Birds DunRite

Suet is readily eaten by titmice, chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers.  In addition to the regular suet-feeder visitors, wrens, creepers and warblers occasionally pick at these mixes.  You can also make your own suet pudding and feeder.  Suet puddings are made by grinding and melting suet and adding seeds.  Pack peanut butter-cornmeal blends (one part peanut butter, four parts cornmeal, and one part vegetable shortening; good for winter and summer feeding) and suet pudding into the crevices of large pinecones or into one-inch-diameter holes drilled into logs.  Hang the pinecones and the logs from poles near other feeders, from trees, or from a wire stretched between trees.  Avoid feeding suet when temperatures climb into the 80-degree range; it turns rancid and drippy and may damage feathers.

To make your suet pudding, melt suet in your microwave and pour it into an ice-cube tray to harden.  Before it solidifies, add peanut bits, raisins, apple bits, or other bird foods.  Put the tray in your freezer to harden.  Once it does, you’ve got cubed bird treats to put in your suet bird feeders. Easy to make and easy to use!

The greatest challenge for non-migrating birds is staying warm.  In order to keep warm, birds must consume large amounts of calories, which are then metabolized to provide energy and body heat.  Small song birds eat continuously during the short daylight hours of winter to maintain their body temperature.  At night, birds lower their body temperature to conserve energy.  Most birds fill their crops with food before nightfall to keep up their caloric intake during the night.  The availability of food has a lot to do with a bird’s chances of survival during winter when their natural foods are in short supply.

We can help birds endure long, cold winters by providing high quality foods in your bird feeders that contain lots of oils and fats for birds to quickly convert to energy and heat.

Providing bluebird houses and nesting materials is a strong factor in attracting nesting bluebirds since collecting nesting materials can take hundreds of trips.  They like fragrant pine needles and soft grasses as nesting material.  An empty suet cage is a good way to provide these nesting materials or simply gather bunches of material and situate in the bark of a tree.

Offering a nest box is one of the best ways to attract a bluebird.  Bluebirds nest in natural tree cavities and old woodpecker holes.  When natural nesting sites are scarce, they will readily use bluebird houses built to correct dimensions.  Mount your bluebird house on a fence post or pole, no higher than 4-5 feet from the ground.  An ideal location is along woodland edges facing open land.  Birds may roost in the houses during cold weather so put your bluebird houses up in late fall or winter.  Keep bluebird houses 125-150 yards apart.

Bluebirds, like all insect eating birds, get thirsty!  If your temperature drops below freezing, a heated bird bath will provide the necessary water during this period.  A heater can be placed in bird baths or heated bird baths are available.

It is hard to beat the Trumpet Vine as a beautiful garden plant for people and the wild birds love it.Use it to cover a fence, climb a trellis, or grow along a deck or porch.  When the trumpet vine first starts growing, tie it to the object that you want it to climb so that it will grow in the right direction.  Eventually the stem becomes woody with age and puts out rootlets so that it then holds itself up and you no longer need to tie it.

The trumpet vine produces pretty compound leaves and tubular orangey-red flowers that look great almost until frost.  These flowers are a favorite of Hummingbirds who will hang around all summer long for their nectar.  To give the hummingbirds an extra treat, hang a hummingbird feeder in the vicinity.  In winter, American Goldfinches, Dark-eyed Juncos, Tufted Titmice and Gray Squirrels eat the seeds.

It is not only a lovely showy plant but is also a very productive plant for the wild birds so what an addition to your bird sanctuary!

Habitat loss is a major cause of population declines in many bird species, planting native vegetation is a great way you can help.  Start landscaping your yard by choosing the type of birds you would like to attract and learn about the vegetation they prefer.  A variety of plants attracts the greatest diversity of bird species.  Choosing plants that bloom at different times will provide food throughout the year as well as having a colorful bird sanctuary for yourself.

Bird houses can also provide winter shelter but should be cleaned out each fall.  Another shelter for the birds in winter can be made out of cut branches piled into a brush pile.  Evergreens are only one example that provides year-round cover from the weather in addition to providing feed seeds.

Give the birds a treat with some variety of food like popped popcorn, raisins, pieces of fruit, fruit seeds, grapes, grape jelly, cooked potatoes, leftover oatmeal or mealworms.  Do not feed birds any foods that contain chocolate.  Theobromine is an ingredient of chocolate that is toxic to birds.  Suet can be purchased or handmade and include seeds, berries, and other ingredients.  

Grit is used by birds to aid in the grinding of food.  During prolonged periods of ice or snow cover, you can provide grit (course sand, oyster shells or ground eggshells) in a separate pan from your bird feeders.  If you provide eggshells you must kill Salmonella bacteria by heating them for 20 minutes at 250 degrees.   When the eggshells cool, crush them into pieces about the size of sunflower seeds.

Backyard birding can be a very educational and enriching experience but we must ensure that wild birds benefit and that their health and safety are a priority.  Of first importance is to keep the bird feeders clean.  To clean, remove all seed and separate all removable parts.  To properly disinfect first remove all dirt, then soak in a 10% solution of chlorine bleach in warm water for 10-15 minutes before rinsing.  Rinse several times to remove all disinfectant residue.  Birdbaths and hummingbird feeders should be cleaned in the same manner.

Rake spilled seeds from the ground at least once a week.  A tray placed under your bird feeders will catch spilled seed and make cleaning easier.  Some birdseed blends contain fillers and less desirable seeds such as flax, rice, oats, wheat and canary seed that birds often throw to the ground in choosing the more desirable seed.  To minimize waste and ground cleaning choose seed blends that do not have these “fillers”.

Provide more than one feeder and allow space between them to prevent over-crowding at the feeders.  Make sure the feeders have no sharp edges.  They should protect the seed from moisture and should have drainage holes.  Feeders that empty quicker are better because there is less chance of the seed spoiling.

Use good quality birdseed.  Do not use seed that is wet, moldy or has rodent feces in it.  Store seed in a dry place and in a container that is rodent proof.

Keep your beautiful little feathered friends healthy and happy!

Birds are more likely to eat at bird feeders that are located among vegetation that offers ample cover for safe perching and provides quick escape from predators.  Plant natural, native foods such as berry-producing trees, shrubs and vines.  This will enhance your bird sanctuary and give the wild birds preferred natural foods as well as cover.  This will also attract a variety of birds for your enjoyment.

Minimize window collisions by altering the glass appearance.  Placing silhouettes on the windows with something like Window Alerts and leaving your screens in all year are some ways of altering the appearance of glass.  There is a difference of opinion as to how far a feeder should be from windows so regardless of how close to windows you place your bird feeders, these tips will help reduce window collisions.

Birdbaths are one of the easiest ways to bring birds up close where you can get a really good look at them.  You can attract even more species of birds with water than with bird feeders.  Birds that eat insects or fruit usually don’t find anything at bird feeders to interest them.  But birdbaths entice all kinds of birds — not only for drinking but also for bathing.

What is the best kind of birdbath?  No deeper than three inches at the center.  It should be even more shallow at the edge, so that a bird can ease its way in.  If you already own a deep birdbath, you can put rocks in it to raise the bottom.  Birds don’t want to lose their footing and they will hesitate to use a bath with a glazed, slippery bottom.  If you already have a slick birdbath, you can apply the non-skid stickers that are sold for people-baths.

Birds love the splash of moving water.  It dramatically increases the number of species that visit birdbaths.  A water- wiggler™ is an effective method of keeping water moving and it also is a great help in controlling mosquitos.

Part of the allure and draw of bird watching is the huge diversity that can be spotted within the birds, from their colors and patterns to their size. One of the more striking birds you can view in North America is the Purple Martin, or the Progne subis. A member of the swallow family, it measures in as the largest—up to 20 cm long.

Purple Martins are known for their distinctive forked tail and their playful, acrobatic flight patterns. Purple Martins love open areas, and they breed throughout eastern North America. Less often, they are viewed in Mexico and British Columbia. Their migration pattern brings them to the Amazon basin in order to wait out the winters. If you want to catch a glimpse of these striking birds during the summer months, consider investing in Purple Martin houses for your backyard or outdoor patio.

If you’re an avid bird enthusiast, it’s a great idea to invest in a quality pair of bird watching binoculars. And if you don’t already own a pair, you’re in luck because the holidays are just around the bend. Simply add them to your wish list.But before you run and purchase, it’s important to realize that not all binoculars are created equal. Rather, there are certain features that a high quality binocular set should always have.

First, remember that you’re going to be in the woods a lot with these devices. They need to be sturdy and durable. Make sure they are waterproof to account for either heavy rains or accidental drops in puddles or lakes. Also check that there’s a safeguard against the lenses fogging up on you. There’s nothing worse for a birdwatcher than spotting that rare bird only to have your binoculars fail you at the last second. Also make sure you’ve got a padded and well protected carrying case for safety and a plush neck strap for comfort.