Winter is just around the corner and it’s time to get our bird feeding stations ready.
Nothing livens up a cold winter day like wild birds flitting and darting to and from your bird feeder. If you’re going to give bird feeding a try, the first thing you’ll need is a bird feeder.
It’s a fact of life that feeding the wild birds attracts squirrels. You’ll want a feeder that can discourage squirrels. Some feeders use the weight of the squirrel on the perch to move gates that cover the feeding ports. Small wild birds aren’t heavy enough to activate the mechanism but squirrels are.
The bird feeder I use is called the Yankee Dipper. Why do I like this feeder so much? The more your feeder holds, the less often you’ll need to fill it. This is something you’ll appreciate during the coldest days of winter. The Yankee Dipper holds 5 lbs. of seed. Equally important, it is easy to disassemble so it is easy to clean.
It is also cleverly designed to stop squirrels. The Yankee Dipper is long enough so squirrels can’t reach the feeding ports when hanging by their rear legs from the top of the feeder. The perches at the feeding ports are spring loaded. They are strong enough to support perching birds but dip down under the weight of a squirrel. The only damage the squirrels have done to my Yankee Dipper is to the metal lid. Not bad for 15 years on the job.
To get the most enjoyment out of wild bird feeding make sure you invest in a good bird feeder. It is better to buy a good one that the squirrels can’t destroy than to keep replacing cheaper ones...in the long run a good feeder is less expensive and you also get the satisfaction of watching squirrels slide off the feeder without getting a snack.
If you already own a bird feeder, now is the time to get it all cleaned up for the season. We need to keep the feeders clean to keep the birds healthy. The feeder attracts all the birds to only a few feeding ports so it is important to keep those ports clean. They are all eating from the same plate so to speak so is best to keep that plate clean. Wash your feeder in very hot soapy water. After it is clean, soak all the feeder’s parts in a mix of 1 parts chlorine bleach to 10 part water. This will kill any germs. Let it dry thoroughly and reassemble. Now you’re all set to fill it up.
To endure such unrelenting cold, winter birds need to stay active. Calories and protein fuel this activity. Black Oil Sunflower is higher in calories per pound than Grey Striped Sunflower. Black oil sunflower is grown almost exclusively for wild bird feeding. I’ve found that the smaller black oil sunflower kernels are more easily handled by chickadees and other small birds.
The second most important food for wild bird to be fine cracked corn. Cracked corn appeals to ground feeding birds like cardinals, doves and juncos. When you shop for cracked corn, be sure you get FINE cracked corn. Bird seed is most often purchased in a blend. There are dozens of blends on the market. Be aware that many blends contain “filler” seeds that no birds eat. The most common “filler” seeds are red millet and milo. Their red color increases their “eye appeal” to the humans that buy it. It’s more important that the blend appeals to the birds than to you. A 50-50 blend of a premium seed blend and Black Sunflower (left) makes a perfect wild bird blend.
Make sure you place your feeding station where you can see it. It is also nice to have a tree or shrubbery nearby. After the birds visit the feeder, they’ll flick to the nearest branch to peck away at their treat. This keeps them in close viewing range so you can enjoy watching your fine feathered friends at close range all winter long.
Another addition to your bird feeding station is a suet feeder. Suet attracts all the woodpeckers and nuthatches. There’s nothing more thrilling than having the large, red-headed Pileated Woodpecker visit regularly!
Thanks for the read!
