Bird Baths Feeders
Natural and Man-Made Butterfly and Bird Feeders
Author: Rachel Dawson
Butterfly and bird feeders provide a service to wild creatures by offering them a steady food source. Food sources are important both for birds who nest in your area, and for those who migrate through on their way somewhere else. A benefit for you, of course, is watching beautiful creatures right in your own yard. Your primary ways of supplying food are with flowers, the natural feeders, and with man-made bird feeders.
Flowers can attract both butterflies and hummingbirds. If you want to try planting a butterfly and hummingbird garden, check into some of the following plants: sage, thyme, lavender, butterfly bush, bee balm, phlox, purple coneflower, and sedum. These are only a few of numerous good choices. Depending on the area you want to commit to this flower garden, you may wish to check into even more varieties of flowering plants. Check with your local plant nursery to see which flowers they suggest.
In addition to flowers, hummingbirds also like hummingbird feeders. These are special feeders designed so that the birds can drink sugar water from it. Preparing the sugar water is simple. Mix one part sugar to four parts water. Boil the mixture and cool it completely before filling the feeder. Some people add red food coloring because they think it will attract the hummingbirds more strongly. But the coloring is not necessary, and some experts actually discourage it. Most hummingbird feeders have red parts anyway.
Regular cleaning is very important, at least once every week. Clean a hummingbird feeder by washing it with hot, soapy water and rinsing it with boiling water. Prepare a fresh batch of sugar water and refill the feeder. Using old sugar water can harm the birds. If you find they aren't drinking much, don't fill the feeders as high.
For songbirds, tube feeders and platform feeders work well. Place bird feeders a few feet away from shrubbery or trees, as they give birds a place to hide from predators. Cats and squirrels can scare birds away from a feeding area. Also, pay attention to the winds. Whatever direction the winds typically come from, place the bird feeders on the opposite side of the building. Your home will help to break the wind. Birds enjoy a calmer area for feeding.
Popular choices for bird feed include millet, mixed seed, sunflower seed, corn, and suet. You can attract different species, depending on which food you place in your bird feeders. If you prefer to keep things simple, black-oil sunflower seeds attract the largest variety of birds. You might see chickadees, finches, woodpeckers, blue jays, cardinals, sparrows, and more. Another popular feed is mixed seed. Sprinkle it on the ground, or use it to fill a platform feeder. Fruits such as apples, bananas, and raisins can also attract several varieties of songbirds.
Plant appropriate flowers and use bird feeders. Place the feeders in locations that will attract birds, and choose your feed based on the types of birds you would like to attract. Clean the feeders regularly to keep them safe and sanitary.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/natural-and-manmade-butterfly-and-bird-feeders-881621.html
About the Author
Rachel Dawson is a freelance writer who likes to watch interesting animals. She writes about bird feeders and outdoor relaxation.
Hi Jen,
I have hummer feeders and those thistle seed feeders in our yard.
The thistle feeders are best because #1, they dont sprout when seed is on the ground and #2 less seed is wasted.
I got our feeders either from WalMart or OSH. The best time to buy them is in the late fall when they are on clearance.
The thistle feeder I got is ceramic…not that nasty sock-thing.
Just be sure to keep them cleaned and filled or else take them down.
OH! and remember the squirrels! If you get a pie plate and punch 3 holes in the rim, you can get string, wire or a chain and hang it from one of your trees…put any kind of seed in it and wait and watch.
PS the terra cotta pot thing is a cool idea! Just keep it away from the kids :-s
I have a big bird feeder, around 200 burds visit our feeder every day. I have 3 cats.
Specially the middle cat is a great hunter. We’ve had to take care of like 4 birds that he have catched.
Also the bigger they are the easier it is for him to catch them.
I try to keep the cats inside the house during the day, and when the birds are gone in the evening I let them out. Still, he catches some.
Birds also build their nests in our backyard an my cat goes at night and take the babies out. It’s horrible.
Also, stray cats come to eat the birds. We’ve had a couple of stray cats hunting in our backyard.
It’s kind of complicated you have to be alert
It is more fun to make your own bird houses, feeders and such. Some bird house can be made from gords. Cut a whole in the gord, empty the cavity and hang it from a tree limb. Some birds like to eat their feed from the ground. Others do prefer a raised platform from which to eat. Some that eat fruit, will eat it if it is suck on the end of a nail in a tree or placed on a raised platform, just a piece of flat wood on top of a post will do nicely with a raised edge to keep the stuff from rolling off the edge.
A bird bath can be a shallow depression in the ground filled with water, but the ground porosity can be a problem. The main problem with bird bathes is that they tend to become contaminated with crud and must be occasionally cleaned. Birds are not very hygenic.
Hi,
Since crows are large birds that do not usually perch while eating try using small perches on your feeders (or remove them altogether). You can also use feeders without catch basins.
If this does not work, you may need to remove feeders for week or two. They should move on to another food source.
Good Luck,
John
There are a few things to consider before you hang a bird house in your yard.
What type of bird you want to provide housing for and therefore the style of house that is suitable will dictate the location. I have written several pages on my web site which could help you with this decision. Please drop by and let me know on the contact form if the information was helpful.
Judy http://www.the-scoop-on-wild-birds-and-feeders.com/birdwatching.html
were should I hang bird houses at my house?
I have a few bird houses to hang in my yard. My questions are: How far from bird feeders and bird baths should I hang the houses? Should I put any kind of bedding as a starter in the houses? I live in Michigan, so most of the birds that would nest in these houses are common finches and maybe other small birds. Thanks. Add any usefull tips if you can think of anything else.
Black crows andmy bird feeders?
I have sevaral bird feeders and a bird bath that attract colorful birds. Cardinals, robins, blue jays, woodpeckers, doves, humingbirds, and many more beautiful birds. I feed them thru a small opening feeders, and use safflower seeds. It has kept the black birds away for 6 yrs. But all of a sudden, the black birds are now taking over and eating the safflower seeds ( of which I was told, they hate that kind of seed) off, from the ground, and it is now keeping the colorful ones away. What now?
can we buy in India bird houses bird baths or bird feeders. Address pl.?
Bird baths & Bird Feeders??
Hi There!
Spring is here and I have been cleaning up my front yard. I have been thinking of getting a bird bath (s) and some bird feeders to put around my front yard. I have looked around at some stores and found them pricey ($ 25-100.00!!! ) I was wondering if anybody has found them in stores or online cheaper or if they had or know of a way to making them cheaply. ( Please make it easy! Not to handy!) All I want is for the bird feeders and baths to look nice not tacky!!
Any suggestions or ideas would be helpful!
Thanks!
Jennifer
Cottonwood, CA
Can cats and birds visiting backyard feeders and bird baths co-exist with-out the birds losing ?