In my last blog post I explained what kinds of shelters you need to have a bird friendly yard. Now I am going to talk about the other two requirements needed to attract and keep the birds around your property.
Water- A dependable source of water is critical to having birds in your area. You can add a water feature in many different ways, such as, a pond, birdbath, a mister, dripper, and even a small waterfall. With a pond or a waterfall you will not only attract birds but you will attract other critters like dragonflies, turtles, tadpoles and frogs, and beetles. The sound of moving water will not only relax and sooth you but will invite the wildlife that your are trying to nurture and protect. Birds love to bath in fresh clean water. Try to have your bird bath deep enough for birds to bath in. You will also need to make sure that your bird bath is high enough off of the ground so that cats and other predators will not be able to get your feathered friends while they are bathing and eating. It might be a good idea to provide perch sites and cover close by so that the birds will have a place to go when predators do decide to strike.
Just remember to always try to keep the water source for the animals fresh and clean.
Food- There are a variety of trees, grasses, shrubs and flowers that are native to your area that would work perfectly for attracting birds. They are great sources of food providing seeds, fruit, nectar, berries, and nuts. If possible, try to provide enough vegetation so the birds can find food on their own. That would be perfect in an ideal world. But sometimes it is not possible. So for those times you need to provide feeders for the birds. There are many types of bird feeders out there to choose from. You can use a type of hanging feeder, a type of ground feeder, or a suet feeder. Hanging feeders are just that, they hang from a branch or something off of the ground. Most hanging feeders are tubular favored by chickadees, titmice, and sparrows. Try to use good quality seed for the birds. A good thing to remember is that different seeds will attract different birds. Sunflower seeds tend to be the number one choice for seed eating birds. Birds may toss out seeds that are not sunflower seed that come in a mixed seed bag. If this happens it tends to be messy under the feeders and can be expensive refilling the feeders.
Ground feeders can be as simple as throwing some seed onto the driveway or on the ground for the birds to eat or can be a tray low to the ground. Something to think about with ground feeders is that it can be a great way to distract squirrels from getting into your hanging feeders.
Suet bird feeders attract a variety of birds such as the woodpeckers. Suet feeders are hard beef fat from the kidneys and loins. It is a good source of high energy good for the winter months. You can make your own suet bird feeder by getting an old onion bag, place hard fat in it and place it outside on a tree limb. You can even put seeds and raisins into the melted suet. You can also use vegetable shortening instead of beef fat. Be careful since beef fat can go rancid quickly, especially in the Texas heat.
Tubular feeders can be used for hummingbirds, chickadees, and titmice. It is not necessary to color your liquid feeders with red coloring. Place the nectar feeders out for the hummingbirds during the migration times of March through May and August through early October. Be sure to space the feeders far enough apart from each other to avoid fighting between the hummingbirds.
You can also use platform bird feeders. Make sure that it is away from danger of being attacked by predators. Birds that like platforms are cardinals, white-crowned sparrows, and house finches. I have also seen doves use platform feeders.
Whichever bird feeder you choose to go with always keep the feeders clean and dry. If feeders stay wet they can grow mold and bacteria which can make the birds sick or can even be fatal to them. Dirty feeders can also spread avian diseases. This is just some information for attracting and keeping birds in your yard. In the near future I will talk about specifics on attracting particular bird varieties. Until then try to stay as close to your native species when selecting plants. This is one of the best ways to attract your native birds. Take a look at nature and try to replicate it. Happy gardening and get back to nature.
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