Garden Bird Feeders

Archive for June, 2009

Bring wildlife back into your world with a garden pond. With urbanization, global warming ecosystems are changing. People and businesses are going green world wide. Hybrid cars are becoming more and more popular for there benefit to the environment. Eco-Friendly’ power systems are being researched and developed for use all over the world. There are fewer natural ponds for our wildlife to live in. All wildlife depends on water to some degree. We can help them by adding a pond to our gardens and encouraging them into our lives.

Size doesn’t matter. Frogs will lay there eggs in a puddle, birds will drink from a container full of rainwater left outdoors. Ponds attract birds, insects and other animals day and night. They also provide food for insect eating birds that will feed on mosquitoes and gnats. Animals in the wild would do the same, so by adding a small pond to your own garden you are bringing back a small part of the environment that has been lost.

Spring is a great time to build your own pond. Depending on your taste you could incorporate it into your outdoor patio or deck as a water feature, or just a little space in a quiet corner of your yard. Though a fish pond might seem a good idea, the fish will tend to eat the eggs and lava of other animals that might try and use the pond. Your local gardening store will be able to provide you with the right plants to have in and around your pond. Choose your location well; make sure one end is deeper so that animals will have more of a refuge in cold winters. Having a gentle sloping bank on one side of it is also helpful for animals that may want to come and drink from your pond.

A garden pond is very low maintenance. Clearing excess plant growth only needs to be done every year or so. Leaves need to be cleared off in the autumn months, and for those in colder areas, making sure the water doesn’t completely freeze over in the winter. Most of the work will be done when you’ve finished your pond. Insects will begin to arrive within days, and as long as they are in your area, frogs and toads will also begin to use it. Once you are done, seeing the first animals using your pond will give you a good feeling of satisfaction, that you are doing your part for your local environment.

Wild birds can be the jewels, musicians, and even comedians of your yard. Unlike domestic pets (no, I’m not knocking them, for those who love kitties and dogs) they don’t make demands when you aren’t yet awake, or need to be walked or have their litter-box emptied. This does not mean there is no responsibility involved in feeding wild birds. However, you don’t have to bankrupt yourself to create and maintain an attractive feeding station.

CHOOSING A GOOD LOCATION

If you want to be able to watch and perhaps photograph the birds that come to your feeding station, it should be near a window where you often sit, but not so near that birds will be startled by you or by their own reflection in the glass. A spot about 6 feet out from your window and 2 feet to one side or the other from the nearest edge of the window, gives adequate distance from the house and offset from the reflection. (Scroll to bottom for instructions for a simple and inexpensive post set-up.) Your feeder also should be 10 feet from the nearest tree branch to prevent squirrels from jumping onto it from there.

Although many people place feeders at various locations around the yard, to suit various kinds of birds, I use one location that accommodates several kinds of feeders. This makes it possible for me to keep an eye on things from where I sit and write, and chase off pushy, invasive kinds of birds such as starlings and cowbirds. (Either of these will descend in a sky-darkening flock, eat all the food, and then head for the next feeding station on the block. They also take over the nests of other birds, killing or pushing out the rightful babies.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT BIRDSEED

High quality birdseed can seem costly, but buying birdseed on the cheap may end up wasting money. It won’t attract the colorful birds or the ones with the prettiest songs, and even for the plainer birds that you want to include, it will not provide balanced, adequate nutrition. The birdseed available in your area probably will be targeted toward the birds common to the region. That is, if you live on the East Coast it’s unlikely that your choices will be limited to feed for birds that live only on the West Coast. It’s a good idea, however, to find out a little bit about your regional population of feathered friends, and make sure the seed you buy will attract the ones you want.

Other Considerations

*The selection of food, as described on the bag, may be geared to a narrower grouping such as

To create a fairy garden for your little fairies can be inexpensive or very expensive depending on your budget. The budget garden can be just as beautiful as the expensive one. It is up to personal choice but here are some tips on making an inexpensive fairy garden.

1. Plan your garden before you start.

2. Clear the area where you are intending to put the garden, making sure you have enough room for the garden you have planned.

3. Prepare your area set aside for the garden.

4. If you are putting in any buildings like the fairy playhouse or a wishing well, build them first. Then you can plant around them instead of trying to move plants.

5. Design paths using string lines, as these are easily redirected if need be.

6. Prepare your garden beds, ready for the lovely fairy plants.

Now it is time to choose your plants. Remember to use plants that have flowers with lots of different colors, as those little fairies just love colorful flowers. This is where the budget idea comes in. Instead of buy lots of plants, this can be costly. Have a look around at plants that grow from cuttings, this way you can have multiple plants for less cost. Even ask family members or neighbors if you can take a cutting off their plants. Buy seedlings or seeds instead of fully-grown plants. Then your little fairies can water them and watch them grow, making the experience fun for them as well.

The plant choice is totally up to the person who is designing the garden, use plants with different size flowers for effect.

For the paths, you can use stepping-stones or smaller stones spread along the marked out area. If you are using stepping-stones then you can plant little ground cover plants between the steppers that creates a gorgeous look.

For the little extras like mushroom ornaments why not use an old plant, pots painted and tipped upside down with an old round bowls that have been painted for the top. Bird feeders are great as well, use the old milk bottle cut a large square careful not to cut it all the way to the edge, do this for three sides. Use a piece of wire or string to hang the bird feeder from a tree.

If you used seed all that is left to be done is to water and watch as the garden takes on a magical feel.

Another tip string fairy lights around the fairy playhouse and trees for that little bit more of a magical feel in the evening.

The persistence of birds.

We had a pear tree in one corner of the garden that had a blue jay who would viciously protect her nest. She would dive bomb me while I was weeding the garden and on several occasions drew blood from my scalp until I finally had to either really scare her away (this rarely worked, the old maternal bond to her eggs and all) or just wait until she went off to get nesting materials or food (an altogether more viable option.)

It amazed me to watch her asses me and determine that the best attack was a dive bomb pattern that rivaled a dogfighter. She would start up high on the power line and squawk at me from on high. But once it got quiet, well, it was too late. I would be lost in my little world of pulling weeds, turning cucumbers and pulling ripe peppers and then it would come, an incalculable amount of force from such a small bird driving her beak right into my skull. Message received.

I could have just tossed her nest, but I didn’t have the heart, plus using her as an excuse was a nice break from gardening from time to time. We had to find a way to get along.

Then there were the sparrows that emaciated our sunflowers. As a kid I was so excited when I heard we would plant these six foot flowers that would in turn provide us with sunflower seeds to eat. Nothing could be further from the truth. They were essentially overgown, living bird feeders that required my daily attention, yet gave me no seeds. I rarely saw when these birds came, but they did come, as was evident from the patchy mostly empty face of the flower. On the occasion I did find some seeds left over, it seems the birds left them for a reason and they were in deed inedible, even by a bird’s standard.

Finally there were numerous attacks on our corn, our melons, berries and peas. I always knew a little about birds, but I never knew just how much they could devastate a crop. But it did teach me a lot more than just the persistence of birds: it taught me that you should risk your life for your children, protecting them at any cost and that this means more than life or death, but by taking an active role in their development and watching them grow to look for signs that may require your intervention, you may have to “dive bomb” some outside influence at school or among friends to protect your child. I also learned that you can always find a way to provide for your family. You may like sunflower seeds, but you will adapt to peas and berries as the situation changes. I really learned a lot while vicariously living through that garden, admiring the persistence of birds.

So, you say you want to attract wildlife to your yard. Let me start by stating, be careful what you wish for because it might just happen. Having said that, let me inform you of the easy steps you need to take to ensure a plethora of wildlife for every season of the year, for every yard, for every garden.

When we bought our four acre plot of land we were told by Bill, the person who owned it, that we would be displacing tons of rabbits once we built our house which in turn would drive the foxes out and we would disturb the deer migration. We didn’t like the sound of that but we needed a home for our growing family and the spot on top of that ridge was breath-taking. I pledged that I would do all I could to prevent any of this from happening. As it turned out, I needn’t have lifted a finger.

The first thing we did once established in our home was plant twenty or so eight-foot tall Colorado Blue Spruce trees on the perimeter of the property. Fences may make for good neighbors but pine trees make for a great, solid barrier so we don’t see them and they don’t see us. But what they also did was provide plenty of nesting sights for Robins, Wrens, Starlings and a slight little bird which meowed like a cat. I called him the cat-bird. I’m not much of a bird enthusiast but I did like to see our avian friends flittering about collecting twig and grass for their homes. And every time I saw a sky-blue piece of egg shell on the ground I knew there was a new baby Robin flying around the yard.

To make room for the house the builders plowed down a thoroughly hideous clump of briar roses, most of which was dead and this was where the rabbits had their homes. The rabbits weren’t much bothered it seemed because they moved over to the large clump of native Viburnum. We were going to knock that down too but we noticed that the birds really liked the blue-black berries the Viburnum produced in the Autumn. This made me think of other shrubs to plant for the birds. I planted a long row of Tartarian Honeysuckle which produce wonderful smelling pink blooms which turned into juicy red berries the birds can’t get enough of. I planted another long hedge of Rosa Rugosa, a shrub rose which produce huge, cherry-tomato sized Rosehips. You wouldn’t believe how many people, silly people, actually think it’s a huge tomato plant. The birds love to eat these too and some folks actually make Rosehip jelly with them. Go figure!

After those few concessions to wildlife I planted flowers,

Living in the country we have come to expect seeing different species of animals. Deer occasionally grace our presence. Of course, once we are seen by them they quickly disappear. One day as I was looking out a back window there were 7 or so wild turkey. After flying away, they have not returned. Many different birds come to our three feeders. Sunflower seed is spread on the ground for the doves and squirrels. Cardinals and smaller birds also search for food on the ground but the smaller ones mostly enjoy the feeders with their perches. We started throwing it on the ground to keep squirrels from eating the plastic off our original bird feeders. Now we have “squirrel proof” feeders that do a good job of keeping them from the food contained within.

Living in the country there is plenty of land for all God’s creatures. A wooded area begins within thirty feet of the rear of our house providing food and protection for wildlife living there.

Our early morning surprise was just beginning. It was something we never expected to happen. With me being a sound sleeper, I could not imagine what my wife was saying at 2 in the morning. My glasses with thick lenses were on a table beside the bed, where I had left them before I laid down to sleep. A ceiling fan was on chasing the heat away. Barely awake I could see something attached to the fan, circling with the fan blades. Once, the object made oblong path around the fan. Soon, by wife had turned on the light, my glasses were on and we saw a bird following the path of the fan blades. I quickly closed the bedroom door to keep the critter from the rest of the house.

With the light on we realized it was a bat! Why didn’t our cats alert us? The first task was to get rid of the bat. It was indeed following the path of the fan blades. Taking the screen off the windows we tried, lamely I might add, to divert its course with pillows and out the window. This was not working. I had folded the curtains over the top. Once, when the bat landed on the top of the curtains, he “walked” up the inside of the folds of the curtain. A fascinating site this would have been under different circumstances.

Obviously, this method was not working. A towel might work. My wife opened the door with the bat still following the flight of the fan blades. Returning with old towels, my wife and I started making attempts to again divert the bat outside the window, his freedom and ours. I didn’t realize how high our ceiling was, although they are only 8 feet or so. The bat was evading our feeble attempts. I jumped, with the length of the towel spread out, and missed. Another attempt, nothing! Finally, my wife said, “you caught him.” Now what do I do? Do I take him, still wrapped up, to the outside? Do I open the towel and hope he flies away? I opted for throwing the towel out the window and hoping he flew away.

With the windows now closed we opened the bedroom door to our two cats’ right there wondering why we had locked them out! Lying back down, it was difficult to return to slumber land.

The next morning I went outside to retrieve the towel, wondering what I would do if the bat was still wrapped inside. Fortunately, he was gone. We are still wondering how he came into the house and chose our bedroom.

You have my permission to reprint and distribute this article as long as it is distributed in its entirety, including all links and copyright information. Lloyd Mize 2007

How to create a backyard pond that attracts birds?

We should remember that birds need open water all the time for drinking and preening their feathers.Purchasing or constructing a “water wiggler” is a brilliant idea.

According to the National Bird feeding Society about 70 million people across the USA and Canada provide about a billion pounds of birds feed every year.It is therefore a wonderful idea to have different varieties of feeders for birds.According to the Gardens Supply Company,it is “all about feeders”.This is a good way to attract and connect bird to a great heavenly environment.There are also other elements that do attract and create an interesting backyard for birds.

1-Habitat

According to the National Bird feeding Society habit is a key and a fatality for any type of bird.You must provide birds with bird-feeding environments or surroundings.Birds like to eat the seed and suet of a good habitat with shelter,water,and good foods.

2-Feeders

While thinking about putting quality feeders in the environment,you still ought to find a good and convenient placement.Birds are scared of overly exposed feeders.They tend not to show up.So,it should be recommended to offer some type of privacy and comfort to birds while building a backyard pond that attracts birds.

3-Landscaping for birds

-Conifers:they provide cover for birds during winters and nesting during summers.Most conifers do also possess buds,seeds,and saps for birds to feed on.

-Grasses and legumes:they yield cover to ground-nesting birds and some provide seeds for all types of birds.

-Nectar-producing plants:birds love nectar and would surely like nectar-producing plants.These plants attract both hummingbirds and orioles.

-Summer-fruiting plants:it is made up of cherry,raspberry,grape,plum,se rviceberry,and honeysuckle.And the bird species that are highly intimidated by these nutritional plants are brown thrashers, robins, thrushes, waxwings, woodpeckers, orioles, cardinals, towhees and grosbeaks.

Source:

http://www.gardeners.com/How-t o-Create-a-Backyard-Bird-Haven /default/5029.page

Buying a present for a gardener should be easy. Whether they are a novice or an expert, you’ll find the holidays are the ideal time to give them gifts they will enjoy. When spring rolls around, they’ll have had plenty of time to decide how and where to use the gift you’ve given them.

You won’t have to go far to find the right gift. You probably have a gardeners’ catalog in your mailbox, a garden supply store nearby, and access to the Internet. There are many websites for wonderful selections.

Giving Practical Gifts

Your local hardware store or garden supply should have a good line of practical gifts. For the gardening beginner, gifts such as a shovel or trowel, garden hose or other digging and planting tools are perfect. Perhaps your gardener would like to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. There are certain flowers and plants that will draw them to a garden, and you can most likely get them at your local garden supply. Not too sure about buying plants? How about a gift certificate to a garden supply store?

Baskets Of Gifts

Another great gift idea is a basket full of excellent “stuff” for the gardener. You can purchase one already assembled, or find a basket you like and fill it with some of the many items you will find in a garden shop. A basket with just essentials is a good choice for the beginner. It could include gloves, poison oak/ivy medication, flower seeds, plant food, a rain gauge, a Farmers Almanac, and special hand cream.

Gardening Books Are Nice

Gardening books can be a treasured gift for the gardener on your list. Any bookstore will carry books covering a variety of gardening topics. Choose among specialty garden books, such as wildflower gardens, vegetable gardens, or drought-tolerant gardens. Buy them a book on the subject of perennials and annuals. Which flowers are best suited to their climate? How do you select plants that grow best in their type of soil? These and countless other questions are answered in the many books available on gardening. You’ll find that some of the larger bookstores have whole sections devoted to gardening.

Garden Stones

A garden stone is another perfect gift for gardeners. Garden stones can be found in unusual shapes and colors, or inscribed with famous quotations or poems. Kits are available to make garden stones with a child’s handprint and name added to it. That’s the making of wonderful memories for the child and for the gardener. You can also buy a garden stone and personalize it by putting your favorite gardener’s marriage year, or the year the garden was established. Personalization can turn a plain gift into something unique.

On the more practical side, there are hundreds of gifts to choose from. Hose carts and attractive pots for storing garden hoses out of sight are easy to find. Water sprinklers and fertilizer sprinklers are also good gifts. You can find fun water sprinklers, like one in the shape of a John Deere Tractor.

Fun Gifts

Some gifts add whimsy and fun to a garden. They are easy to find, and make perfect gifts, whatever your gardener’s experience. Gazing balls are available in all sizes and colors, and add a creative dimension to the garden. Holders for the gazing balls come in dozens of various shapes, sizes and materials, too.

Among the most fashionable gifts for gardeners are wind spinners and flags. You can find wind spinners in a variety of colors, such as the patriotic red, white, and blue spinner, or the rainbow spinner. Garden flags are a popular gift because they can be changed to coordinate with the seasons, or more frequently just to create a new look in the garden.

Exotic Gift Ideas

Wanting something a little more unusual? Your gardener might love an exotic plant, such as the amaryllis exotica, a gift of unusual Iris bulbs, or a sago palm. How about a ginkgo tree growing kit, or a Shitake mushroom log?

Statues of animals, gnomes or angels of have regained popularity after many years of being out of favor, and they make great garden gifts. Birdbaths and bird feeders attract birds, a source of joy for most gardeners. You’ll also find delightful hummingbird feeders that will keep these beautiful birds coming all rear round.

Whatever your gardener’s inclinations are, you’ll be able to find the perfect gift..

The first thing you should do when helping a wild bird or any type of wildlife, is to seek a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. This is usually done by calling the local animal control, who should have a list of licensed rehabilitators in your area. Most times they will have them meet you at the site if the animal needs to be caught. If you already have the animal contained, they may ask you to transport it, and/or give emergency care if needed. Follow their instructions EXACTLY! They are professionals, If you don’t feel comfortable doing it, DON’T EVEN TRY. The animal could be injured, or caused to aspirate if feeding liquids. To Aspirate is basically drowning, the animal does not swallow correctly and it will come out its nose. Very serious!

You should NEVER keep a wild animal as pets! They are not pets, even hand raised from birth, they still retain their wild instincts, and can be dangerous. Raccoons are especially dangerous, and Cottontail rabbits will drive themselves to death, banging themselves on the cage after a time period of about 5 weeks. They need to be rehabilitated correctly to even have a chance of being released in the wild. Birds of prey usually have large talons and beaks, very painful if scratched or bitten. You could lose some fingers!

I hope this has helped all you well-meaning but inexperienced people who do try their best to help wildlife, but the best thing you can do is BE PREPARED. Have emergency numbers handy, and medical supplies if possible.

Here are some emergency supplies that will help you treat the animal if it is necessary.

A. Vet Wrap or standard gauze wrap or pads.

B. Medical Tape

C. Hot Water pack or bottle of hot water, inside a sock.

D. Syringe, no needle, for feeding.

E. Cage, relative to the animals size.

F. Water bowl

G. Soft towels

Thank you for helping wildlife! It is our responsibility to do our part helping our worlds’ beautiful varied flora and fauna!

I think it is almost inevitable in life that you are going to find at least one animal that needs your help. Just watching the poor creature suffering can be one of the hardest things you can do. The worst part is knowing that you really don’t know how to help this poor creature that while in so many ways is similar, is in reality quite different than anything human. It is because of this reason that many people freak out when they are called to save the life of an animal.

When you do encounter a wounded bird in the wild, it is very important that you approach it carefully. While it may appear wounded, it may in reality be just fine. There has been more than one occasion where I have attempted to help a bird that I thought was wounded and ended up with a bird flying directly into my face. If a large enough bird were provoked in such a manner, it could have caused me a pretty painful injury, especially if it would have hit me in the face, or especially in one of my eyes. It is for that reason that you must approach a bird very carefully when you assume that it may be injured. But in addition to that, approaching slowly will lessen the impact of you presence on the bird. Since birds attempt to avoid all confrontation, just having you there has already made them extremely anxious, sneaking up on them could potentially give them a fatal heart attack.

Once you have discovered that the bird is indeed injured, it is to your best advantage to attempt to capture the bird in a box or container. Since there are a variety of diseases that a bird can pass on to humans, it would be wise to assume that the bird is contaminated with one of these diseases and handle it in this manner. This doesn’t mean that you should be rough with it, but you should exercise due caution while caring for it, in order to be certain that the bird isn’t carrying an illness that you could catch.

The next step that is most recommended would be to take the bird to the vet, however, I understand for many people this just isn’t realistic because of their financial condition. While most vets will do the work for free because it is a wild animal, it is understandable if you don’t wish to go.

Since the bird is wounded, you are going to want to carefully look over the bird to see if there is any bleeding. If there is, then you are going to want to stop the bleeding, by wrapping some gauze around the wound much like you would with a human. Make sure that you take the time however to rinse out the wound and disinfect it to ensure that it doesn’t become infected.

If the bird doesn’t have any signs of continuous bleeding, then the main thing is to provide the bird with food and water to help it to regain it’s strength. Without a doctor to x-ray the bird, it is impossible to know exactly how the bird is injured, if it has a broken wing, or exactly what might be wrong with it. Because of this, you can’t adequately wrap the wound to heal. So, it is best to pack any wounds that are bleeding, disinfect them and just attempt to let the bird naturally heal, while keeping it strong with food and water.