Garden Bird Feeders

Archive for April, 2009

A way to teach giving in young children is to help them make a simple pine cone bird feeder. Explaining that giving food to birds is a kind way to show love and care for wild creatures that touches their hearts. You will be on your way to helping educate a young generation that cares about the wildlife and thinks of the needs of others. What a powerful learning experience gained from a pine cone!

The materials are simple:

1.large open pine cones (can be bought at craft stores or gathered from beneath trees at many parks, historic buildings, schools or college campuses)

2. wire or yarn to make a loop at the big end for hanging

3. peanut butter or almond butter if there are allergies to peanut butter, (or honey if nut butters will not do)

4. birdseed with a high percentage of black oil sunflower seed

5.a quart size zip lock bag or small paper bag to store the finished product in

First, make a loop and attach it to the wide end of the cone. adjust it so that the cone can hang tip down.

Then hold the loop and spread nut butter all over the cone, pushing some in the open pars of the cone as well.

Finally, roll the cone in birdseed until covered and place it in a bag to transport it. o bag will be needed if it is hung immediately.

To hang the completed feeder, find a tree or surface to hang it on that is visible from a window. Make an effort to check often for visitors to the feeder and call attention to it when they come. There is nothing more gratifying to a child than to see birds using a gift she has made by hand.

A wonderful way to celebrate a holiday is to make several pine cone feeders and decorate a special tree with them. It could become a family tradition to decorate a tree or bush at special times for giving. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines Day, Easter May Day, Mother’s Day. Each could be a theme for the pine cone feeders, perhaps with a small edible decoration attached to the pine cone feeder in addition to the hanging loop. An edible decoration can be as simple as a piece of whole wheat toast cut into a special shape with a cookie cutter and spread with nut butter and seeds. This could hang down from the bottom of the cone feeder by a loop of yarn or wire. String popcorn and cranberries to hang from the feeder, or make a garland to hang the feeders from. Any way you choose to hang your feeders, they will be a memory of giving that lingers in the mind.

“What to do if you find a baby bird”

Over the years I have found many hurt and sick birds. So many in fact that my neighbors called me the, Bird lady’ I had people bringing baby birds to me that fell from their nests, dazed birds from hitting a shinny window. I treated each bird according to its injuries.

When handling any animal, safety is first.

First access the injuries.

1) Is the bird bleeding? Use hydrogen peroxide; be careful not to get it in their eyes.

2) Is the bird unconscious? Place it in a quiet safe place, box with air holes or cage.

3) Is the bird lethargic? Again, place it in a quiet safe place.

Then ask your self, “Can I help this creature on my own?”

When I ask that question I mean; your not going to head off to work and leave it caged up for eight to ten hours with out being feed or given water. This means you don’t have time to take care of it properly. You need to be able to check on and feed the bird every two hours.

If you don’t have time to help the bird, then immediately get on the phone and call someone that can. If you don’t know who to call, call your local veterinarian’s office. They will have a list, or should have, of the animal rescue operations in your state.

If it is past closing time, then put the bird in a safe area. And by safe, I mean not just for the bird, but for your safety also. Use an old, clean bird cage or even a box to hold the bird. Don’t handle the bird too much. You many in inadvertently hurt him more.

Always wash your hands before handling the bird and immediately afterwards.

If this is a baby bird, if you can find the nest, then put him back. There is an old wives tale that wrongly states, if you touch it the bird won’t take it back. I reiterateThat is untrue!

If you can’t get it back in the nest; and you can’t take it to a bird rescue. Then the bird needs to eat.

What I did; for robins I found worms and cut them up and fed them to the baby bird. I have added a pinch of bread to the worms. I found that filled them up.

I helped sparrows; they ate dog food and bread with added bird vitamins. Never over do the vitamins.

Warning here! Don’t stuff the bird full of bread, worms or seeds. They can die from force feeding. They won’t be able to breath.

Give them only what they want to eat. Feeding baby birds seeds can cut their gullet, mush them up.

When I gave wild birds water, I did so by sticking my finger in some water and touching the bird’s beak with my finger. You don’t want the water to get in their lungs so be very careful.

Be gentle. Be kind. And know when to ask for help.

1) Open Directory Project

This link lists wildlife rescue not just birds in the search box put in your state example:

“Kentucky Birds’

http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Or ganizations/Animal_Welfare/Res cues_and_Shelters/Wildlife/

2) Birds.Com

This is a great site for any bird issue.

http://www.birds.com/

The types of bird food and bird feeders you place in your yard has a great impact on what types of birds you will attract. Different birds enjoy different foods and many will only eat from a specific type of feeder.

Not all birds eat bird seed, which is what most people choose to place in their yard to attract wild birds. Birds such as woodpeckers, crows, magpies, nuthatches, robins, bluebirds and purple martins are actually insect eaters, and are more likely to be attracted to feeders that offer them these types of food rather than regular bird seed.

The most readily available, and easy food for these types of birds is suet cakes. Suet is made from rendered beef suet (fat) and has other additives such as choice nuts, fruit and dehydrated insects that these birds enjoy. Suet cakes should be served from a suet feeder, specifically designed for holding suet.

Birds such as Hummingbirds, Warblers and Tanagers enjoy sugar water, or nectar. You can easily make your own sugar water at home, by mixing four parts water with one part pure, organic sugar. The water should be hot, to easily dissolve the sugar. Make sure however, that you allow the mixture to cool completely before putting it into your feeder. You can also buy store bought nectar, however many of these products contain additives that are not necessary and possibly even harmful to the birds. Sugar water and nectar is served from specific feeders that hold the liquid, and have small openings in the base for the birds to drink from.

Pigeons, Doves, Jays, Chickadees, Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Sparrows, Finches and Pine Siskins all enjoy a seed mixture. Different birds do of course, enjoy different types of seed, however some of the more common seeds used are hulled sunflower, millet, thistle or nyjer seed and peanut kernels. You can also add cracked corn and bread products to the mix. Many birdseed mixes can be bought pre-mixed in stores, or you can also buy the seed separately and mix your own. Buying the seed separately is a great choice, because it allows you to mix different seeds together and give your wild birds more variety to choose from.

There are a countless number of seed bird feeders available. The type of feeder you purchase should be dependant upon which type of birds you have in your yard. There are bird feeders made that appeal to certain species of birds and there are bird feeders that are used to hold a specific type of feed. For instance, thistle and nyjer seed is very small, so the require a certain type of feeder that will hold the food so that the food does not easily fall out.

Some birds will also prefer eating from a platform feeder. A platform feeder is great for many different species of birds, however they are most enjoyed by small perching birds and larger ground feeding birds. Another benefit to the platform feeder is that you can place a large variety of food on them. Not only will they hold bird seed, but you can also place fruit, breads and even suet cakes on them.

By knowing what types of birds you have in your yard, you can easily pick the perfect bird food and bird feeder that will keep them happy and coming to your yard for years to come.

source:

http://www.birdsforever.com/in dex.html

If you enjoy feeding wild birds in your yard, there are many different recipes available for you to make your own wild bird food. By providing interesting and unique bird feed, you are more likely to attract wild birds than by just putting out plain old birdseed. Making your own bird food is not only a fun project for the entire family, but can also be less costly than buying pre-made bird foods.

For birds that eat birdseed, there are a few different recipes that can help to liven up that boring old birdseed. One idea, is to make birdseed cornbread. Birdseed cornbread is extremely easy and inexpensive to make. For the ingredients, you will need:

1 package of cornbread mix

2 eggs

1 cup of wild bird seed.

Prepare the cornbread mix as directed. Most cornbread mix will only call for one egg, which you can use, however I recommend adding the second egg as well. You can also crush the egg shells and add those to the mix. Mix in your choice of wild bird seed. Bake the cornbread as directed on the package. Allow to cool before serving. You can either break this into pieces and serve it on a platform feeder, or just place the whole square on the feeder. If you prefer, you can also use any homemade bread recipe you may have in place of the cornbread mix.

Another option for birdseed is to make a pine cone feeder. Pine cone feeders have been a project countless children have enjoyed making for many years. For the ingredients you will need:

Pine cones

Peanut butter

Wild bird seed

String

These pine cone feeders are so simple to make! Pour your birdseed onto a plate, or into a bowl. Using a spoon, spread the peanut butter onto the pine cone. Make sure you get a good amount of it all over the pine cone. Roll your pine cone in the birdseed. Use the string to tie the pine cone to a tree branch. Wild birds simply love these feeders!

You can also make many different variations of these feeders. If you do not have pine cones in your area, you can use cut pieces of wood, tree branches or even Popsicle sticks. The most important thing to remember, is to make sure that anything you use as your base is non-toxic to the birds if they chew on it.

If hummingbirds frequent your yard, you can easily make hummingbird nectar for them, rather then buying expensive store bought nectar. For the ingredients you will need:

Water

Pure, organic sugar

You can make as much, or as little of this as you desire, just remember to keep the water/sugar ratio to 4 parts water to one part sugar. Many people use processed sugar for this, however, pure organic sugar is much more healthy for the hummingbirds. Bring the water to a boil, and dissolve sugar in the water. Allow to cool completely before filling your feeders. There is no need to add red dye to this nectar, as the hummingbirds are attracted to the scent of it, not the color. The red dye is put in only for aesthetic reasons, and is not healthy for the hummingbirds at all.

There are of course, countless other bird food recipes that you can find and make on your own. The above recipes are great for beginners who are just starting to make their own bird food. Once you start making your own bird food, you will realize how fun it is, and how easily you can experiment on your own to find creations that the birds will enjoy.

sources:

http://birding.about.com/libra ry/blrecipe5.htm

It is not hard to determine how the White-faced Whistling Duck got its name. As its name implies, it has a conspicuous white face and crown, along with a high clear three-note quick whistling call, “tsree-tsree-tsree.” It is a very abundant species numbering greater than one million, and is the most vocal of the tree duck species.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Its pretty facial color makes it the most attractive of the different species of tree ducks. The distinctive white-face and crown-which is characteristic of this mid-sized duck-is contrasted beautifully against a black back-head and chestnut neck. Their bills are grey and long, and they have a long head and legs. The back and wings are dark brown to black, as well as the underparts. Sides and flanks are narrowly barred black-and-white. Their length is generally 43-50 centimeters. The two sexes are very similar in appearance, but the folded wing of the female is slightly longer.

SOCIAL NATURE

The White-faced Whistling Duck is a very gregarious bird-flocks of one thousand or more of these attractive ducks generally arrive at dawn, making a very impressive sight for lucky on-lookers. They are easily detected because of their very frequent whistling noises. They are nocturnal fowls-mating and feeding at dusk and at night-and are very quiet during the day. Unfortunately, these pretty ducks are easy prey for hunters because they become flightless for 2-3 weeks during hunting season and remain close to the water and hide.

HABITATS

They are found in tropical South America and Africa, south of the Sahara Desert including Madagascar and the Comoro islands. These whistling ducks prefer still freshwater lakes or reservoirs with abundant vegetation or freshwater marshes, grassy lagoons, rice fields, mud flats and occasionally brackish water.

DIET

Their main diet is seeds, aquatic plants and other plant-life food. They have two methods of feeding: (1) dabbling in the shallows while wading and (2) diving.

NESTS AND EGG INCUBATION

Hollow trees are sometimes used for nesting, but generally nests are built on stick platforms near the ground. Nests are well concealed in grass close to water bodies, and are almost exclusively built of leaves. They generally lay 8-12 creamy-white eggs, which are mostly incubated by the male for 26-28 days.

Sources:

http://www.ducks.org/hunting/w aterfowlGallery

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W hite-faced_Whistling_Duck

http://wildbirds-ai.cirad.fr/w histling-duck.php

http://wwww.trinwetlands.org/d ucks.htm

http://www.arthurgrosset.com/s abirds/white-faced%20whistling -duck.html

Birds can be attracted to your home and surroundings simply by offering food, water and shelter, the three most important ingredients for all living creatures. I want to share with you how I have crated a paradise in my own backyard that is loaded with birds year round.

First-You must discover what species of birds live in your area. You also must know that some of these species you discover will come and go depending on what time of year it is and whether they are migrant birds or birds that live near you year round. There are several ways to go about this discovery but one of the easiest ways to get this information is from your local Audubon Society. They will most likely have a bird list specific to your area and loads of information on those specific birds.

Second-You must find out which species of birds live in your specific habitat. Do live in a wooded area? Is it a mixed forest with conifers and deciduous trees or maybe more of a savanna with grasses and Oak trees? Do you live on a farm in the country or in a big city neighborhood? Different species of birds are adapted to different environments and this will be a defining factor in your decisions on which birds you want to attract to your yard and what kind of feeders and birdhouses you will put up. A good field guide to birds will be invaluable in this respect.

Third-So you know which birds live in your area and may be attracted to your yard in your specific habitat, now what? You need to put up some bird feeders! Birds can live very easily without you putting up bird feeders but you want to see them don’t you? If you want to see them, you have to get them closer to your house. This requires that you put up some bird feeders, but which ones? There are so many different kinds.
The best thing to do is put up a variety of feeders if they are appropriate for your habitat. Here are a few suggestions. A starling-resistant suet feeder, a house or tube feeder for sunflower seed, a bluebird feeder, a wire mesh cage feeder for peanuts, a nectar feeder, a tube feeder for thistle, a stationary or tray fruit feeder and a house or platform feeder for millet.

Fourth-Whatever types of feeders you install, make sure they are safe from predators. Cats are the number one killer of songbirds. Make sure your bird feeders are safe from cats or better yet, keep your cats indoors. If you have squirrels around, make sure you mount your bird feeders so the squirrels can’t get to them or purchase squirrel proof bird feeders.

Fifth-Water is essential for birds. Not only do most birds need water to survive, they love to bath in it! Even without putting up bird feeders, you can attract many birds by installing a bird bath or fountain in your yard. If you have the choice, install a fountain or a waterfall as moving water will not only attract more birds but you will also attract other wildlife as well.

Sixth-Shelter for your birds. If you want to enjoy bird watching to the fullest degree, you must put up birdhouses. The thrill of watching birds go through their mating rituals and raising their young is unforgettable. There are birdhouses for all different species of cavity nesting birds. It is important to note however that not all birds use birdhouses. It is also important to choose only birdhouses that are safe and built specifically for the species of bird you want to raise.

Seventh-Landscape for the birds. If you have the ability to landscape around your house, use native plants that attract wild birds. You can get a list of plants for your area from a local nursery or arbor society.

Some nature-lovers welcome any bird to their feeders, no matter how large they may be in size or in appetite. Others, however, desire to keep large birds, such as crows, pigeons, starlings and grackles away from their feeders. This is quite understandable considering that the ferocious appetites of these pesky birds can cost you a bundle in birdfeed. Not only will they rob you blind, but they can also be rather unsightly, especially in large flocks, and are typically less sociable than their smaller feathered friends. Getting rid of annoying larger birds will ensure that more attractive and sociable birds continue to frequent your feeders.

Manufacturers understand this dilemma and have created feeders specifically designed to keep these larger, less desirable birds at bay. Special squirrel-proof feeders are available that will close if mounted by an animal above a certain weight. Feeders such as this will deter not only squirrels and other animals, but larger birds as well. Keep in mind, however, that such feeders will be considerably more expensive that your run-of-the-mill bird feeder.

While fancy store-bought feeders are one way to go, you don’t necessarily need to spend a fortune on expensive feeders to avoid attracting larger birds. If you’ve already purchased or built your own feeders, there are simple modifications that can be made that will have a similar effect.

The first step in ridding yourself of larger bird species is removing any ground feeders that you might have. Small hanging feeders with small perches are perfect for many attractive species, such as sparrows, wrens and finches, but unsuitable for larger birds, such as starlings and blackbirds. Avoid using catch basins, which provide the opportunity for large birds to perch. Cylindrical feeders are available with wire mesh enclosures that keep large birds out, but still allow for smaller birds to feed. If you already have a cylindrical feeder, you can create your own mesh cage using chicken wire. Just hang the feeder within the wire cage, making sure that the mesh extends several inches from the feeder on all sides. Feeders with overhangs will also discourage larger birds.

The nature of your feeders is not the only determinate of the species that you will attract you should also consider what sorts of foods you are offering. If you offer suet at your feeders, try using a feeder that opens only on the bottom, forcing diners to hang upside down in order to reach the food, an activity

I think feeding the wild birds is such a peaceful feeling. First, because they are just that..wild. Sometimes, you can get so close to them without scaring them.. they seem to know you are there to help them in the winter months, and just to admire them in the summer months. I once got so close to a Black-capped chickadee, that he actually flew over and sat for about 1 minute on my hat. What a thrill that was.. I also noticed that in the Winter months, you actually get more of a variety of birds, such as chickadees, titmice, cardinals, sparrows, wrens, downy woodpeckers, doves, purple finches, blackbirds, grosebeaks, and also goldfinches, with the specially designed feeder just for them. Another special delight from May through September is the hummingbirds, with their own type of feeder and food. They really seem to get jealous when there is another bird at the feeder, they actually seem like they are doing acrobats with their little maneuvers. I feel anyone who likes the birds or is an avid birdwatcher should delight in this special wildlife hobby. Good-luck, I assure you if you like to watch the birds, you will get a special joy out of feeding them.