Garden Bird Feeders

Archive for October, 2009

Wild bird species: The Goldeneye

When I first started bird watching I admit I found the array of seemingly identical ducks of varying shades of brown quite daunting. To impress my peers and my boss at the reserve where I worked at the time, I thought, I need a short-cut’, a distinctive looking duck that I could confidently count during the daily bird surveys.

The Goldeneye duck graciously stepped forward and set me on my way to gaining an interest in ornithology, which I maintain to this day.

The Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) is a compact looking duck a bit smaller than a Mallard at 45-52cm long (18-21inches), weighing around 2-3lbs (0.9-1.4Kgs) and has a wingspan of 66-77cm (2-2 and a half feet). The female is considerably smaller than the male weighing around a third less and measuring an average of 16 21 inches.

A Goldeneye profile gives you the best view of its curious head shape, which is emphasised by a prominent forehead, bulbous cranium and small bill. The Drake has a black and white body and a greenish-black head, with a small white patch under its eye.

The female duck has a chocolate-brown coloured head with no white patch under the eye, a square white wing patch and a white collar and mainly brown plumage. Both sexes have a bright yellow eye, hence the name Goldeneye’.

Goldeneye ducks belong to the subfamily Merginae otherwise known as sea-ducks’ and are unsurprisingly found mostly around coastal bays and estuaries. In the breeding season they will congregate around the lakes and rivers in coniferous forests, particularly in the far northern hemisphere, in countries like Russia, Canada, the United States and Sweden.

Feeding ducks will dive beneath the water and turn over stones in slow moving rivers looking for larvae of species such as mayfly, caddis fly and stonefly as well as pondweed and even small fish.

In marine estuarine habitats they will feed on crabs, shrimp, blue mussels, cockles, periwinkles and cockles, all of which can be easily opened using its stout bill. The Goldeneye’s predilection for seafood is its saving grace as thankfully this makes it rather unpalatable to human taste buds.

When not swimming and looking for food, the Goldeneye is an adept flier and produces a fast wing beat, typical of all diving ducks. This feature gives the bird its other common name of the whistling duck’, referring to the sound its wings make when it flaps them.

Breeding pairs form amongst the winter flocks where males enter

Woodpecker bird feeders are a great way to attract woodpeckers to your yard. Woodpeckers are a great bird to have in your yard because they eat insects and bugs that are in and on your trees as well as your garden. A woodpecker will eat grasshoppers, flies, wasps, beetles, grubs and can eat thousands of carpenter ants a day.

A great way to keep these pecking birds in your yard is to offer them their own woodpecker bird feeder. The bird feeder that is best suited for a woodpecker is a suet bird feeder. Suet cakes are available in a variety of styles from peanut, seed, berry and raisin flavors. Another favorite of woodpeckers and a great woodpecker feeder would be a perching bird feeder. This type of perching bird feeder would include a platform bird feeder. It is important that there is lots of perching space on your bird feeder for the woodpecker. On your platform woodpecker bird feeder be sure to include woodpeckers favorite seed, black oil sunflower. Some woodpeckers will come to your platform bird feeder if you have cracked corn or grapes, raisins and apples.

Woodpeckers and other flickers also enjoy drinking sweet nectar, just like orioles and humming birds. You can place a hummingbird feeder or an oriole nectar bird feeder in your yard as a treat to the woodpeckers that you have attracted. With a humming bird feeder, or a nectar feeder make sure that the feeding holes are large enough for the woodpeckers beak.

There are many different varieties of woodpeckers, as well as different sizes. The most common type of woodpecker you are to seed at your woodpecker feeder would be the Common Flicker, Red-headed Woodpecker and the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. If you are lucky you may even attract a Pileated Woodpecker to your woodpecker feeder. These are only a few types of woodpeckers there are at least 10 different types of woodpeckers that you could attract to your backyard wild bird feeding station.

If you venture into the shaded areas of your garden, you may find that there are lots of interesting places to cultivate plants. Shade can work wonders in your landscaping plans. It protects plants as well as people from the scorching sun. It also lowers temperatures and it’s a welcome spot to sit when you have been working out in the sun all day.

Many gardeners are reluctant to try to develop any plant life in a shady garden, convinced that nothing will grow there, but they are wrong. You can find plants for semi shade or deep shade. Even if you don’t want to grow anything in the shade, you could feature statuary or a water container, perhaps with a fountain, which would also attract birds to your garden.

All shade is not equal. As the sun moves through the trees, different areas of the garden take on a new look. For example, an area that is dark in the morning may be bathed in sunlight by afternoon, and land that lies beneath deciduous trees is often deeply shaded in summer, but in the spring it would support spring bulbs.

Keep shaded areas well watered, but do not let them get too wet. Under trees that take up most of the moisture enrich the soil with compost regularly to help to sustain other plants. Hostas and Ferns are the most likely choices for shade and with hundreds of Hostas to choose from, you could have an abundance of various forms and textures. Try under planting your Hostas with Sweet Cicely. This is a ground-cover plant, quite aggressive, but grows very tiny white flowers all over its green foliage and is very pretty. Also consider the colors that you use, as shade will negate dark colors, including purple, blue and maroon. Large areas of dark green foliage make a shady area look even darker.

I like to use creams and whites, especially those plants with variegated leaves. They can look stunning in shade. Try spotted Bethlehem Sage which kind of disappears in a sunny border. Also consider an all white grouping to really brighten up the area. Use white Bleeding Hearts, Solomon’s Seal, White Hydrangeas or even a summer annual Browalia that comes in shades of blue and white. Astilbes are another good choice and if you combine their feathery texture with dwarf Azaleas or even the lovely leaves of Lady’s Mantle, you will have a very interesting shady garden.

A structural element would add to your shaded area also, perhaps a white painted arbor. You could try the white climbing Hydrangea; it grows slowly but is a lovely plant when established. A romantic idea is to have a bench or other seating under a tree, perhaps with a bird bath nearby, so that you can sit at your leisure and take in the antics of the birds having their daily bath. Usually after I have filled the bath with clean water, they decide to clean their feathers and their dirty little feet!

I have seen a reflecting ball used in a shady corner allowing the rays of sun to seemingly take on a shimmering effect, which is quite wonderful. Try hanging baskets, perhaps with shade loving Begonias, suspending them from tree limbs at different heights. These are especially good if they’re hanging at eye level and if you use containers, you can move them around, depending on where the sun may shine.

Here is a list of some plants for shade: Anemone “HonorineJobert” Phlox “Jacob Cline” Anemone “Margarete” Geraniums “Johnson’s Blue” Fern “Samurai Sword’

So don’t let that shady garden just sit there idly doing nothing, get it growing and enjoy!

Creating a habitat for birds can be a fun and rewarding hobby. To attract and keep birds coming to the new environment you’ve created, there are a few simple things you need to do.

Hang a variety of birdhouses for different types of birds. Many birds will come back year after year to roost in the same house. Do some research to find out what types of birds you want to attract, where and what kind of houses they like.

You will also want a variety of bird feeders and food. This is key…if you want to keep the birds around you must provide food and shelter for them year round. If you forget to feed for a while them or stop feeding them all winter, they will go elsewhere.

Birds also love a good bath and a drink. A birdbath is a great item to have in your yard for the birds. They can cool off in the summer heat, take a bath, etc. I find a shady place for a birdbath to be the best. In the summer it won’t dry out as fast or grow algae. Make sure you put fresh water in regularly to keep away mosquitoes. They also need a water source in the winter. A Bird Bath Heater is a great way to provide a water source during the frigid winter months.

Birds are super fun to watch. Each species of bird seems to have their own personality, song and dance routine. It is like a guessing game to find the bird and match it up to the song. Get a pair of binoculars and keep them handy. A close up view of the birds will give a whole new perspective of their beauty. A book about birds of your region will also help you identify new birds and learn about their habits and environmental needs.

I’m no expert on birds by any stretch of the imagination, however, I know I love to watch the pair of House Finches come back to the same bird house each season. This bird house has been hanging in the same spot on my front porch since the previous owners lived here. In the early spring they have to fight off other birds to keep their home. It is an amazing sight. My family all love to watch the birds come to the window feeder. They are so up close, it is the only time my 3 small children stay still and quiet.

Providing a good habitat for birds can also be just having good natural shelter. Trees and shrubs can provide natural shelter, shade and protection. Shrubs that have berries in the fall and winter, like Viburnum, Oregon Grape Holly, and Pyracantha provide food for the birds into the winter. Sunflowers are a great summer treat for the birds.

Be patient when creating a new habitat for the birds. It takes a little time for the birds to discover a new environment. Once they do, you will be surprised and pleased at the variety of beauty now in your yard.

Guide to bird food, feeders and the birds they attract

This will depend on the area or country you live in. There are hundreds and thousands of different types of birds in different countries. Every environment lends itself to different circumstances, therefore ideas and solutions to one problem in one country may be unsuitable for another.

WATER FEATURES AND SEEDS

You may wish to make a small water feature in your yard. Do not make it deep because small birds could drown. To make a small pond dig a shallow hole in the ground, making sure it is shallower around the edges. Lay a sheet of black plastic over the hole and put rocks around the edge of plastic to hold it down at the same time place some in the middle for the birds to rest on. If you add fish, they will have somewhere to hide. It is a good idea to cover with a wire mesh so the birds can drink but not fall in. This pond would also be great inside a planted aviary. Plants will add oxygen to the water.

Some households have big open back yards where a water feature would attract many varieties of wild birds. In this situation, you need to have it planted with an assortment of large and small plants and grasses. This would offer food, clean drinking water, and above all protection from the predators in that particular area. Avoid building in full sun as it could encourage algae to grow.

In Australia, we have a water shortage; therefore, it would be a good idea to plant many other types of grass seeds in short supply caused by the drought. Nearby, plant Sunflower, millet, and canary seed in a small garden. Other types of seed that birds like are thistle, safflower, corn, and nuts. Feed to the birds while green or pick and dry out for seed.

We have seen and encourage most of the following birds,the blue wren, Willy wagtails, butcher, magpie, twenty-eights, galahs, kookaburra, and the crow in our back yard. We also see a variety of small finches darting in and out of the shrubs and the odd predator, like the kite and falcon.

Plant a mixture of shrubs, which would offer nectar from the flowers, and a source of protection for small birds. Try the Sage, lilacs, geraldton wax, or alder.

FEEDERS

There are many different types and shapes of feeders. If leaving feeders out overnight, then use semi closed in containers when feeding birds in the open areas. Once the seed becomes wet, it will go sour and could lead to the bird’s death. If you have time to spend with them, place several trays out for birds to feed and bring inside when feeding is finished.

Feeders hung in trees will prevent contamination from rodents. This is prevalent in aviaries where mice breed, and can also urinate in the water if left on the ground. Birds will often fight for the right to feed first which may cause more spillage on the ground than they eat. To help prevent this, use another larger tray under the one holding the seed.

No matter where you live, try to encourage them to feed and frolic in your yard. They will give you hours of pleasure.

Bird watching has been a great pastime for my family during the year. My daughter even did a 4-H project on the wild birds of Ohio. There are days when I thing that I have birds on the brain. Caring for wild birds is more extensive a project than most people might think. There is a method to the madness and reasons that a variety of feeds, feeders, and shelters

What are some of the way that we can take care of the wild bird that make our backyards their home?

Wild birds need a variety of things to help give them adequate care. Here is a short list of some of the things that birds are going to need.

Feed Me Please

Proving a variety of different foods not only improves the overall health of your backyard birds, it also helps to attract higher numbers of birds and greater diversity of bird species. You would never think to try feeding suet to a hummingbird or hummingbird nectar to a robin. The variety of foods you provide for your wild birds depends on your area and what kinds of birds you want to attract. We put out different kinds of bird seed and often mixed in additional sunflower seeds. There were several different kinds of suet cakes we fed our birds. We had thistle for finches and cracked corn. We also added a hummingbird feeder. Caring for your wild birds means that you care form them year round. Many times backyard birds will become dependant on your feeders as a primary source of food. You will need to keep the feeders filled and cleaned out to keep the birds coming to your backyard habitat.

Different Strokes for Different Folks

Feeders are important for your backyard birds. Different feeders provide different needs and serve different functions. The more feeders and types of feeders, you have the wider variety of birds you will attract to your backyard. This past year our family put out one large bird feeder with regular bird seed, one small bird feeder, one garden bird feeder on the ground, one homemade feeder with regular seed, one hummingbird feeder, two suet feeders and one finch feeder. All of these different feeders helped to attract a large variety of birds. My daughter counted over forty different types of birds in our backyard this past year.

A Place to Wrent

Housing is another crucial aspect of caring for your backyard birds. Shelter is one of the basic needs for human life. Birds in your backyard need shelter as well. Whether you are housing Wrens or Blue Jays, you need to know what is needed by the specific birds on your backyard. Shelters can be simple or they can be elaborate. The matter is that more birds will be attracted to your backyard if you provide the opportunity for shelter.

Water the Forgotten Resource

There are many who supply their backyard birds with ample food, significant shelter with bird houses and different kinds of feeders but forget to provide a source of water. Water is one of the basics of life, every creature needs it to survive. Water is not everywhere and it is not always plentiful in the wild. This is especially true during long dry spells of the summer months. One thing that many people forget to think about is the need for water.

Water serves two vital purposes for birds, cleansing and drinking. We have all seen birds enjoying time in a backyard birdbath or a large puddle following a rainstorm. Water is vital to the cleansing process for backyard birds. Birds will come to your backyard at times just because you provide them with water. Birds also need water for drinking. No animal can survive without water.

These are some simple steps that you can take to help transform your backyard into a paradise for wild birds. The more feeds, feeders and shelters that you have, the more birds that you will attract to your backyard.

Spring is the perfect time to take on a project like cultivating a butterfly garden – that perfect combination of food and host plants and flowers that will attract these beautiful, active visitors into your yard. Here’s how to get started:

1. Find out which types of butterflies are common to your region and the plants that attract them. It’s actually much easier to build this kind of targeted garden because all the plants will be indigenous to your area and well suited to the climate.

Texas, for example, has a large range of Admiral and Emperor butterflies. These include the Viceory (often mistaken for the Monarch) and the Gulf Fritillary, another large, orange butterfly.

Viceroys actually like dung and decaying fungi early in the season, and aster and goldenrod later in the summer. (Sometimes butterflies will also come to decaying fruit like rotten bananas or melon rinds that you can place outside in a hanging tray.) Gulf Fritillaries like lantana and cordias.

For more on butterflies by region, click here.

2. Pick a spot for your garden. Given the space you have available, the amount of sunlight it does or does not receive daily, and how well the land will drain, you can determine which combination of plants will work for you. (This will probably require some consultation with your local plant nursery or a more knowledgeable gardener. Don’t rule out your local library as a free source of information and of course, the Internet.)

One of the most popular nectar plants for a wide variety of butterflies is commonly known as the “butterfly bush.” The proper name for the fast-growing plant with beautiful hanging purple blossoms is Buddleia. Requiring little water and responding brilliantly to frequent pruning, even the least talented gardener can successfully cultivate this bush.

Host plants can include: dill, parsley, fennel, carrots, clovers, deerweed, hollyhock, mustard, sunflowers, milkweed, and sassafrass, among others. To learn more about host plants, click here.

3. Add accessories. There’s no glossing over the fact that butterflies are part of the food chain, especially for birds. Butterfly “houses,” wooden shelters with slits, give your garden visitors a place to hid from predators and get out of bad weather. (Just search online for “build a butterfly house.” Free plans are available and building the simple shelter is another good “do it yourself” spring project.)

By far, one of the most essential accessories for any butterfly garden is a good guide book. When your visitors begin to arrive, you’ll want to know their names. Like bird books, these guides are usually region specific. Some of the best are put out by the National Audubon Society and generally cost about $15 to $20. They contain illustrations for identification purposes and descriptive information about each butterfly.

If you have children in the house, you can set up a target list of butterflies you’re trying to attract and keep “score” by putting gold stars on the list or printing digital photos and building a butterfly “board.” (You don’t have to mention the project is “educational.”)

Starting a butterfly garden creates an active, beautiful spot in your yard that will offer hours of free entertainment watching the visitors it attracts. At the same time, you’ll be helping support the butterflies themselves, who, like all creatures, struggle to survive in a world that we often damage more than we nurture.

Bird feeders come in many shapes, sizes and materials nowadays and for beginners it can seem baffling. Basically what needs to be remembered is that different foods require different feeders and pests like squirrels can eat through plastic but not through metal!

Manufacturers produce specific feeders for peanuts, with a metal gauze cage through which birds peck the nuts. A different design is used for smaller seeds such as sunflower, which are usually taken from the bottom of a hopper. Different again is the design for tiny seeds like thistle or nyjer, which are taken through tiny apertures in a cylindrical tube.

It is essential to buy the correct type of bird feeder for the food you intend to offer. If you hope to attract a particular species, the correct food may be essential to success. Choose an appropriate size of feeder too; they come in varying capacities.

Also important is the strength of the feeder. Plastic ones will be cheaper and may be satisfactory if squirrels can not reach them. If they do, they will rapidly take the food and ruin the feeder in the process. A better long term bet is a feeder with a metal top and bottom and a sturdy polycarbonate tube in between. Some firms give their products a rating for ‘squirrel proofness’ and guarantee to replace any that are damaged.

Bird feeders need periodic cleaning to prevent harmful bacteria and other toxins building up from debris left behind. These can kill birds. The empty feeder can be dismantled by the removal of a couple of screws usually, and all parts

can be washed in warm, soapy water and then rinsed and dried before reassembling and refilling. Special disinfectants can be bought to do this job but are not strictly necessary in normal circumstances.

Lastly, try to avoid a build up of old, stale, food especially in prolonged wet weather. Empty out old food. If it is still wholesome, refill the feeder putting the old food at the top. If it has deteriorated, throw it in the trash or compost it. Then there can be no risk to the birds’ health.

If you’re heading out to scout for a gift for your favorite gardener, check out the list below for a few practical and just for fun ideas that will bring a smile and hopefully, a bouquet of joy!

GIFTS THAT ARE FUN…

*Gardens books: With the snow on the ground, it’s rather difficult to work in the flower beds. Gardeners love to sift through garden catalogs, coffee table flower books and read up on their favorite species. You can never go wrong with Sunset’s Western Garden Books. For a book with beautiful floral photographs throughout that will encapture anyone’s attention for hours (trust me on this!), check out “Flowers” by H. Wako, considered to be a feast for any gardener’s eyes.

*Floral Calendar: Smith and Hawken (a great gardening resource for great stuff!) has put out a beautiful calendar for 2008. You can get it on Amazon with one day shipping. They also offer the Audubon Wildflowers Calendar 2008 by National Audubon Society, both starting at around $9.

*Bird Bath/Feeder/House: Most gardeners enjoy sharing their space with the critters who live nearby. Help welcome them with ornaments for the yard. Feeders come in simple to extravagant and prices follow and the same applies for all yard ornaments. A good companion for any bird accessory would be Stokes Bird Gardening.

*Living Gift Basket: Giving a potted plant is great but a true gardener is a do-it-yourselfer. Why not give a do-it-yourself gift basket? A metal-lined potting basket with a bag of soil and an assortment of seeds would be a sure pleaser. Some seed suggestions: lobelia, snapdragons, pansies, petunias, and verbena. $30

*Watering Can: Every gardener loves a watering can, especially a nice one. Any of your local stores will carry some great selections starting at $15.

*Gift Card: What gardener wouldn’t want to browse the aisles himself? Not much can be had for under $15, so consider that when making your purchase.

*Seeds/Bulbs: Do you know what kind of flowers they prefer? Grab some seeds and/or bulbs for a fun treat they can enjoy all year, from planting to pruning. $2-10+

*Garden Sign: Have a personalized sign made for their yard/garden. “Welcome to my garden”, “Rosies Rose Garden” – you get the picture. How about some vegetable stakes? Those are always welcome at planting time as they remind the gardener that yes, something is in that row and will be sprouting up shortly. $3-12

*Hori Hori Knife: This is the expensive version of a hand shovel with a knife on one

The pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus) on first glance may appear as a cross of the parrot and cardinal. The name of this bird is derived from two Greek words, “pyrrhos” meaning flame colored and “loxos” meaning slanting. The color has reddish or “flame-like” highlights and the beak is curved which attributes to both Greek words.

This species presents a tropical aura as it becomes alert however; the pyrrhuloxia is not found in tropical regions and prefers arid scrublands. Found in the south and southwest regions of the United States and northern Mexico, the pyrrhuloxia is a distinctive songbird sounding out the song “what-cheer, what-cheer” over this dry region of land.

In the wild, the pyrrhuloxia is sometimes mistaken for the cardinal. The plumage of the female of both species are so closely identical, it takes a keen eye to search out the curved beak to distinguish these two species. Another similarity between the pyrrhuloxia and cardinal species include their deep loyalty towards their mate. It is not uncommon to gaze the male pyrrhuloxia foraging for berries and delivering some of the fruits of his labor to his female companion. Known as “courtship feeding”, both the males of the pyrrhuloxia and cardinal species court their mates in this manner.

The pyrrhuloxia is crested with a hefty, parrot-like bill that is yellow in color. The male pyrrhuloxia is generally gray with a red crest, face, throat, breast, the wings, and tail. The female is similar in appearance but has a more grayish colored buff. A middle-sized wild bird, the pyrrhuloxia is generally 7 to 8 inches in length and will weigh less than 3 ounces.

The pyrrhuloxia forage for fruits, seeds, and small insects that can be found in their habitat. Their habitat consists of thorny desert brush, thickets that surround streams and even backyard gardens. The couple builds a cup-shaped nest above ground in the brush that is generally comprised of twigs, bark, and grass. The female typically lays 2 to 5 eggs that are greenish-white with brown spots. The eggs incubate for approximately 14 days and the young leave the nest in a matter of 10 short days following being hatched.

Depending upon the region, pyrrhuloxia remain in their territory year round while others travel. For birdwatchers who live along the Texas Gulf Coast and the southeast regions of Arizona, this beautiful bird can be seen during the winter months foraging on their favorite winter treat, the Christmas cactus. Their main threat like with most wild species is humans. The development and clearing of land areas that are known to be habitats for these birds have affected their populations. This species is not threatened or endangered and currently appears to have healthy population numbers.

References:

BOOK OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS, Reader’s Digest, copyright 1990.