Valley Farms Birding Tips

Attracting Wild Birds to Your Feeder

Whether you are putting out your very first bird feeder or your sixteenth, you may expect a cacophony of vibrant bird activity within a few minutes, but it may not come. Too often we expect nature to behave exactly how we want it to. Wildlife can be unpredictable! Do not let this get you discouraged. Follow this checklist of Valley Farms tried and true wild bird feeding tips to entice the backyard birds to notice your feeder:

✓ Strategically Place the Feeder: Birds prefer feeling safe while they eat. Place feeders near bushes or trees so they have a quick escape from potential predators. A thoughtful placement will encourage more birds to visit.

✓ Keep your Feeder Filled: Birds stay put when they have a reliable source of bird seeds. If your feeder runs out for a couple of days they will look for a new feed source. The birds will eventually find their way back to your feeder, but it can take up to a week after a long empty period.

✓ Be patient: Birds may take some time to find your feeder. That does not mean the bird seed is bad! Be patient and they will eventually find it and tell their friends.

✓ Keep your Pets Indoors: Your cats and dogs can be predators for wild birds. As much as we don’t want to admit that our precious pets can kill birds, they can have a huge impact on wild bird populations. Keeping pets indoors will make your backyard a safe place for wildlife.

✔ Provide a Water Source: There are many birds that we see everyday that will never visit your feeder because they don't eat seeds, (Think American Robins or Warblers). Attract all wild birds by putting out a bird bath. Birds can hear moving water, so adding a small bubbler or fountain can help imitate natural water sources.

✓ Use Multiple Types of Bird Feeders: Birds have unique feeding styles. Tube feeders, platform feeders, and ground scatterings all attract different species. Using a combination will maximize the number of birds you see.

These tips are an excerpt from, "Back to the Basics: Making the Most Out of Your Bird Seed," which you can read here for more great beginners tips.

 

Maintain A Healthy Bird Feed Station

Promote an enjoyable environment for you and your backyard visitors by adding some of these tips to your regular feeding behaviors.

✔ Valley Farms® wild bird foods optimal storage condition are in a cool, dry place, protected from direct sunlight. Storage in water proof, air tight containers will extend the freshness of this product.

✔ Give your seed feeders (especially thistle and tube feeders) a shake before you refill them, to dislodge any compacted seed. Dump out any wet clumps of old seed.

✔ Clear away all hulls from platform feeders and out of seed trays regularly.

✔ Disinfect feeders by scrubbing with a non toxic solution (soap or a 1 part bleach to 10 part water) every few weeks, more often in summer or rainy periods. Rinse and allow feeders to dry before refilling. Check out this video on proper bird feeder sanitation:

✔ Wash your hands thoroughly after filling or cleaning your feeder

✔ Don’t allow large amounts of seed to become wet, as on platform feeders. Instead, when it’s wet outside, feed primarily from covered feeders that will keep seed dry or put out only a handful of seed at a time on platforms.

✔ Don’t put hulled sunflower hearts (or bits) out where wet weather can cause them to spoil. Offer them in a tube or hopper feeder.

✔ Don’t put out any more seed than can be eaten by the birds by nightfall, especially where raccoons, opossums, bears, deer, or rodents are a problem.

✔ Report the sick birds to your local wildlife officials, many of whom monitor wildlife health. If you see a dead bird try to determine if cats are nearby. When you suspect disease, you may want to clean the area well and wait a few days before resuming feed dispensing again.

✔ If you provide suet, reduce the amount you offer in hot weather. Heat can make suet rancid and unhealthy for birds. Runny suet can also stick to birds’ feathers, making them hard to keep clean and useful. Use rendered suet or heat-resilient suet blocks that are available commercially.

✔ Lots of birds fly into windows, harming them or even killing them. Please place feeders a safe distance away from windows. If birds regularly strike a particular window place a screen, crop netting, or a series of branches over or in front of the outside glass panel to break up the reflection. You can also use stickers or try hanging items on suction cups attached to the inside of your window.

✔ Though birds may not be entirely dependent on your feeder, it’s best not to leave them totally without food if you plan to be away from home in midwinter. Purchase an oversized feeder with a large seed capacity or ask a willing neighbor to continue feeding your birds.

✔ Don’t discontinue feeding as soon as the grass greens and the weather warms in spring. Many birds will continue coming to your feeders all summer long.

✔ Don’t use grease, oil, petroleum jelly, or similar substances on your feeder poles or wires to thwart squirrels, ants, or other feeder-raiding creatures. If these substances come into contact with bird feathers they are impossible for the bird to preen or wash out. Gooey feathers can become useless for flight or insulation, thus putting the birds at risk to predators, extreme weather, and disease. For squirrels and other mammals, use a pole-mounted baffle (many are sold commercially). For ants, use an ant guard that prevents ants from reaching the feeder. Both baffles and ant guards are available on the Internet, by mail-order, or in retail stores that sell an extensive array of backyard products.

The Valley Farms Team wishes you and your birds many days of enjoyment!