Posts Tagged ‘bird feeder’
Steps to Atttract Hummingbirds to Your Yard
When feeding birds in your backyard, don’t forget about hummingbirds! The extra effort involved in maintaining a bird feeders for these tiny jeweled creatures is well worth it.Flying in different directions and beating their wings hundreds of times per seconds, hummingbirds seem to defy the laws of physics. Landscaping, feeders, birdbaths, even red ribbons or lawn ornaments will catch their eye and bring these natural wonders into viewing range.
Most backyard birders immediately think of nectar feeders when it comes to attracting hummers, and for good reason. If hummingbirds are reasonably common in your area and you maintain your feeder on a regular basis, you’ll soon have several birds competing for a drink. The primary advantage of a feeder is that, unlike a flowering bush, you can place it wherever you like for optimum viewing. Be careful, though, not to hang a bird feeder too close to a window; birds could accidentally strike the glass and become injured.
It’s not necessary to purchase a premixed hummingbird nectar solution. In fact, the dyes and other ingredients sometimes found in these products could be harmful for the birds. A simple mixture of four parts water and one part white sugar will serve your backyard hummers quite well.It is important to make sure your solution is changed every two to three days. Solution that’s left too long in the sun will begin to ferment, sickening the birds. In hot weather, even more frequent changes may be necessary.
While a nectar feeder can be a hummingbird magnet, hummingbird-friendly landscaping will also attract them. Red, tubular flowers, such as flame acanthus, cross vine, Otay Monkey flower, and trumpet creeper are especially attractive. Do a little investigating and find out which blooms are native to your area. In addition to flowering plants, hummingbirds look for stands of dense vegetation in which to safely nest. By maintaining thickets of trees and shrubs such as oaks, sumacs, and junipers, you may be able to convince a female hummingbird to lay her tiny, pea-sized eggs and raise her brood in your backyard. If you do find a nest, you can be sure it belongs to a Ruby-throated Hummingbird; it’s the only hummingbird species which breeds in North America.
In addition to nectar, hummingbirds need clean water, both for drinking and for bathing. Hummingbirds must clean their feathers regularly to maintain their aerodynamic shape and insulating properties. A bird bath that’s intended for these diminutive birds should be kept shallow, no more than two inches deep. Hummers are most likely to be attracted to moving water; this can be as simple as a dripping bucket, or as ornate as the most complicated bird bath fountains.
If it’s taking a while for the hummingbirds in your neighborhood to find a newly hung feeder, a splash of color might do the trick.With their incredible color vision, you will find hummingbirds are attracted to bright red feeders and other colorful items in your yard. Red pinwheels or ribbons near the new feeder may help them zero in on their new resource.
Suet Feeders Will Help You Relax
Birds are truly soothing to the soul. Isn’t it just great to relax and listen to birds happily chirping away? When it comes to finding total relaxation, hearing the chirping of birds at home is no doubt totally soothing. But there are some home owners that do not give importance to birds at all, not knowing that providing them with proper bird feeder houses is essential. Finding the right feeders is really not that big of an issue, especially with so many options to choose from. Suet feeders are a very common type.
A suet feeder can attract more wild birds to your backyard, especially when they are strategically placed. Woodpeckers, Tit Mice, Nuthatches, Chickadees and almost all types of birds love suet, yet there are different types of suet bird feeders. You can have something as simple as a wire cage or an old onion sack. Or better yet, try looking for simple logs and then drill holes into them.
Log suet feeders are pleasing to various wild species of birds. Seeing such birds in your very own backyard can be possible provided you have log feeders. These types of bird feeders are actually simple logs with drilled holes and you can buy ready made log feeders if you think you cannot do it on your own. Fill them up with your suet cakes or your favorite homemade recipe. As well, a squirrel proof bird feeder, like a sandwich feeder, is perfect to keep nuisances, such as squirrels and raccoons away. These feeders basically use two pieces of wood that are securely bolted together on both ends. The cake or treat is placed in between the pieces of wood, where Woodpeckers, Chickadees and Nuthatches can easily grasp the treat.
Suet feeders should be cleaned often, as animal fats and some by-products can easily stick to them and can lead to mold and bacterial formation. To clean the suet feeder, simply soak it in a cleaning solution before scrubbing it clean. Oxygen bleach is ideal because it foams and then soaks off the gunk, while sanitizing at the same time. And since oxygen bleach is natural, the residue will not harm birds at all. If you want to see birds right in your very own backyard, then always remember to provide them not only with proper bird houses but also the right bird feeders.