Fall Feeding Strategies on Sunday, September 06, 2009

It’s time to get your bird feeding stations in high gear, both for your avian friends and for yourself. You’ll derive endless hours of entertainment from watching the birds (and squirrels). No matter how many times I see a chickadee or nuthatch at my feeder, I wouldn’t dream of living through a Northwest winter without their companionship!

by Scott Lukens

Our family maintains six to eight feeders all year, and this experience has provided a few insights:

Clean feeders mean healthy birds. Give your feeders a good scrubbing with hot, soapy water fortified with household bleach (10% is about right).  Rinse thoroughly.  Keep the area around your feeding station clean, too.  Rake up and dispose of old seed.  Using seed-catching trays can make clean-up time quick, and offering seeds with no hulls reduces the work even more.

Replenish the feeders as soon as they are empty to establish your feeding station as a regular stop. Many birds, such as chickadees, actually set up a winter territory around a good food source.  Never put out more seed than will be eaten in a week.  This ensures fresh seed.

When making a feeder purchase, look for feeders that are easy to open and fill. If it requires too much effort, you’ll put off filling it regularly.  Also, place the feeder in a convenient location!

In addition to black oil sunflower seed, the hands-down favorite of most seed-eating birds, add millet and cracked corn, suet and water to a basic food program.  If you’d like to go beyond the backyard basics, try one of the high-quality mixes we offer at Backyard Bird Shop – mixes designed especially for northwest birds offering nuts, fruits and a variety of seeds.  And don’t forget to offer nectar if you’d like to support an Anna’s Hummingbird or two through the winter.

Now sit back, relax and enjoy the show! We keep binoculars and a field guide handy.  A close-up view is a great way to appreciate the beautiful colors.  That little brown bird you thought was a finch suddenly became a Pine Siskin!