For the best results in attracting the widest variety and number of birds to your yard you should provide five things.
By
offering a feeder with black oilers in it you will be providing the
birds
with important nutritional benefits that they need. At the same
time
you will increase your chances of seeing different birds come to your
area
since black oilers appeal to over 40 different species of birds.
Black oilers should be offered in either a wood hopper style feeder or a tube feeder. Use a large enough feeder to hold plenty of black oilers because the birds really love them and you don't want to have to refill your feeder daily.
Mixed Seed
When you provide a feeder with a quality mixed seed you increase your
chances of seeing birds that are attracted to a certain kind of seed in
the mix that would otherwise be lacking from offering only black
oilers.
For example, the Indigo Bunting has been known to come to bird feeders
for white millet. Don't forget the delightful mourning doves
either.
Mixed seed is also ideal for scattering on the open ground or offered in an open tray type feeder close to the ground. This method helps attract birds that normally feed on the ground such as Northern Cardinals, juncos, and doves.
Thistle
Thistle
feeders are important because it will greatly increase the number of
American
Gold Finches that will visit your yard. Who can resist the sweet
song of these tiny birds with their bright yellow plumage adding such
cheerful
color to your yard?
Other finches such as Pine Siskins also like the thistle seed. The thistle feeder has very small holes to accommodate the tiny thistle seed and to prevent it from pouring out all over the ground.
Suet
Suet is appealing to many birds such as Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy
Woodpeckers,
Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Chickadees, and Nuthatches to name just a
few.
Commercially prepared suet cakes from your favorite Wild Bird supplier
is easy to use, fits easily into the suet
holders, and is less likely to go rancid prematurely than the suet
offered by your local grocery store butcher.
Suet cakes are melted down and solidified two or more times and this makes them less likely to melt and go rancid as the straight raw suet can. Suet cakes also have the added benefit of additional ingredients such as peanut hearts, seed mix, or even berries. Suet cakes are easy to store, easy to use, and just less trouble all the way around.
Fresh Water
Provide
fresh water for the birds. The importance of a bird bath with
fresh
water cannot be stressed enough. Birds will use a readily
available
source of water for drinking and for bathing. Birds take plenty
of
baths and it is fun to watch them splash all around. Birds need a
water supply to bathe in to keep their feathers in top flying
condition.
Their lives depend on it.
Be sure to clean the bird bath out with a scrub brush daily or at least every couple of days. This will avoid algae buildup. The birds will not only be using the water as a drinking source but also to bathe in, so do the birds a favor and clean it out and refill it with fresh water. How would you like to drink water that someone took a bath in?
Bird baths are still an important element in your nature plan in the
cold winters Minnesota is known for.
There are bird baths with built
in heaters
for winter use or you can buy a bird bath heater to be placed in the
bowl
of your own bird bath. Use caution though. If you place a
heater
in a plastic bird bath your all set. However, if you have a
concrete
bird bath or some similar type of rigid material, then you should buy a
plastic liner to be placed in the bowl of your bird bath. These
plastic
liners are available at any reputable Wild Bird store. The liner
will avoid the problem of the expansion and contraction of freezing
water
and then cracking the bird bath bowl as concrete bird baths and
similarly
made bird baths are so well known for.
That way, if you should accidentally unplug the bird bath heater or
your electrical power should go out, you don't run the risk of the
water
freezing and cracking your bird bath bowl. It's well worth the
small
investment. Besides, the liner is easy to lift out and clean!
