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Great Tips to Attract Birds to Your Home

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:08:36 +0000

If you have just bought some bird tables for your garden, there are a number of things you could do to maximize the number of birds that visit you. The following are some great ways to get your feathered friends to come to your feeders. First, it is best to place your feeder and table in a tree, instead of in open space. This attracts shy birds that prefer the secrecy of the trees and branches, such that you get a wider range of bird species coming to your garden. This works best if you do have some plants in your garden, and if not, you can always plant some for the sake of your birds. Secondly, keep your bird feeders away from the house, particularly from doors, windows and paths. This keeps your birds from getting started by people and sounds coming from inside and around your house. Your birds will feel more secure if they can feed uninterrupted, and you can get a great view of them from your home. The third tip is that you should use sunflower hearts instead of shelled sunflower seeds to feed your garden birds. The difference between the two is that the hearts are easier for birds to eat and they generally do not leave a mess in your garden, while the seeds require the birds to have strong beaks and the ability to crush the husks to eat the insides. When you make the feed convenient for your birds to eat, more and more species will get attracted to your garden. Do keep your bird feeders clean and safe for birds to use because dirt and bacteria can accumulate if you neglect it, which can kill the birds. You should be particularly careful when using dried mealworms as bird feed because of the hydration process. You can choose to wet them in warm water or place banana or apple peels underneath them to keep the mealworms moist, but when left for long, these can rot and accumulate toxins that are harmful to your garden birds. These tips should help you attract lots of birds to your feeders, and you always have a brilliant view of your birds from your home for a long time to come.

Ethan Black has more than 5 years experience in copywriting and Blogging. Presently he is writing articles about wild bird food, sunflower hearts, dried mealworms, and bird tables.
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How and What to Feed Wild Birds

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:36:42 +0000

Feeding wild birds is a hobby with many rewards. In developed urban areas, the food supply for many wild birds becomes limited, due to the terrain which once provided plant and animal food resources being paved over. The most important reason to feed wild birds is to help birds to survive and thrive through the harsh winter months. The next best reason is that having your yard or garden full of colorful, vocal birds is something that makes the soul sing.The first important question for most people is how to feed birds? Spreading the feed out on the ground is the most natural answer to the question of how to feed birds, but the downside here is that squirrels will also be able to consume it and the birds will be more vulnerable to predators, such as cats and snakes, while on the ground. For most people, the answer to this question will be commercial bird feeders and commercial bird food. Bird feeders come in a variety of capacities,so be sure to match the capacity of the feeder you purchase to the number of birds you are actually feeding. Excess food left in the bird feeder can become moldy over time and will need to be thrown out as it would be unhealthy for the birds to eat. Be sure to purchase a feeder that can easily be cleaned as you will need to do this fairly often. What to feed wild birds? Types of food utilized depend on which bird species in your area you wish to attract. Types of food that can attract birds vary endlessly, only a few staples can be listed here. The single bird food most popular with the widest variety of species in the United States is probably millet. Quail, pheasants, pigeons, doves, towhees, blackbirds, starlings and finches all favor millet in their diet. Suet is a favored treat for many birds, especially in the harsh winter months when they need the energy density it provides. Tanagers, warblers, kinglets, cardinals, grosbeaks, buntings, robins, blue birds, thrushes, wrens, creepers, nuthatches, titmice, chickadees, magpies, jays, woodpeckers, and in the Southwest roadrunners all respond favorably to this treat. In cool to cold weather, you can simply use raw beef fat from a local butcher, but in hot summertime it will melt and grow rancid. In these months it is better to use commercially rendered suet cakes. Another answer to the question of what to feed birds is to plant flowers that produce seeds edible to birds, such as black-eyed susan’s or sunflowers. Not only will this attract birds, it will also beautify your yard. If that is not a possibility, you can purchase sunflower seeds, thistle and other seed available in different sized bags. By feeding the birds, they will flourish and you will see and hear all the beautiful sights and sounds of your many feathered friends.

We offer a variety of affordable birdhouses and bird feeders. If you are a bird enthusiast or someone who loves to feed birds and also make their yard a nice haven for wild birds, you will find something you like at http://www.birdhousesnook.com/home.html We would love to have you visit. Please keep in touch, as we intend to add related products in the near future. Our Goal is to give our customers quality products and service.Rose Puff, President of RMP Ventures, LLC
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Habits of the Chimney Swift

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:31:53 +0000

The chimney swift is among the most fun loving and sociable birds that you will find. Whether on the ground or in the air, you will see groups of them spending their time together. These birds are small birds, just short of a half foot long. And they love to spend lots of time in flight.As a matter of fact, they do quite a bit of their eating in mid air as the snatch up insects in mid flight. Their common name, chimney swift, has become came with them because they have adjusted so well to man’s presence and to the structures that they live in. It is not uncommon to see them setting up roosting nests on the inside of chimneys.Chimney swifts tend to be monogamous. For the most part, and barring the death of a partner, they will stay with one partner their entire lives. They are migratory birds who seek the warmth of tropical locations as leave colder areas for the winter. In the spring however, they are like homing pigeons and will usually return to the same areas year after year.When it comes to bringing up the fledglings, chimney swifts subscribe to the theory that it takes a village. It is not unusual for a male and female to be joined by one or more additional chimney swifts in the caring of their children. They give most of their assistance in helping to bring food back to the nest. But they can also share in the incubation activities as the couple and their surrogates take turns sitting on the eggs before they hatch.The main diet of the chimney swift consists of flying insect. The will do the majority of their feeding above lakes and ponds where they usually find an abundance of these insects. They love flies, leafhoppers, mayflies, and the like. Being a communal species, they usually feed in groups.Therefore, as chimney swifts begin their mid morning feeding runs, it is very common to see a flock of them flying in close formation to each other. In addition to structures that are made by man, such as chimneys, these birds also love to seek out and build their nests in hollowed out locations in trees left behind by woodpeckers.But, Although chimney swifts love to make their nests in our home chimneys, the chimney is really one of the most hazardous places where they could live. Many times the heat or deadly gases from an active chimney will kill the birds that live in these enclosures. In fact, unfortunately, homeowners inadvertently kill thousands of these creatures over the course of a year.You might think that because of their small size, chimney swifts are easy prey. But In the wild, even though they are smaller birds, chimney swifts have little to fear from predators, mainly because of the speed at which they can turn on a dime in midair and escape their pursuers.

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Types of Bird Feeders â Hopper, Suet and Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:41:41 +0000

If you are new to the bird feeding community you will benefit from this information. Â Feeding wild birds is a growing hobby in the United States and for good reason. Â What better way to witness wild life than right in your backyard with the help of bird feeders. There are many different types of bird feeders, however, you will learn about three here: hopper feeders, suet feeders, and cage or squirrel proof bird feeders. Hopper FeedersHopper bird feeders, also called House Feeders, have a platform upon which walls and a roof are built, forming a hopper. Â A gazebo feeder is considered a hopper feeder. Â Hopper bird feeders are popular because they are practical and functional as well as can be decorative. Â These bird feeders are efficient to clean and maintain. Â With hopper bird feeders, it is important to do regularly cleaning. The hopper is built to protect seed against the elements, however, few hopper feeders do a good job of protecting seed from rain, and the seed can become moldy.Â Birds can eat from at least two sides if not all sides of a hopper bird feeder, which is why it is so accessible to a large variety of birds. Â These bird feeders are versatile in a way that they can be set up as hanging bird feeders or be pole mounted. Â A good choice of bird food for hopper bird feeders is mixed wild bird seed or black oil sunflower seed. Â A disadvantage to this bird feeder is that some wild birds will pick through the seed looking for only their favorite and leave the bird feeder a mess and wasted bird seed below. Â Wild birds that are mostly attracted to hopper bird feeders are: chickadees, nuthatches, red bellied woodpeckers, mourning doves, cardinals, finches, jays, sparrows and yes the â??most of the time’ unwanted starlings and blackbirds. Â Suet FeedersSuet bird feeders are special feeders that hold a nutrient rich bird food called suet. Â Suet is packed with energy-rich nutrition because of its high fat content. Â Suet can be store bought or homemade. Â This special bird food keeps birds warm during cold temperatures which makes it the perfect bird food for winter weather. Â If used in the winter, place the bird feeder in the shade. Â Most suet bird feeders have a wire or plastic cage surrounding the suet to keep it in place and come in many shapes and sizes. Â Suet bird feeders will attract birds that will not come to other types of feeders. Â You may start to have problems with starlings or blackbirds at your suet bird feeder eating all the suet in a very short period of time. Â If this does happen try using pure suet with nothing mixed into it or use suet only mixed with nyjer and/or safflower seed. Â An upside-down suet bird feeder where only clinging birds are able to attach to it may work as well. Â As always make sure to keep this type of feeder clean. Â Suet bird feeders can attract a variety of woodpeckers, the northern flicker, chickadees, red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatch, purple finch and blue jays, to name a few.Cage/Squirrel Proof FeedersCage and squirrel proof bird feeders may be right up your alley if you have squirrels in your yard. Â Believe it or not squirrels can become a problem if you do not have a bird feeder that is designed to keep squirrels out. Â Squirrels can pose a couple problems including eating all the bird seed and damaging your bird feeders. Â Most squirrel proof bird feeders are heavy duty yet provide little access for squirrels to get to the seed. Â Squirrel proof bird feeders keep squirrels out by making any perch area weight sensitive in the effect that when the squirrel attempts to jump on it they will drop to the ground. Â Cage feeders allow only birds to have access to the bird food leaving the squirrels at bay. Â With all the different types of bird feeders out there to choose from, take this information with you when making a decision. Â Hopper feeders, suet feeders and cage/squirrel proof bird feeders provide a great selection to choose from. Â Start enjoying the wild life in your backyard using wild bird feeders.

My name is Angie and I love the outdoors.Â I sell lawn & garden decor from my online store and strive to provide the best quality and largest variety of lawn ornaments I can.Â My store provides a lot of cute ideas for people to decorate their outdoor space.Â Personalize your lawn & garden today with adorable garden statues, stepping stones, bird feeders, bird houses, wind chimes, wind spinners and much more.http://www.outdoormama.comhttp://www.outdoormama1.blogspot.comÂ
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Feeding Wild Birds in the Fall

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:18:59 +0000

Bird watching is an ever-growing hobby in the United States; therefore, bird feeders are a popular topic when it comes to bird watching. Some people question keeping their feeders out through the autumn months due to fear that wild birds will not migrate or just think birds will not use them as much. However, there are many benefits to leaving your feeders out through the autumn months for both wild birds and you. One common misconception people may think about leaving their bird feeders out through the autumn season is that birds will not migrate. This is called a ‘misconception’ for good reason. Birds will eventually migrate when they are ready. Leaving your feeders out is only helping prepare them for their long migration journey. Taking your feeders down too early confuses them and may leave them struggling to store up enough body fat for their long journey. This in turn will make for a hard migration. Therefore, leave your feeders out at least for two weeks following the last sight of a bird at your bird feeders. Wild birds develop a daily routine of visits to bird feeders and other natural sources of food and nutrition. Most birds may rely on your feeders for a secondary or even primary source of food and nutrition. At this time of year their natural sources of food may have somewhat or completely depleted. To prepare them for migration, wild birds will stock up on body fat; therefore, you will see them more often at your bird feeders this time of year. With that said alone, it is important to keep your feeders out through the autumn months.Leaving your bird feeders out through the autumn months may attract other migrating birds and potentially invite new birds to your feeding area the following year. Migration is a long and exhausting trip for wild birds. For those birds passing through your backyard, they will appreciate the sources of food in your bird feeders through the migration season. If your feeders are made available they will most likely make them their usual lay-over every migration season. Not only does this benefit migrating birds but you will get an opportunity to maybe see new wildlife that you may have not seen before. This is an exciting time for bird watchers.It’s always important to keep your bird feeders clean just as you would during the summer months. Some people think they will not be used as much so why clean them. However, the cleaner your feeders are the more wild birds you will most likely attract during the migration season. So think twice about taking down your bird feeders early. Remember that rather than a disservice, wild bird feeding in the autumn season provides opportunities for bird wildlife during the migration season. Bird feeders are a vital food source in the autumn months for those birds who have been accustomed to using the bird feeders you provide as well as migrating birds. If you do decide to take them down during the autumn season try waiting at least two weeks after your last bird visitor. Leaving your feeders out also extends your bird watching pleasure.
My name is Angie and I love the outdoors. I sell lawn & garden decor from my online store and strive to provide the best quality and largest variety of lawn ornaments I can. My store provides a lot of cute ideas for people to decorate their outdoor space. Personalize your lawn & garden today with adorable garden statues, stepping stones, bird feeders, bird houses, wind chimes, wind spinners and much more.http://www.outdoormama.com http://www.outdoormama1.blogspot.com
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Nature Bird Watching Blog! | NatureBirdWatching.com» Nature Bird Watching Blog! | NatureBirdWatching.com

Great Tips to Attract Birds to Your Home

How and What to Feed Wild Birds

Habits of the Chimney Swift

Types of Bird Feeders â Hopper, Suet and Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders

Feeding Wild Birds in the Fall

Types of Bird Feeders â Hopper, Suet and Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders