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Bird Feeders?
happywoman74 asked:
About a month ago I bought a bird feeder, filled it with seed and put it in a tree in my front yard. I have been eagerly waiting for the birds to mob it. They still haven’t touched it. I wonder if it’s because the feeder is too new and maybe the scent of me or the wood stain is actually scaring them away? Could it possibly be that they just can’t find it? I love watching birds. So what do you think? Should I just have some patience? Should I put like a trail of seed in the grass leading to the feeder? What can I do to get them to eat from the feeder? I appreciate your responses!
Trane Heat Pumps
About a month ago I bought a bird feeder, filled it with seed and put it in a tree in my front yard. I have been eagerly waiting for the birds to mob it. They still haven’t touched it. I wonder if it’s because the feeder is too new and maybe the scent of me or the wood stain is actually scaring them away? Could it possibly be that they just can’t find it? I love watching birds. So what do you think? Should I just have some patience? Should I put like a trail of seed in the grass leading to the feeder? What can I do to get them to eat from the feeder? I appreciate your responses!
Trane Heat Pumps
How do I stop mold from developing in my bird feeders?
LeAnne asked:
I have switched from wood to plastic so when it occurs I can clean it easier, but I wish I could stop it altogether. Thank-you in advance.
Portable Closet
I have switched from wood to plastic so when it occurs I can clean it easier, but I wish I could stop it altogether. Thank-you in advance.
Portable Closet
The best way to keep squirrels off bird feeders?
Purple Violin asked:
My family loves to feed birds. We have bird feeders in our yard. We have a problem keeping squirrels off them. We don’t want to spend money on those special feeders that spin, so we put up these cone-shaped baffles. If the squirrel tries to walk down the baffle, it is supposed to slide off. Somehow the squirrels keep getting to the feeders, and we don’t know what to do about it. Please help??
Bamboo Flooring Installation
My family loves to feed birds. We have bird feeders in our yard. We have a problem keeping squirrels off them. We don’t want to spend money on those special feeders that spin, so we put up these cone-shaped baffles. If the squirrel tries to walk down the baffle, it is supposed to slide off. Somehow the squirrels keep getting to the feeders, and we don’t know what to do about it. Please help??
Bamboo Flooring Installation
Help, my bird feeders have been taken over by squirrels. How can I keep them out?
sumerluv asked:
One feeder is standing on a pole and up they climb to get to the feeder. Have already tried WD-40 and vaseline on the pole. Didn’t work. The other one is hanging from a branch in a tree and they climb the tree, walk on the branch and down the feeder to eat. Bird seed is costly and they are driving me nuts.
Thanks in advance.
Bass Fishing Tackle
One feeder is standing on a pole and up they climb to get to the feeder. Have already tried WD-40 and vaseline on the pole. Didn’t work. The other one is hanging from a branch in a tree and they climb the tree, walk on the branch and down the feeder to eat. Bird seed is costly and they are driving me nuts.
Thanks in advance.
Bass Fishing Tackle
Attracting Birds to a Tropical Garden
brian ramsey asked:
Some individuals enjoy bird watching but prefer to do their bird watching in their back yard. Below is some advice on attracting wild birds to your back yard.
Firstly it depends upon having wild birds in the general area where your house is located and then you can attract then to your backyard.
The method used to attract the birds will depend upon what is the diet of the bird. If the bird is a nectar feeder e.g. bananaquits or hummingbirds, then large flowering plants will attract them. Hummingbird bills are perfectly adapted to the various types of flowers that they feed on, so different types of flowers will attract different hummingbirds. Some hummingbirds have especially curved or elongated bills that allow them to feed on special flowers, eg the White-tipped Sicklebill hummingbird whose downward curving bill allows it to draw nectar from heliconias. The Ruby-Topaz Hummingbird has a short and slightly decurved bill that is suited to feeding on the flowers of the ixora shrub. The Blue-tailed Emerald has a short bill that is suited for feeding on the Hibiscus flower. The Copper-rumped Hummingbird has a straight long bill that allows it to feed on medium sized tube shaped flowers such as the allamanda. Hummingbirds have little or no sense of smell, so colour is important to a hummingbird’s search process for locating flowers containing nectar. While they will visit any flower that has sufficient nectar they prefer flowers that are red to orange in colour. It is believed that this colour preference is due to the fact that red flowers standout in a green background and so are more easily seen by the hummingbird. It is also believed that because hummingbirds compete with insects for nectar they choose flowers that are less likely to be visited by insects. Most insects do not see well at the red end of the colour spectrum and so may not visit red flowers while hummingbirds see the full visible spectrum.
If space in your yard is very limited, preventing you from having large flowering shrubs, an area to consider is the curb area between your property line and the roadway. You can plant small flowering shrubs such as the miniature ixora, which will then attract nectar feeding birds to your property.
For birds that are fruit eaters, the presence of ripe fruit will attract and so having fruit trees will attract birds. The majority of trees however only fruit once per year for a few months, so the attraction is not year round. If your garden has sufficient space then multiple fruit trees that bear at different times in the year will ensure a continuous bird presence. One tree that bears fruit for a very extended period is guava and so can attract birds for most of the year. Trees are also an attraction to birds because they provide nesting and resting sites. If you have the palm trees that people usually plant in from their houses that will generally attract Palm Tanagers who will feed on the small nuts, use material from the tree for building their nests and may also nest in the tree.
When a large number of flowering shrubs and/or fruit trees is not an option, you can consider purchasing a bird feeder. The type of feeder will also be dependent upon the type of birds in the area and the type of birds that you want to attract. For nectar feeders you use a sugar solution (the feeder usually has directions). You must put the feeder in a location where the birds will see it and you must change the solution regularly (2 -3 days). Red Feeders are good for attracting hummingbirds because they have a preference for red flowers. If you use a feeder it will take a few days for the birds to recognise that it is present in your yard.
Other feed can attract other types of birds. Bare-Eyed Thrushes and Kiskadees are somewhat omnivorous and so you can use rice (not boiled). I have found that they will also be attracted by dog food. Tropical Mockingbirds can also be attracted with rice. In addition, ripe fruit such bananas, mangoes and cherry can be used and will usually attract Blue-Gray Tanagers, Palm Tanagers and Yellow Orioles.
As an alternative to purchasing a feeder you can construct a feeder. For fruits you can build a simple chicken wire basket or bamboo joint to hold the fruit and attach it to the fence. Another low cost feeder can be constructed using a plastic bowl with a narrow edge. To construct this feeder you punch three holes, equidistant around the bowl. Then attach wire strands through each hole with the strands coming together at the top to form either a hook or a loop for suspending the bowl. Three strands are required to provide stability to the bowl particularly when birds alight on the bowl to feed. It is necessary to punch several holes in the base of the bowl to allow any rainwater or liquids to drain out the bowl.
Attracting birds, apart from the visual delight also provides the benefit of controlling the insect population, as many birds are insect feeders.
Enviro Pellet Stoves
Some individuals enjoy bird watching but prefer to do their bird watching in their back yard. Below is some advice on attracting wild birds to your back yard.
Firstly it depends upon having wild birds in the general area where your house is located and then you can attract then to your backyard.
The method used to attract the birds will depend upon what is the diet of the bird. If the bird is a nectar feeder e.g. bananaquits or hummingbirds, then large flowering plants will attract them. Hummingbird bills are perfectly adapted to the various types of flowers that they feed on, so different types of flowers will attract different hummingbirds. Some hummingbirds have especially curved or elongated bills that allow them to feed on special flowers, eg the White-tipped Sicklebill hummingbird whose downward curving bill allows it to draw nectar from heliconias. The Ruby-Topaz Hummingbird has a short and slightly decurved bill that is suited to feeding on the flowers of the ixora shrub. The Blue-tailed Emerald has a short bill that is suited for feeding on the Hibiscus flower. The Copper-rumped Hummingbird has a straight long bill that allows it to feed on medium sized tube shaped flowers such as the allamanda. Hummingbirds have little or no sense of smell, so colour is important to a hummingbird’s search process for locating flowers containing nectar. While they will visit any flower that has sufficient nectar they prefer flowers that are red to orange in colour. It is believed that this colour preference is due to the fact that red flowers standout in a green background and so are more easily seen by the hummingbird. It is also believed that because hummingbirds compete with insects for nectar they choose flowers that are less likely to be visited by insects. Most insects do not see well at the red end of the colour spectrum and so may not visit red flowers while hummingbirds see the full visible spectrum.
If space in your yard is very limited, preventing you from having large flowering shrubs, an area to consider is the curb area between your property line and the roadway. You can plant small flowering shrubs such as the miniature ixora, which will then attract nectar feeding birds to your property.
For birds that are fruit eaters, the presence of ripe fruit will attract and so having fruit trees will attract birds. The majority of trees however only fruit once per year for a few months, so the attraction is not year round. If your garden has sufficient space then multiple fruit trees that bear at different times in the year will ensure a continuous bird presence. One tree that bears fruit for a very extended period is guava and so can attract birds for most of the year. Trees are also an attraction to birds because they provide nesting and resting sites. If you have the palm trees that people usually plant in from their houses that will generally attract Palm Tanagers who will feed on the small nuts, use material from the tree for building their nests and may also nest in the tree.
When a large number of flowering shrubs and/or fruit trees is not an option, you can consider purchasing a bird feeder. The type of feeder will also be dependent upon the type of birds in the area and the type of birds that you want to attract. For nectar feeders you use a sugar solution (the feeder usually has directions). You must put the feeder in a location where the birds will see it and you must change the solution regularly (2 -3 days). Red Feeders are good for attracting hummingbirds because they have a preference for red flowers. If you use a feeder it will take a few days for the birds to recognise that it is present in your yard.
Other feed can attract other types of birds. Bare-Eyed Thrushes and Kiskadees are somewhat omnivorous and so you can use rice (not boiled). I have found that they will also be attracted by dog food. Tropical Mockingbirds can also be attracted with rice. In addition, ripe fruit such bananas, mangoes and cherry can be used and will usually attract Blue-Gray Tanagers, Palm Tanagers and Yellow Orioles.
As an alternative to purchasing a feeder you can construct a feeder. For fruits you can build a simple chicken wire basket or bamboo joint to hold the fruit and attach it to the fence. Another low cost feeder can be constructed using a plastic bowl with a narrow edge. To construct this feeder you punch three holes, equidistant around the bowl. Then attach wire strands through each hole with the strands coming together at the top to form either a hook or a loop for suspending the bowl. Three strands are required to provide stability to the bowl particularly when birds alight on the bowl to feed. It is necessary to punch several holes in the base of the bowl to allow any rainwater or liquids to drain out the bowl.
Attracting birds, apart from the visual delight also provides the benefit of controlling the insect population, as many birds are insect feeders.
Enviro Pellet Stoves
The grackles have taken over my bird feeders?
Lisodo1 asked:
All winter I have had the most gorgeous visitors, cardinals, goldfinches, woodpeckers, ect. Now , all I have are grackles. They have chased all my pretty friends away and eaten all my feed in just a few hours. What do I do?
Scented Floating Candles
All winter I have had the most gorgeous visitors, cardinals, goldfinches, woodpeckers, ect. Now , all I have are grackles. They have chased all my pretty friends away and eaten all my feed in just a few hours. What do I do?
Scented Floating Candles
Where do you hang bird houses, feeders, and hummingbird feeders?
Stacy asked:
I know the obvious answer is ‘trees’, but we don’t have any big enough in our yard yet. I was thinking about on the fence posts, or maybe getting some tall plant hooks? Give me your creative ideas. I do have two eighty pound dogs.
Halogen Track Lighting
I know the obvious answer is ‘trees’, but we don’t have any big enough in our yard yet. I was thinking about on the fence posts, or maybe getting some tall plant hooks? Give me your creative ideas. I do have two eighty pound dogs.
Halogen Track Lighting
Bird Feeders?
tazzmainiandevils asked:
Last summer we had a bird feeder in the front tree. Lots of birds fed from it. Unfortunately cats hid in the bushes and ambushed the doves feeding on the ground. Now we have a tall standing feeder in our fenced backyard, but the doves still hang around in the front. Is there a special feeder doves will sit in, instead of being on the ground?
Modern Lighting Choices
Last summer we had a bird feeder in the front tree. Lots of birds fed from it. Unfortunately cats hid in the bushes and ambushed the doves feeding on the ground. Now we have a tall standing feeder in our fenced backyard, but the doves still hang around in the front. Is there a special feeder doves will sit in, instead of being on the ground?
Modern Lighting Choices
Bird Feeders?
quackersm8 asked:
Im after a squirrel proof, crow proof, magpie proof, rat proof bird feeding station … any ideas?
Fireplace Design Ideas
Im after a squirrel proof, crow proof, magpie proof, rat proof bird feeding station … any ideas?
Fireplace Design Ideas
