Back Yard | How to Plumbing and Home repair from LeVahn Bros. INC

BIRD FEEDING IS AN EASY WAY TO ENHANCE YOUR BACKYARD LANDSCAPE. DURING THE FALL MONTHS IT’S ALSO A GOOD TIME TO ATTRACT SOME BIRDS THAT ARE JUST PASSING THROUGH MIGRATING NORTH OR SOUTH. THERE ARE VARITIES OF BIRDS YOU MIGHT SEE THAT YOU WOULDN’T NORMALLY GET TO SEE IN OUR NECK OF THE WOODS. THERE ARE SOME SIMPLE PRACTICES THAT YOU CAN IMPLEMENT TO ATTRACT MORE BIRDS TO YOUR YARD. HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO MAKE YOUR BIRDING EXPERIENCE MORE ENJOYABLE.

1) BIRD FEEDER PLACEMENT. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR BIRD FEEDING EXPERIENCE.

YOU ARE GOING TO WANT TO PUT YOUR FEEDER IN A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN EASILY SEE IT AND EASILY REACH IT. THE POINT OF HAVING A BIRD FEEDER IS TO WATCH BIRDS AND YOU DON’T WANT IT IN A SPOT THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO REFILL OR CLEAN.

YOU ALSO WANT TO CONSIDER HAVING IT NEAR A TREE OR BUSH. THIS ALLOWS A REFUGE FOR BIRDS TO ESCAPE TO IN A TIME OF NEED. IF A BIRD OF PREY IS NEAR THEY ARE GOING TO NEED SOME SORT OF COVERAGE.

KEEP FEEDERS AT LEAST 3′ AWAY FROM WINDOWS TO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF A COLLISION. THE LAST THING YOU WANT IS TO BE KILLING THE BIRDS THAT YOU ATTRACT.

2) WHICH FOOD TO USE. START WITH THE BASICS. BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER SEEDS IS THE FOOD THAT WILL ATTRACT THE GREATEST VARIETY OF BIRDS. THIS VARIETY OF SEED CAN BE USED IN A LARGER HOLED TUBULAR FEEDER AS WELL AS HOPPER AND PLATFORM STYLE FEEDERS.

ATTRACT MORE SPECIES OF BIRDS BY INTRODUCING MORE FEEDERS WITH A VARIETY OF FOODS. THISTLE FEED IN A THISTLE TUBE FEEDER (LIKE THE ONE TO THE RIGHT) OR THISTLE SACK WILL ATTRACT FINCHES. SUET, FRUITS, MEALWORMS, AND NECTAR WILL ATTRACT SPECIES THAT YOU WON’T ATTRACT WITH JUST SEEDS.

CHANGE FOOD OFFERINGS AS THE SEASONS CHANGE. MANY OF THE BIRDS THAT WE SEE IN MINNESOTA ARE ONLY STOPPING BY AS THEY MIGRATE NORTH AND SOUTH. ALSO BIRDS HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS IN DIFFERENT SEASONS. MEALS HIGH IN ENERGY AND FAT (SUET IS A GOOD EXAMPLE) ARE NEEDED IN THE WINTER TIME.

3) CREATE A BIRD FRIENDLY HABITAT. HAVING BIRD BATHS AND BIRD HOUSES IN YOUR YARD WILL CREATE A MORE APPEALING ENVIRONMENT FOR BIRDS TO VISIT.

PLACE A WATER WIGGLER (AVAILABLE AT OUR RETAIL HARDWARE STORE) IN YOUR BIRD BATH. A WATER WIGGLER CREATES MOVEMENT IN THE WATER. BY PLACING A WATER WIGGLER IN YOUR BIRD BATH IT WILL NOT ONLY MAKE IT MORE APPEALING TO BIRDS BUT IT WILL ALSO DISCOURAGE MOSQUITOES FROM BREEDING IN THE WATER. IF YOU DON’T HAVE A WATER WIGGLER YOU SHOULD REPLACE THE WATER IN YOUR BATH EVERY 3-5 DAYS TO DISCOURAGE MOSQUITO REPRODUCTION AND DISCOURAGE THE TRANSMISSION OF DISEASES.

4) CLEAN YOUR FEEDER. IF FOOD IS LEFT IN THE FEEDER FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME IT BECOMES LESS ATTRACTIVE TO BIRDS. BIRDS DON’T LIKE TO EAT ROTTEN FOOD AND THE LONGER IT SITS IN YOUR FEEDER THE LESS LIKELY IT IS THAT IT WILL BE EATEN. CLEANING A FEEDER ALSO HELPS PREVENT THE SPREAD OF DISEASES FROM BIRD TO BIRD.

HERE IS A SMALL LIST OF BIRDS THAT ARE MOST COMMON TO MINNESOTA:

BLUE JAY: THE BLUE JAY IS KNOWN TO BE A BULLY TO THE BACKYARD FEEDER. IT IS A BIRD THAT IS NOT WELCOMED BY OTHER BIRDS DUE TO ITS EATING HABITS THAT INCLUDES EATING THE EGGS OF OTHER BIRDS. THE SEEDS THAT IT ENJOYS EATING INCLUDES SUNFLOWER, MILLET, SHELLED PEANUTS, SAFFLOWER, BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER, FRUITS, AND CRACKED CORN.

THE AMERICAN GOLDFINCH AND PURPLE FINCH : AN INTERESTING AND COLORFUL ADDITION TO THE BACKYARD. FINCHES WILL HANG UPSIDE DOWN TO EAT OUT OF A FEEDER THAT IS MADE FOR THAT PURPOSE. THEY WILL MIGRATE SOUTH DURING WINTER MONTHS SO FOCUS ON THE WARMER SEASONS FOR FEEDING. THE SEED THAT FINCHES WILL EAT INCLUDE: THISTLE, BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER, MILLET, SUNFLOWER CHIPS, AND SAFFLOWER

CARDINALS: CARDINALS ARE A BIRD THAT YOU CAN ENJOY YEAR ROUND IN MINNESOTA. CARDINALS DON’T EAT A WIDE VARIETY OF FOODS BUT THEY ARE NOT DIFFICULT TO ATTRACT. USE BIRD FOODS THAT CONTAIN BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER, STRIPED SUNFLOWER, SAFFLOWER, AND WHITE MILLET SEEDS. USE A SUET BLOCK IN THE COLDER MONTHS THAT CONTAINS THESE SEEDS TO PROVIDE EXTRA FAT AND ENERGY.

BLACK CAPPED CHICKADEES: CHICKADEES ARE ANOTHER BIRD THAT WILL HANG AROUND DURING THE COLD WINTER MONTHS. TO ATTRACT CHICKADEES USE BIRD FOOD THAT CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER, WHITE MILLET, SHELLED PEANUTS, SAFFLOWER, AND STRIPED SUNFLOWER SEEDS.

NUTHATCHES: NUTHATCHES WILL EAT A VARIETY OF FOODS CONTAINING ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING SEEDS: BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER, STRIPED SUNFLOWER, WHITE MILLET, SAFFLOWER, AND CORN.

WOODPECKERS: THESE BIRDS CAN BE A PEST WHEN PECKING AT SIDING OF YOUR HOME. THE REASON FOR DOING THIS IS BECAUSE THEY ARE LOOKING FOR FOOD (INSECTS IN THE SIDING). TRY PROVIDING ANOTHER SOURCE OF FOOD SO THAT THEY DON’T USE YOUR HOUSE AS THEIR OWN PERSONAL BUFFET. USE A SEED THAT CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING SEEDS: BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER, STRIPED SUNFLOWER, WHITE MILLET, SAFFLOWER, FINE SUNFLOWER CHIPS, FRUITS, AND CORN.

MOURNING DOVES: aka THE RAIN DOVE, OR CAROLINA TURTLE DOVE. THE MOURNING DOVE IS ONE OF THE MOST WIDESPREAD AND ABUNDANT BIRDS IN NORTH AMERICA. BECAUSE OF THIS IT IS ALSO A GAME BIRD THAT IS HUNTED IN MANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. TO ATTRACT MOURNING DOVES USE A SEED THAT CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER, STRIPED SUNFLOWER, SAFFLOWER, SHELLED PEANUTS, WHITE MILLET, THISTLE, AND FINE SUNFLOWER CHIPS.

PHEASANTS, WILD TURKEYS, DUCKS AND GEESE:
TO ATTRACT THESE WILD GAME BIRDS YOU MAY NEED TO LIVE IN A HABITAT THAT IS SOMETHING OTHER THAN A DOWNTOWN HOME. NEARBY LAKES, RIVERS, AND WOODS ARE A NECESSITY FOR THESE BIRDS. IF YOU DO LIVE BY THIS HABITAT AND HAVE SEEN ANY OF THESE BIRDS AND WANT TO FEED THEM YOUR BEST OPTION IS GOING TO BE CRACKED CORN OR ANY FOOD THAT CONTAINS CRACKED CORN AS ONE OF ITS MAIN INGREDIENTS.