sit and bird watch. I would observe on Saturdays or Sundays while eating breakfast the wildlife outside my window. I do indeed have many feeding stations and bird baths placed around my yard but never really had time to truly observe what was out there. As a young girl I loved birds,painted models of them and was going to be an ornithologist(a wild bird scientist)which never happened. Now I have the time to observe and identify the various wild birds at my feeders and baths. I have become more than a "armchair birder" or a "coffee time"birder. I am now a " backyard" birder! I've graduated and am moving up. As I grow I will add information to my blog(Wild Bird Seed) to help any beginner, novice or casual birder to grow and learn to attract wild birds.
To attract wild birds one needs to find something to draw the birds in. This can be accomplished through landscape plantings for what birds like to eat and by feeding them. Today I'm going to discuss how to get started attracting wild birds. Wildlife has different needs,preferences to food, habitat and topography. Some like lots of old mature trees and forest while others prefer open space. Depending on where you live will determine the kind of wild birds that will be attracted to your yard. It's important to know the native birds so when a "visitor"appears you'll recognize it as a "find". Feeding the birds will achieve this goal. Birds,especially wild birds, require alot of food to sustain their metabolic needs. If you offer what they like,they will come. While trying to attract wild birds to your feeder keep in mind several things . When considering feeders birds like to see what is being offered, so start with a bigger open type feeder. One that holds lots of seeds and has a rim or raised frame for the birds to perch and land on. I say bigger because birds want to see others eating. They like company;plus strength is in numbers. Also look for feeders which can be filled easily and quickly. You don't want to be out there trying to remove lots of parts,slides and panes and using both of your hands,it leaves you no hand to pour the seed. Keep it simple and easy. Next look for a feeder which is easy to clean. It's very important to keep the station clean so the birds don't pick up any diseases from contaminated seed or rotting seed. Diseases spread quickly through flocks due to the crowded space at the feeder. The feeder should be able to be washed with a solution of water to bleach in a ratio of 10:1. It then needs to be rinsed and dried before new seed goes into it.
Bird feeders can be placed almost anywhere to attract wild birds. The trick in attracting wild birds of a certain type or kind is to place the feeders in spots where they would naturally feed. For example, some wild birds like to eat off the ground while others like to eat higher up.I will go into these aspects of attracting wild birds in more detail on my next blog. I hope you enjoyed this little blog and found it informative.
Most importantly-**pick a feeder and place it where you can see it and enjoy it! Enjoy your new hobby of attracting wild birds and watching them,it can be fun and very therapeutic Look for my next blog on types of feeders and the bird types they will attract. One excellent place to find a feeder is at WildBirdSeedMart.com .Start attracting wild birds!
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