Whidbey Island is not only a haven for birds, but for people who enjoy feeding birds, as well. We’re part of a national trend. According to Cornell University, the average American homeowner has an average of 6.5 feeders in the back yard. During the year 2000, bird food sales in the U.S. were well over $200 million.
Wild bird feeding has boomed with the Boomers. Interest in bird feeding and bird watching goes hand in hand with the ecology movement that brought many of us “back to the land” – at least in spirit – during the 1960s and 70s. The old image of the geeky birdwatcher with pith helmet and binoculars is long gone. Now entire families, ranging from grandparents to toddlers, enjoy watching and caring for wildlife.
Although many of us feed birds year round, it’s winter, when food supply is the shortest, that is the most crucial. If you begin feeding birds now, you should continue throughout the winter and into spring, since birds can become dependent upon your feeder as a food source. Once you start, however, it’ll be hard to stop for the remainder of the year. Seeing these fascinating creatures up close is fun and interesting. Below are a few bird feeding tips:
WHAT TO FEED?
Avoid the wild bird mixes composed mainly of millet, cracked corn and canary seed. Most of it will go to waste below your feeder. Black oil sunflower seed is probably the best all-around bird food. It’s a high-energy treat for finches, chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, sparrows, grosbeaks and juncos, to name a few of our local diners. The cheapest way to purchase it is in 50-lb. bags, and it’s often on sale at very reasonable prices at the farmers’ supply, hardware and box stores. It can be served from tube or hopper feeders as well as platforms.
The downside to sunflower seed is that empty hulls accumulate on the ground beneath the feeder, where they can ruin your lawn and attract rodents (more about that later). Clean up regularly with a broom, shovel or wet/dry vacuum.
Sunflower chips and hearts are simply hulled black oil sunflower seeds. They’re less messy, but more expensive, and they absorb moisture and get moldy if not eaten quickly. If you use chips and hearts, feed only as much as birds will consume in a day.
Niger seed (also called thistle seed) is like candy to finches of every variety. They will flock to this tiny black seed, which must be fed from a special tube feeder with small slit feeding ports. Niger is not a true thistle and will not grow into a noxious weed such as the rampant Canada thistle. In fact, it’s treated to prevent germination entirely. The downside of niger is its cost; four or five times the price of sunflower seed per pound.
Raw peanuts are a favorite of jays and towhees, but their hulls are quite messy. It’s fun to watch the Steller’s Jays stuff two or three peanuts into their beaks, then fly off to hide them beneath fallen leaves or in tall grass, where they can return later for a snack. You can also purchase peanut chips, but again, they’re more expensive than peanuts in the shell.
Suet, made from rendered animal fat, is an especially valuable source of energy for birds during the winter. While you can make your own suet cakes from melted fat, the commercial variety is less likely to turn rancid and can be served in inexpensive hanging metal cages. Another favorite of the feathered set is peanut butter. Kids especially enjoy tying twine to pine cones, smearing the cones with gooey peanut butter (organic is best) and rolling them in birdseed. Hang these treats in the trees and watch the birds feast!
Birds that don’t eat seeds (such as robins, waxwings and thrushes) will appreciate apple chunks, raisins or other fruit. One winter, when snow covered their normal feeding grounds, our garden was inundated by hungry Varied Thrushes. I didn’t have any fruit to offer, so instead, thawed a bag of frozen sweet corn and spread it on the ground. The thrushes and their cousins, the robins, devoured it and came back for more.
One of the most important things you can offer wild birds is a source of fresh water. Make sure your birdbath remains full, clean and unfrozen during the winter months. Birdbath de-icers are available at bird supply stores and via the Internet at sites such as www.duncraft.com. Birdbaths and feeders should ideally be placed in a relatively wind-sheltered area, close to trees or shrubbery where birds feel secure. Trim low-growing branches to eliminate hiding places for feline predators.
OH, RATS!
Feeding birds, especially during the cold months, brings many rewards, but it also can bring problems. Poorly maintained feeders promote bird disease and death. Preventive measures include keeping feeders clean. Remove spent hulls and droppings daily, and clean and disinfect feeders regularly with one part bleach to nine parts water. Make sure they’re dry before you refill. Ensure damp seed isn’t compacted in the bottom of tube feeders. Immediately discard wet, moldy seed. Make sure there are no sharp wires or points on feeders that could cut birds’ delicate feet or wings.
Rodents can be a real problem around bird feeders. If you see rats or mice in the vicinity of your feeders, consider the inconvenient but prudent measure of moving feeders into the garage each night. Keep the area free of hulls and seed debris; cover trashcans tightly. Store seed in covered, rodent-proof containers such as heavy plastic or metal bins or garbage cans. Keep grass around the feeder cut short. Thick ground cover, especially ivy, is a safe haven for rats and mice.
A little precaution goes a long way towards helping you and your birds to enjoy each other’s company.
Mariana Graham is a WSU-certified Master Gardener and member of Garden Writers Association of America. To have an Island County Master Gardener answer your garden question, call 679-7327.
