Garden Bird Feeders

Archive for November, 2009

Yard and garden products come in quite a wide variety and range from being very utilitarian to just downright bizarre. Here is a look at a few products on the wacky end of the spectrum. Or are they functional? You decide.

Bat Conservatory:

It’s a beautiful Saturday night. The moon is shining, the bats are squeaking, and you’re kicking back on the deck, coffee in hand, soaking up the ambience. Wait, what’s wrong with this picture? Where’s the sun, the chirping birds, the delicious morning air?

Well, enjoying the bats who flock to your backyard conservatory would have to be a night time affair. They are after all, nocturnal creatures. But this product is not meant so much for bat watching as it is for living a mosquito free life. Apparently, just one bat can gulp down about 600 flying insects per hour. Goodbye citronella torch.

http://www.amazon.com/Conserv atory-House-helps-reduce-mosqu itos-naturally/dp/B000W3S5A2

No Pausing Pooch Lawn Sign:

Doggie dung. It’s an epidemic, attacking healthy shoes everywhere. Fear not though, team Toscano has devised a defense. Weighing in at a hefty seven pounds, this no pooping sign comes shaped like an adorable dog and is made of foundry iron. That’ll teach those pesky mutts!

Did I mention that it’s hand painted too?

http://www.designtoscano.com/ product/more+themes/animals/do gs/no+pausing+pooch+lawn+sign+ +-+sp628.do

WOOF Wind Chimes:

It’s said that a dog is a man’s best friend. Or is it a wolf’s first cousin? Well either way, we can’t get enough canine themed paraphernalia. This is especially true when it comes to wind chimes. And so the WOOF was born. Each apparatus is handmade and consists of four doggie bone shaped ceramic chimes that together spell, you guessed it, WOOF. These adorable bones are in turn suspended from an authentic piece of Californian redwood by nylon covered fishing wire. How can you resist?

http://www.etsy.com/view_list ing.php?listing_id=12859649

Solar Roses:

What’s a garden without artificial, self-illuminating roses? Powered by the sun, these crafty gems come to life at night in surprising and multicoloured ways.

Not recommended for the faint of heart.

http://www.gardenfun.com/sola r-flowers-roses.html

Cat Face Bird Feeder:

Reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat (of Alice in Wonderland fame), we have the main features of a feline face along with two paws holding a bowl, which in turn holds all those delectable seeds the pretty birds will be dining on.

Right, well if that’s too subtle, don’t fret. The makers of this cutesy bird feeder have included a contingency plan deftly attached to the product itself. On the bowl is written, “Here birds!”

It appears our feathered friends won’t be the only ones dining this evening.

http://www.gardenfun.com/cat- tree-face.html

These are only a few of the wacky items you can find for your garden. Shop around, there’s something for everyone.

There are many ways to attract wild birds to your garden and hopefully to set up home in your garden bird house. Providing food and a safe place to eat is one of the easiest and most effective ways. This is particularly important during the winter months when there may be lack of their natural food.

Set up feeding stations designed for the different species you would like to see in your garden.

For finches place specially designed thistle feeders that hold the small thistle feeds that they love. Other speciality bird feeders include hummingbird feeders to hold nectar, woodpecker feeders and jay feeders. Tube feeders are designed to prevent seeds spilling on the ground and keep the seeds dry. You could also set up a window feeder to see the birds from the comfort of your room.

Always check the food regularly to make sure it is dry and free from mold and clean up around the feeder to deter wasps, ants and other predators. If squirrels are a problem in your garden be sure to purchase a squirrel proof bird feeder.

Provide Fresh Water for the Birds

Wild birds need a source of fresh water for both drinking and bathing. You could provide this with water pans or bird baths. Place water containers at various levels as some birds prefer ground level, others will be attracted to water placed at a higher level. Place any water sources away from bird feeders as birds prefer a quiet place for bathing and preening. Attract the birds to your water source with a water dripper placed in the bird bath or a mister in the trees. The gentle sounds of running water will attract the birds and many birds enjoy a bath below the dripper or in a mister as it simulates raindrops on their feathers.

During the winter months a heated bird bath or one fitted with a de-icer will ensure the water is always at the right temperature and available for the birds.

Provide a Natural Environment

Let a part of your garden grow wild and scatter wild flower seeds through the area to provide a natural environment for the birds. hang bird feeders from trees or posts in this area. This will enhance the sense of security for the birds.

Your bird house must be a safe place for birds to nest and bring up their young. Here are some tips for making your bird house proof from squirrels, yellow jackets, snakes, cats, wasps, ants and other invasive birds.

Perches

There is no need to have any perches in your bird house. The nesting birds do not need them and they only provide a means for predators to gain entrance. many bird houses come with a perch under the entrance hole. Remove it!

Baffles

A bird house mounted on a pole can have baffles fitted to prevent predators from climbing the pole and gaining entrance to the bird house. A metal baffle is preferable as it cannot be chewed. A bird house mounted on a tree can also have baffles attached to the tree trunk.

Metal plates

A metal plate fitted with a small entrance hole can be placed over the original hole on the bird house. This will prevent predators from enlarging the hole to gain entrance.

Entrance Hole

use a bird house with a small entrance hole that is just large enough for the species of bird you wish to attract. A larger hole will allow invading birds to gain entrance and eject the baby birds inside.

Ants Nests

Regularly check around the bird house (and bird feeders if you have them) for ants nests. Deal with them quickly using a method that is not harmful to wild birds.

Metal Poles

For bird houses mounted on metal poles slip a large PVC pipe over the pole before mounting the bird house. This will deter squirrels, snakes and raccoons from climbing up to the bird house. You could also smear vegetable oil on the pipe.

Cats

Fit your cat with a collar with a bell to prevent her sneaking up on the birds.

Birds feeding in your backyard are not near as finicky as some people like to believe they are. In fact, they may like your limited selection of food so well, that they will eat you out of house and home, not to mention your pocketbook.

I live in a small town in Ohio and we have a local RFD (Rural Farm Store) that caters to horses, rabbits, hogs, llamas and any number of farm animals you can think of. They also carry a supply of bird food and feeders. There are any number of other places to purchase what you need.

If you are just starting out, there are three major seeds you should offer the wildbirds.

___Nigger seed (some call it thistle seed) for house wrens and finches;

___Black sunflower seeds for Blue Jays, Cardinals, Nuthatches, Snow Birds in the winter, woodpeckers and unfortunately, crows and grackles.

___Last but not least is just a 25 to 50 pound bag of generic bird seed for all the other small birds. It will contain corn, millet, sunflower seeds and other filler. These three types of seeds will get you well on your way to feeding and enjoying the birds around your home.

During the spring months, hanging out a sugar water feeder will attact the hummingbirds. Of course you can also add suet feeders. The sky’s the limit on the different kinds of bird food that is available.

You can feed your birds from any number of containers, starting with an old house screen nailed on the top of a post, to high end, fancy $50 to $200 birdfeeders. It all depends on what you want or can afford to spend.

So, if you enjoy watching the birds, do what I did. Start out with the screen nailed on a post and go from there. Who knows, you probably will enjoy the birds just as well with little or no spending on fancy equipment. You should, because after the birds find out you are setting out a smorgasbord for them you’ll need the money to buy even more food. Birds aren’t dumb you know!

Types of bird feeders aren’t that important. Birds aren’t very fussy about that. Whatever type of feeder you choose, enclosed or open, it should be well protected against cats and squirrels. Basically, you can buy birdseed that is loose or you can buy “logs” of birdseed that are stuck together. The log type birdseed doesn’t really require a container but can be hung from a tree or pole.

If the feeder is to be exposed to the weather, some materials will have more longevity than others. Our current feeder is a clear plastic little house so we can see the bird feeding even if it jumps inside.

The other choice has more to do with contents of your seed than type of feeder. What kind of birds do you wish to attract? Different birds prefer different kinds of food. If you want to attract mainly one type of bird, find out what that bird prefers to eat and only put that seed out. We put out a mixed wild birdseed and get a variety of types and sizes of birds. It’s very pleasant that way.

Whatever type of bird feeder you have, it should be cleaned out regularly and even washed unless it’s a permanent feeder. Sometimes it looks like your feeder has plenty of seed but you need to check it regularly because you could be looking at primarily empty seed husks. If you don’t check regularly, you will know when the seed is exhausted as the birds will stop coming around.

Hummingbird feeders should be changed and cleaned frequently, about once a week. The sweet water can go bad or ferment very quickly, especially if the feeder is in the sun. Try to keep it mostly in the shade and change the liquid frequently after thoroughly cleaning your feeder. Hummingbirds are not afraid of humans and you can put your feeder very close to a window.

This easy to grow adaptable fern can be incorporated into the garden, or grown in a large container or basket for indoor or outdoor display.

The Bird’s Nest Fern is a spectacular plant that forms a huge rosette of outward growing fronds, which are the foliage of the plant. Each frond is light green and glossy, with a dark midrib and slightly wavy margins.

New fronds unfurl from the center of the crown each spring, and the older fronds on the outside spread to allow this new growth.

Like all ferns, the Bird’s Nest Fern carries spore cases, which hold the seed for propagation, on the back of the fronds. This is also a decorative feature of the plant.

The Bird’s Nest Fern grows quite rapidly, and space must be allowed for its mature height and spread. Its strong outline and vivid green color makes it a perfect accent or feature plant that can be used for dramatic effect in many garden situations.

Create a lush green fernery, with the Bird’s Nest Fern as the centerpiece or focal point.

Its size and shape will dominate, and its strong architectural outline will be softened by the other ferns.

Plants the Bird’s Nest Fern in a container, and move it to various parts of the garden to provide a foil for colorful flowering plants.

In a difficult situation such as a bed along the side of a house which is full or semi-shade, a row of Bird’s Nest Ferns will provide a tropical atmosphere.

Irrigation will be needed to ensure the growing conditions remain moist.

Bird’s Nest Ferns look wonderful when grouped together with other hardy ferns that have contrasting foliage. The broad, sword-like leaves are a perfect contrast for the fine, feathery fronds of more delicate ferns such as the Water Fern, Pteris Ferns or Sword Ferns.

When planted near a shady water feature, Bird’s Nest Ferns combine well with moisture-loving perennials such as Primulas, Begonias and the various colorful Anemone Hybrids. The light green, glossy foliage highlights the flower colors of the perennials.

Bird’s Nest Ferns can also be combined with bulbs that like moist, shady positions, including Snowdrops, Hyacinths and Giant Lilies, with their spectacular fragrant cream flowers.

To plant and care for your Bird’s Nest Fern you will need:

Bird’s Nest Fern

Spade

Compost

Leaf mulch

1.

Clear the area of weeds, making sure the soil is workable to a depth of at least 20cm. Water lightly the day prior to planting.

2.

Mix addition organic matter

Once a child actually does some gardening, chances are their thumbs will turn green and they are hooked for life. The problem is just how to get your kids involved with gardening to start with. Here are some ideas that may help.

1-Use the Weather

When the winter doldrums hit your small child, anything to do will pique their interest. Have some seeds and potting supplies ready and allow them to plant a small windowsill garden in cups or narrow planters. Teach them how to care for the plants and tell them that when spring comes, they can plant a bigger garden outside.

2-Personal Plots

When spring arrives, give your kid a personal plot to garden in. Drive stakes in the ground and run cord to separate it from your garden. If a child knows it is theirs to plant as they please, they will take more interest in gardening.

3-Pizza Plot

Interest your child in gardening by suggesting a pizza plot. Include plants such as tomatoes, onions, garlic, bell pepper, basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary. Allow them to care for the plants, harvest them and add them to a personal pizza.

4-Bird Patch

If your child loves feeding the birds, suggest a garden plot just for the birds. Include these common plants that birds love; corn, sunflowers, purple coneflower, larkspur, bee balm, snapdragons, asters and bachelor buttons

5-Bamboo Tee Pee

At the corner or center of your garden, build a tee-pee of bamboo poles. Show your child how they can plant cucumbers, pole beans, morning glories or anything that climbs, on the outside of the tee-pee and create a secret little place for themselves.

6-4-H Project

If your child is in 4-H or Scouting, encourage them to try gardening as one of their projects. This could also be tied in with a project on Food and Nutrition and Conservation. They can donate the food to a local shelter or other community group for a Community project.

7-Mini-Vegetables

Fast growing and bearing mini-vegetables might catch and hold your child’s interest. Even very small children will love this. There is a wide variety of mini-vegetables such as carrots, corn, cabbage, tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce, snow peas, pumpkins, onions and patty pan and zucchini squash. When planting these, keep in mind that though the vegetables are mini, the plants usually are not.

8-Contests

Check for local contest and encourage your child to grow a prize pumpkin for Halloween, or the largest tomato or gourd. Once they get their hands in the dirt, they’ll come back for more.

9-Money is a Good Motivator

If your child is trying to save money for something, encourage them to grow a garden and sell what they grow at a flea markets or a roadside stand. Allow them to keep the profit. Some money-making ideas are:

Flowers for cutting

Flowers for drying

Vegetables

Gourds for birdhouses or crafts

Sunflowers for eating or bird-feed

There you have it, nine suggestions for how to get your kids involved with gardening. One of them is bound to work, because gardening is a natural instinct, which only needs a gentle nudge. Once they have played in the dirt, they will come back again and again.

All bird houses sold on the market are not suitable to birds. These bird houses will not attract any birds and re detrimental to the birds health. Please make sure you read the following tips and use them when you buy that bird house:

1. Dimensions: Different birds need different sizes of bird houses. Depending on the birds you want to keep check the area inside, the size of the entrance hole and the ground clearance of the hole. These are very important to attract suitable birds.

2. Ventilation and Sanitation: Make sure the bird house is well ventilated so that it does not heat up too much in summers. Also heck the sanitation and drainage holes to make sure that the baby birds do not drown.

3. Access: The insides of the bird house should be easily accessible so that you can inspect and monitor the nests. One side of the bird house should be hinged and easy to open.

4. Construction: The bid house should be properly constructed with non-toxic material. It should also be properly insulated with unpainted wooden board to keep out the cold and heat. If painted, the paint should be non-toxic.

5. Other Precautions: The entrance hole should be shaded by a roof extension to keep out the rain. No perches should be kept outside the entrance hole as it will encourage predators.

Bird Feeder tips

Before embarking upon a mission to buy a bird feeder, it is important that you assimilate knowledge on what kind of foods the bird you want to attract eats and the plants that attract it. Accumulation of some knowledge about the species of birds that frequent area would also help immensely. Placing the attractive plants in the garden along with the bird feeder will increase your chances of attracting the bird. Be ready to accept that the birds frequenting may not eat from your feeder but may feed on the insects and fruits of the plants you have placed for some time.

The most important factor of using a bird feeder is that the feeder should be placed in the same position for a long period of time and it should be regularly filled with food like clock work. Birds are creatures of habit and when they find food in your bird feeder, they will return regularly to it. If they do not find food there, they will move on to greener pastures.

Bird Feeders are of various kinds. The most common is the Hopper feeder. This feeder is built with a platform along with walls and a roof so that the food is protected form rain and wind. Always make sure the bird seed never gets wet, since it would drive the birds away.

The tube feeder is a transparent tube of plastic or glass designed to feed many birds at the same time. The platform feeder is a tray on which the bird seed can be placed. These feeders are incapable of protection from predators, squirrels and the natural elements. Some squirrel proof feeders are also available.

Make sure the bird housing and bird feeders are always cleaned regularly.

Bird feeders come in such a wide assortment of shapes and sizes so it’s important

to remember a few simple facts when choosing them.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to have an effective bird house, in fact most birds

will eat wherever they find food. I just learned this myself in the past few weeks.

After purchasing a rather expensive bird feeder and hanging it off the corner of

our garage, I noticed that the squirrels were first attracted to it. They would jump

on the feeder and swing it, causing the seeds to fall to the ground. Later in the

day, I noticed the birds gathering their feed from the ground although there was

some left in the feeder. So now we have a very pretty bird house that costs a bit

more that I probably shouldn’t have spent that much money on.

Window feeders were made to attach to your window so that you can view the birds up

close. Suet Feeders are designed to own their own bar feed and they attract a wide

variety of wild birds. Suet Feeders are usually hung from trees. The Nectar

Feeder was created with the hummingbird in mind. These birds along with the Orioles

love to drink water mixed with sugar. Hopper feeders are nice because they automatically replenish the seed supply when it is gone. Designed like a little house, it saves the owner the extra time to refill it. Tubular feeders are very

popular and are not that expensive. They have separate areas were many birds can

feed at once. Normally these are hung on a tree or hook.

Bird feeders should be cleaned once a month. Soak feeders in a bleach/water solution using 10 parts of water and one part bleach. You may have to use a scrub

brush to clean it effectively. Let it completely air dry before refilling it.

Want to spruce up your garden or yard? Nothing else does the job quite like a bird feeder does. A bird feeder will brings dozens of beautiful birds into your garden and yard, giving it a colorful, lively feel. To get the full benefits of a bird feeder, though, you must first learn about the different types and varieties of bird feeders, and how you can go about the best on for your needs. It isn’t complicated, but knowing a few things can go a long way towards making your bird feeder a success.

The first thing to consider with any bird feeder is the look. If it doesn’t fit with your garden and house, its not going to do you any good. Fortunately, you can get bird feeders in a wide variety of colors and styles. You can get sheet metal bird feeders, wood bird feeders, hanging feeders, standing feeders, solar powered bird feeders, and many more. Look with what fits in with your garden, and make your decision. While a stone angel feeder may look great in one yard, the gazebo style might be a much better choice for yours.

You also need to consider what type of feeder you want. The most common type of feeder is the traditional birdseed type feeder. These feeders take the traditional mixed birdseed, which will attract a wide variety of different birds. If you have a lot of finches in your area, a finch feeder maybe be for you. Since finches have long, narrow beaks, and can eat different types of seeds, you can attract these birds with a specialized finch feeder. These can be a great compliment to your regular feeder, as it will provide some nice variation. Finally, you can get a hummingbird feeder, which feeds liquid sugar to hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are always fascinating to watch, so getting one of these feeders is a great idea.

You should also consider some special features for your feeder. The most important feature, in my opinion, is squirrel proofing. If you have squirrels in your area, they will get into your feeder if you let them, no doubt about it. You will find out how outlandishly clever squirrels are once you start trying to keep them out of your feeder. Even though many of the squirrel proof designs aren’t perfect, if you don’t have this, you’re just giving them a free lunch.

Another interesting feature you can get with your bird feeder is a lighted feeder. Powered either by battery, or a rechargeable battery powered by solar panel, you can watch birds feed into the evening and in the early morning with the feeder. This makes it a great conversation piece for those summer outside parties. A very unique and wonderful choice for a bird feeder.

Overall, you can see that choosing a bird feeder isn’t an extremely easy decision, but neither is it that hard. Just make your choice among the wide variety of styles and options available, and you will get to enjoy the relaxation and aesthetic appeal that only a bird feeder can bring to your yard or garden. Just keep those squirrels away!

Backyard birds lure us into enjoying time in our backyards with their melodious songs curious playfulness. Most homeowners have come to appreciate sitting in their backyards on warm summer evenings just listening and watch the delightful show that they seem to love to put on for us. A sure sign of spring for most homeowners is when songbirds once again populate their backyards. One way to assure that backyard birds return to your yard is to plant bird attracting plants. Birds look for a few things from plants. Plants have to be sweet, seedy or provide a good nesting habitat or shelter. Finding a nesting habitat or good cover is important for songbirds to protect them against the elements and also from other wildlife or domestic cats that might view them as prey.

Evergreens- Evergreens such as pine trees and evergreen shrubs such as holly provide year round nesting habitats used as shelter from the elements and for protection from predators. Additionally, pine trees drop seed cones and evergreen shrubs produce berries which provide food sources for winter birds throughout the winter when other food sources are scarce.

Grasses- Contrary to most backyard birds there are a few that like to nest low to the ground. Birds such as wrens, nuthatches and bluebirds prefer to nest lower than most. Native ornamental grasses such as fountain grass and maiden grass provide year round shelter for these birds. Grainy grasses such as rye grass provide not only shelter but a food source in the form of grain seed.

Seed and fruit producing plants are an important food source for backyard birds. Deciduous (leaf dropping) shrubs and trees generally bear the most fruit and nuts, more so than evergreens. And while they provide good nesting habitat for birds in spring and summer, they aren’t the best forms of shelter in the winter. Therefore by planting a mixture of evergreen and deciduous trees in your backyard ensures that you will have year round bird residents.

Fruit shrubs- Backyard birds are attracted to the sweetness of fruits and berries and a lot of songbirds depend on this type of food source in the winter for survival. Bluebirds for example, although they like to nest low to the ground, would prefer to nest in a north facing bluebird box that is three to five feet off the ground. If bluebirds find a nesting box that they like, in more temperate winter climates they will choose to live their year round. Since bluebirds don’t eat seeds or nuts but prefer insects and berries,