Backyard bird watching

[FishermanTim]

I wouldn't be too concerned about any seed taking hold unless they fall into an area where the birds can't get to it.
I agree with tube feeders (squirrel-proof if possible) and suet feeders.
As for seeds, I only put out two kinds. Black oil sunflower seeds for the larger birds and thistle for the smaller.
I would stay away from the "seed mixes" because those contain weed seeds. No,, the company isn't trying to put one over on you, it's just that one of the seeds included in these blends is millet, which is a weed in these parts.

I get a variety of suet mixes to see what they like best, but they like EVERYTHING, so it doesn't really matter.

A few more things to consider:
If you plan on putting up a few birdhouses, don't put them in the same tree as the feeders. Birds won't nest where they feed.
They may start a nest, but will abandon it once the area gets crowded with birds traffic.
As the weather gets warmer, you can also put out fresh fruit for the birds. Apple and orange halves speared on a small branch will do.
It works well for orioles when they arrive in a month or so.

One last suggestion would be to think about water, either a drinking or bathing setup. If you have a man-made pond, you would already know that birds NEED water as much as food.
Even a small bowl will do for thirty birds.

Good luck!

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

I wouldn't be too concerned about any seed taking hold unless they fall into an area where the birds can't get to it.
I agree with tube feeders (squirrel-proof if possible) and suet feeders.
As for seeds, I only put out two kinds. Black oil sunflower seeds for the larger birds and thistle for the smaller.
I would stay away from the "seed mixes" because those contain weed seeds. No,, the company isn't trying to put one over on you, it's just that one of the seeds included in these blends is millet, which is a weed in these parts.

I get a variety of suet mixes to see what they like best, but they like EVERYTHING, so it doesn't really matter.

A few more things to consider:
If you plan on putting up a few birdhouses, don't put them in the same tree as the feeders. Birds won't nest where they feed.
They may start a nest, but will abandon it once the area gets crowded with birds traffic.
As the weather gets warmer, you can also put out fresh fruit for the birds. Apple and orange halves speared on a small branch will do.
It works well for orioles when they arrive in a month or so.

One last suggestion would be to think about water, either a drinking or bathing setup. If you have a man-made pond, you would already know that birds NEED water as much as food.
Even a small bowl will do for thirty birds.

Good luck!

Wow! Awesome tips. Thank you and everyone for the advice.

With the weather creeping a bit warmer, I think I'm going to head out to the shop this week and build some bird houses. We only have one or two trees in the yard and they're in the far back corner. Going to head to Home Depot and see what I can fasten up with steel poles to hold the feeders.

I'd like to put some water out for them but I'm concerned about standing water and mosquitoes.

[FishermanTim]

One thing to be aware of when building birdhouses:
Every birdhouse can be plundered by other birds.
What I mean is that even if you build the house with the right size opening, if the house is left unoccupied it will be ransacked by the neighborhood equivilent of the local "gang".
Sparrows are my primary residents due to their bug-catching ability.
(If you get a mating pair in one of your houses, watch them after the young have hatched. They will fly back time and time again with beaks loaded with a multitude of local insects (mostly mosquitos).

Starlings like the challenge of widening the opening, but they don't stay in one spot for long, so soon many more species may check out the house because the opening is large enough for them to enter.

Last but not least are the squirrels. They will try to get at the sunflower seeds and the suet if they can.
They also will try and get into the birdhouses if they are big enough for them. (Note that they LIKE LOTS of insulation, so they will stuff everything including the kitchen sink into a house they have their eyes on.

Still, they are managable and shouldn't deter you in any way.

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

Starlings like the challenge of widening the opening, but they don't stay in one spot for long, so soon many more species may check out the house because the opening is large enough for them to enter.

(

FT, i found a good trick in prventing the "outlaws" from making the hole larger.
Epoxy a fender washer, drilled out to the the right size, over the opening.

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

One thing to be aware of when building birdhouses:
Every birdhouse can be plundered by other birds.
What I mean is that even if you build the house with the right size opening, if the house is left unoccupied it will be ransacked by the neighborhood equivilent of the local "gang".
Sparrows are my primary residents due to their bug-catching ability.
(If you get a mating pair in one of your houses, watch them after the young have hatched. They will fly back time and time again with beaks loaded with a multitude of local insects (mostly mosquitos).

Starlings like the challenge of widening the opening, but they don't stay in one spot for long, so soon many more species may check out the house because the opening is large enough for them to enter.

Last but not least are the squirrels. They will try to get at the sunflower seeds and the suet if they can.
They also will try and get into the birdhouses if they are big enough for them. (Note that they LIKE LOTS of insulation, so they will stuff everything including the kitchen sink into a house they have their eyes on.

Still, they are managable and shouldn't deter you in any way.

I've double layered some of my entrance holes to keep the vermints out
The best thing seems to be to clean it out as soon as you can after the young have left.

[likwid]

Got some better pics of him and his dusky friends.

[striperman36]

Old Grandad!!

[likwid]

He spent a solid 3 hours by the feeder during the snowstorm yesterday.

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

Wow! Awesome tips. Thank you and everyone for the advice.

With the weather creeping a bit warmer, I think I'm going to head out to the shop this week and build some bird houses. We only have one or two trees in the yard and they're in the far back corner. Going to head to Home Depot and see what I can fasten up with steel poles to hold the feeders.

I'd like to put some water out for them but I'm concerned about standing water and mosquitoes.

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