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One of my New Year's Resolutions is to take in the morning as often as I can. As I walked out this morning and the birds scattered from the fields, I was reminded of another resolution of putting up bird feeders.
Ideally, there is a spot at the corner of the house where there is the tall stump of a dead cedar in one of those bird fields and that looked like a good spot.
But this is the city girl learning to be a cowgirl, so is it? Does the bird feeder feed the birds and then feed the birds to predator wildlife? Is the placement of bird feeders different in the country?
Here is a great article where you can learn how and what to feed. You can also just provide natural food through some proper plants that attract birds.
About the only time I put food out is after a heavy snow that could cover their food sources, or sudden extreme cold when they could use the extra energy from sunflower seed or suet. I would have a squirrel and mouse problem otherwise. Best not to have mice feeding near a house for some reason...
Since you're in a relatively drier part of the country, you could probably attract just as many birds with a simple bird bath which would eliminate some of the negatives of a bird feeder.
Ideally, there is a spot at the corner of the house where there is the tall stump of a dead cedar in one of those bird fields and that looked like a good spot.
If you don't want to feed squirrels as well as birds (I do feed the squirrels, as they are fun to watch), hang your feeder up where squirrels can't jump onto it. I prefer to feed squirrels and birds, so I have some hanging feeders for small birds and two open feeders that squirrels and larger birds can use.
If you don't want to have to clean up seed hulls on the ground under a feeder, use hulled sunflower seeds (but if you're doing this out in a field, I suppose cleaning up hulls isn't a big problem). I'd put hulled seeds in a covered feeder, as rain turns hulled seeds mushy.
Also, if you don't want to attract rodents, just put a little bit of seed out early in the day so the birds have eaten all the seeds before dark, when rodents tend to be around more.
I wouldn't attach a feeder directly to the stump, only because you might not want to have to stand there and fill it during a really cold, snowy day. You could always drill a hole in the stump and attach the feeder to that instead, like with a shepherd's hook on it. I use standing shepherd's hooks for all my feeders; that way I can line them up on the ground and fill them all at one time. Also, you can expect some predators will eventually learn that your bird feeder is a good source of food for them as well. Hawks are very good at swooping into a flock of birds at a feeder and snatching a bird for their meal, but then, they have to eat too. Personally I've not had any problems with rodents or other vermin at my feeders, except for underground voles; however, they tunnel elsewhere in my yard, not just under the feeders. And they're so soft and pettable. I just don't plant tulips anymore; voles love those too!
If you have fields near your house why not get a couple of tall Shepard hooks, and place them where you can sit of a morning or evening and relax and watch the birds. I try to put mine near a path so that filling them doesn't mean a hike, but far enough from the house that the birds don't fly away as I come and go.
I'd also put a bird bath near, at least a few feet away from the bird feeders. And, unless there is already grain, throw some on the ground for morning doves....they can't use feeders.
The other thing that I've begun doing the last few spring/summers is finding the tiniest bird houses, which I used to have simply for decorations....until I noticed that finches were actually nesting in them. They are very secretive, and they don't want you to see them going in and out of the little houses, so they like the houses to be almost hidden among the branches and leaves. Now I have several scattered among my flower beds in tall lily plants and under a dog wood tree.
There is nothing as sweet and relaxing as listening to their chirping.
If you have fields near your house why not get a couple of tall Shepard hooks, and place them where you can sit of a morning or evening and relax and watch the birds. I try to put mine near a path so that filling them doesn't mean a hike, but far enough from the house that the birds don't fly away as I come and go.
I'd also put a bird bath near, at least a few feet away from the bird feeders. And, unless there is already grain, throw some on the ground for morning doves....they can't use feeders.
The other thing that I've begun doing the last few spring/summers is finding the tiniest bird houses, which I used to have simply for decorations....until I noticed that finches were actually nesting in them. They are very secretive, and they don't want you to see them going in and out of the little houses, so they like the houses to be almost hidden among the branches and leaves. Now I have several scattered among my flower beds in tall lily plants and under a dog wood tree.
There is nothing as sweet and relaxing as listening to their chirping.
Enjoy, and update.
I pointed out the tall stump to my exterminator yesterday and he gave me a thumbs up about that location.
One thing I inherited from Mom was lots of decorative bird houses. Hers were nailed to posts on her garden porch, so I think they were actually used as bird houses. So far, I have only unpacked one and have set that down on the concrete on the back porch, haven't seen any residents yet.
Another item that is down the road and to be much further into the ranch and away from the house are bat houses.
As far as birds of prey, they are already here as in, at least, owls and smaller ones. While they aren't "of prey", our buzzards around here are HUGE. Back in town, I have seen the smaller birds chasing away a buzzard or two from their location.
It's one of the reasons, animals of prey, why my pets are totally indoor pets.
Updates to follow.........
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