Birds DunRite

Backyard birding is especially interesting during migration times — in the spring when birds are in their bright courtship plumage and males are lustily singing and in the fall as northern hemisphere migrants head back south.  What causes them to migrate?  It’s been shown that, at least in some birds, changes in day length cause glands in the birds’ bodies to produce hormones that produce profound changes inside the birds, changes that prepare them for the flight south.  In the fall, as days grow shorter, fat accumulates under the skin.  This fat contains energy needed for those coming days when the birds will be spending more energy flying than they will be eating during their occasional rests.  Weather changes sometimes trigger a migration’s start, but by then the birds are already prepared.

It is especially important to have bird feeders and bird baths filled in your backyard during these migration periods. The birds will really appreciate finding food and water after spending so much energy flying.  They may just take  a break and let you enjoy them for a little while! 

Southward migration time is here which makes it very important to have your hummingbird feeder ready and available for your current residents and also the many visitors that will stop by to refuel before continuing their journey south.  If you live in an area that stays warm year-round, the hummingbirds may not migrate at all.

Use the same area to hang your hummingbird feeder and make sure it has shade during the day to keep the solution from evaporating.  A reachable bottom branch of a backyard tree or under your patio is perfect.  A constant food source in the same location of your backyard will ensure many hummingbirds.

Hummingbird feeder maintenance is very important.  Any mixture of sugar and water will ferment and host the growth of mold spores.  To avoid these problems the mixture must be discarded at least every 3-4 days — more frequently in high temperatures.  Always clean a feeder thoroughly before refilling.  A wash of vinegar and water using a bottle brush will do this job.

Never use honey in attracting hummingbirds.  The use of honey can cause a fatal fungal infection on the hummingbirds’ tongues.  Do not use red coloring in the sugar water solution.  Some red on the hummingbird feeder will adequately attract the birds.

Sugar solution should be made in your own kitchen.  Simply bring 4 cups of tap water to a near boil and slowly dissolve 1 cup of pure granulated white sugar into the near boiling water,  keep stirring until the water is clear.  Remove from heat and let cool several hours or overnight.  Store any leftover in the refrigerator up to a week.

Attract these fast flying, acrobatic, fighting and on the constant hunt for sugar solution little hummers to enhance your backyard birding.

These active, agile little birds dine primarily on insects, seeds and berries.  The constantly active chickadee will hop around and cling to twigs, branches and foliage, gleaning huge quantities of insect eggs and larvae.  How much better bug control than using insecticides!

Chickadees also enjoy a variety of seeds and berries.  Seeds and nuts of pine, hemlock, birch, walnut, ragweed and sunflower are all important natural vegetable food.  They especially love black oil sunflower seed presented at your bird feeders.  They typically take one seed from the birdfeeder, fly away and perch nearby to eat it.  Chickadees will visit your bird feeders one at a time, while the others wait nearby for their turn.  They also enjoy peanut kernels, peanut butter mixes, hulled sunflower seeds and suet.  Offer plenty of suet, a high energy food, which can help support their constant motion.  Place suet feeders near the trunk of a tree.  Smear peanut butter onto tree trunks and branches.

The chickadees will be a frequent visitor to your bird feeders in the winter.  Fill your tube bird feeders or your window bird feeders with black oil sunflower seed or peanut kernels.  Platform bird feeders are great for fresh or dried blueberries and various other berries.

As with all wildlife, water is an absolute necessity so have at least one bird bath for drinking and bathing.  Heated bird baths are especially important for birds like the chickadees who keep you company all winter and give you special dreary day enjoyment.

Just think how hard they work to stay alive in the cold winter weather so let’s give them all the help we can and they will reward us by appearing as little puff balls at our bird feeders to brighten our days.

The mating habits of the chickadees is minimal.  There is no real major courtship display.  Pairs generally break away from the small winter flocks that have been feeding together through the cold months and begin selecting mates.  Being cavity nesters, the chickadees excavate their nest in the soft,  partially rotted wood of a tree trunk or broken limb.  These birds are excellent candidates for man-made bird houses.  The nesting season is from April through June.

Locate chickadee bird houses 4 to 15 feet high.  The orientation of the entrance hole should provide the most shelter and a clear flight path to the opening.  You can encourage them to nest by placing a few wood chips in the bird house or filling the box with sawdust up to the entrance hole which gives the birds something to excavate while nest building.  The female will build the nest using moss and soft materials, taking about 4-5 days to complete. She will then lay about six white with speckles eggs and she alone will incubate them for about 12 days.  During this period the male feeds her.

The male calls her from the nest, at which time she leaves the nest and he feeds her.  Sometimes she will leave the nest and call him, and he will bring food to her.  Occasionally the female will feed on her own.

After the young hatch,  the female will brood the newborns for the first few days.  During this time the male will continue to bring food.  After brooding, both will share equally in feeding the babies.  The young will leave the nest in about 16 days.  For the next 2-4 weeks the young birds will be fed by the parents.  Then the kids are on their own!!

Bird feeders are an important ingredient in creating a successful bird garden.  When properly selected and placed, they can greatly expand the number and types of birds that will visit your backyard.

The placement of bird feeders is critical in two respects.  First, they need to be located near cover in which the birds can  escape if they feel threatened.  The second consideration is to place the bird feeders close to windows where you can have a good view of them.
Goldfinches add remarkable color to your backyard as well as delightful activity.    Tube bird feeders are perfect for thistle (nyjer) seed and another favorite of the goldfinches  is black oil sunflower seeds.  Hang tube bird feeders just outside your bedroom, kitchen or den window.  The finches are not shy and timid and will come to the feeders as long as there is not a lot of noise to spook them.  These various tube bird feeders can be placed around the yard which will also attract other finches.  You want a birdfeeder that has plenty of perches for the birds to sit on while they are busy eating and playing with each other.

During the year, it is fun to watch the birds molt and change colors.  In springtime, the Goldfinches take on their remarkable colors.  You can also watch as they do their mating rituals to attract partners to start their families.

Backyard birding brings nature to your home for many hours of enjoyment and pleasure.

Backyard birding will bring nature to your home and give you many hours of enjoyment and pleasure.  Birdfeeders and birdbaths attract birds from all over and are very fun to watch.

When it comes to feeding backyard birds,  Goldfinches as well as other finches are crazy about thistle (nyjer) seed so hang a tube bird feeder designed for nyjer seed just outside your kitchen, den or bedroom window and enjoy the fun of watching them flock to the feeders.  The tube bird feeders can be placed around the yard–just make sure there are plenty of perches for the birds to sit on while they are busy eating and playing with one another.

It is fun to watch the birds molt and change colors in the spring time when they take on their remarkable colors.  Then they do their mating rituals to attract partners to start their families.

This is not the end of the pleasure.  It is a joy to watch mom and dad take care of the little nestlings and how those babies are demanding of the parents.  They squawk, flutter their wings and the mouth is wide open as they beg.  Those little ones are going to take their handouts as long as possible and sometimes the babies look larger than mom when she is still feeding them.  They’ll take it as long as they can get it!

Do not put up a bluebird house if you do not plan to monitor it!  It is essential to check your bluebird boxes at least once a week during the nesting season, until chicks are close to fledging. 

Do not open the box after nestlings are 12 to 14 days old.  At this stage the nestlings could become confused and leave the box before they are able to fly,  greatly reducing their chance of survival.

Always remove house sparrow nests immediately.

Have your bluebird houses in place by mid-March when the bluebirds return from their winter migration and are looking for nesting sites.  However, boxes may also be put up later in the nesting season.  

Bluebirds usually have two broods per season but three broods are possible.  Recognize a bluebird nest — it is a cup-shaped nest that is usually made up of woven grass.  Pine needles may also be used.  

Bluebirds usually lay 4 to 5 light blue eggs.  The incubation period is 12 to 14 days.  Nestlings remain in the nest 18 to 21 days before they fledge.   Remove bluebird nests and those of other birds as soon as the young birds have fledged.

Don’t be discouraged if your bluebird houses are not used the first year.  If bluebirds are not common in your area, it may take them a few seasons to find your new boxes but then they will return to the same area each year.  Bluebird trails have been an extremely effective method of reestablishing the bluebird populations across North America.

Habitat is the key factor to consider when setting up a bluebird trail. The best locations are rural country with scattered trees and low or sparse ground cover; the area should include perch sites, such as a fence line, wires, or tree branches where bluebirds may perch to search for food.  Look for these when you are selecting a location for your bluebird houses.  Pastureland, acreages, parks away from human traffic, and mowed areas such as cemeteries, golf courses are all good locations for a bluebird trail (provided pesticides are not used).

Mount bluebird houses so the entrance hole is approximately five feet above the ground. If possible, face the bluebird houses away from prevailing winds and towards a tree or shrub which is within 100 feet of the box to provide a landing spot for the young bluebirds when they first leave the house. This will keep them off the ground, away from predators.

Nesting density for all three species of bluebirds is dependent on many factors so experiment by adjusting the distances between your own boxes until you have established ideal spacing for your particular location. In many cases, bluebirds have been observed nesting closer than the distances recommended. However, it is better to start a bluebird trail with boxes placed too far apart than too close together. (Western bluebirds approximately 100 yards, Eastern bluebirds 125-150 yards. Mountain bluebirds 200-300 yards)

Bluebird houses can be mounted in pairs in areas where tree swallows are abundant. When paired, boxes should be mounted 5 to 25 feet apart. This provides nesting sites for both species and helps to prevent competition between them. Different species of birds usually do not mind nesting close to each other.

Bluebirds rarely nest in cities. It is possible, but uncommon, for bluebirds to nest along the outer edges of cities or in small towns. Bluebirds generally prefer rural areas.

The following suet mixture is an excellent food source for winter months and some Bluebirds may even try it in summer/fall: