bird seed feeders | Bird Bath

Make The Most Of Your Garden Bird Bath
By Janet Ashby
Garden bird baths and garden bird feeders are excellent ways to attract wild birds to your garden. Place a bird bath in a quiet part of the garden well away from any bird feeders as birds like a quiet place to bathe and drink.

To keep your birdbath at the correct temperature for your bird visitors to drink or bathe the whole year round you could either buy a bird bath with a heater installed or attach a heater to an unheated birdbath. Birdbaths equipped with heaters either use a cord plugged into an electric outlet or have solar panels to collect the sun's energy to power the heater. Solar power bird baths are easier to install, are cost free and need very little maintenance. They can collect enough of the sun's energy to keep your bird bath ice free even on very cold days. In addition to heaters you can also purchase de-icers to keep the water accessible to the birds.

A heated bird bath will usually be longer lasting than an unheated one as constant freezing and melting of the water results in cracks and damage to the concrete, stone or marble materials unless you keep the bird bath empty throughout the colder weather. maintaining the water at a constant temperature will ensure that the bird bath is undamaged and will give your bird visitors warm water to bathe in and to drink all the year round.

To attract the birds and also to agitate the water to prevent mosquitoes laying their eggs you could consider adding a bird bath dripper. This can be as simple as a pipe that drips water into the bowl, making the pleasant sound of running water which will attract the birds. More

elaborate drippers can be purchased that are shaped like dragonflies, climbing ivy, butterflies and more, usually made from copper to look more attractive. Birds will love to bathe in the dripper as it simulates the feeling of raindrops on their feathers. For smaller birds such as hummingbirds or warblers you could use a mister in your garden or on your bird bath. Misters do use up more water than drippers however.

In addition to attracting the birds a dripper will keep the water agitated and prevent mosquitoes from settling on the water surface to lay their eggs. There are also other ways to prevent mosquitoes from breeding including using a water wiggler or mosquito dunks. Water wigglers run on batteries and produce vibrations which cause ripples on the water surface. They are easy to use and, being battery operated do not need any elaborate installation. Just add the batteries and attach to the bird bath. They are quiet so they do not disturb the peace in the garden or frighten away the birds.

Mosquito dunks are a natural method to stop the mosquitoes breeding. They can be placed in bird baths and also ponds, barrels, gutters etc, in fact anywhere were standing water accumulates. Place one dunk for one hundred square feet of water surface once a month. As you only need a small amount for a bird bath break off a piece and save the unused pieces for later. Dunks are environmentally friendly and are a good alternative to chemical treatments. They work differently to the drippers and water wigglers as they do not prevent eggs being laid but kill the larva before they can mature.

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cardinal feeders | Winter Bird Feeders

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Winter Bird Feeders - Helping Birds Through The Winter

Millions of people love to attract birds in the summer time or spring. We all love to have the sights and sounds of an active bird feeder, or the frenetic activity that often surrounds a bird bath.

But come winter time, many of our avian friends don't migrate, and so we may want to do what we can to make sure they have plenty to eat and drink during the harsh winter months. Winter time is harsh because the food supply is not only limited, but is often covered by ice or snow, compounding the problem.

One of the easiest things we can do is to put out a suet feeder. Suet is a high energy food that is basically made from rendered fat products, and is often combined with other high energy foods like cracked peanuts or corn and other grains. It is most often sold in a cake that almost looks like a sandwich in size and shape. These can be simply set out, or most often they are put in feeders which have cages to hold the suet cakes and protect them from squirrels

and other pests. These can be a simple cage, or often they are combined with a hopper feeder to create a total feeding solutions.

Suet cakes will last quite a while, but after the temperatures rise above seventy degrees you will find that they can start to go rancid, so don't leave them out year round. And there are other types of suet that may be better suited to your needs that keep better or repel pests.

Another thing you may want to do is to make sure the birds have a ready supply of water. Bird baths are designed to be shallow and open so they birds can access them without fear of falling in. However, that design is also great if you want the water to freeze quickly.

You can solve this problem by buying a bird bath with a heater built into it, but if you already have a bird bath, a simple heater will easily melt enough ice to keep your birds happy with a fresh water supply. But you should be sure to use the right heater for your bird bath.

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bird feeding stations - How To Clean A Bird Bath

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How To Clean A Bird Bath
By Bill B. Carmel -
Just like any other piece of outdoor equipment, your bird bath will need to be cleaned time to time. In order to prevent your fine feathered friends from becoming ill, be sure to clean your bird bath at least a couple times each season, especially if you regularly store you bird bath during the winter months. Also, it is critical you use bird-friendly cleaning products, as those used to clean pools or pond can potentially cause birds to become sick or even die due to the chlorine and other chemicals in these harsh cleaning agents. When cleaning your bird bath, follow these five easy steps to ensure the bath is clean and ready for your local birds to bathe and play.


1.) Empty the bath: Tip the bird bath to the side or remove the drain plug on the underside of the bird bath. Ensure you remove all dirt, leaves, and other debris that may be in the bath before continuing.

2.) Rinse the bath: Use a water hose (preferably one with a high-pressure nozzle) to spray the bird bath down. You may need to do this a couple times until the water draining from your bird bath is clear.

3.) Scrub the bath: Take a stiff brush and begin to scrub the bird bath. For algae or any stubborn stains, mix up a weak

bleach solution. Mix three-fourths cup of bleach into one gallon of water, then scrub the bird bath well. Be sure not to use a stronger solution or any other chemicals or cleaners on your bird bath. Also, avoid using common dish soap to clean your bird bath, as any algae growing in the basin will not be killed.

4.) Soak the bath: If your bird bath is especially dirty or has a large amount of algae growth, let the bleach solution sit in the basin of the bath. Be sure to cover the bird bath with a piece of wood or plastic so that birds will not mistake the solution for water. After allowing the solution to sit approximately 15 minutes, scrub the basin again with the brush. If the basin is still not clean, repeat this step using fresh solution.

5.) Rinse the bath: After your bath is clean, be sure to thoroughly rinse the bleach solution from the basin. If any bleach is allowed to remain in the bird bath, the birds that bath from the basin may potentially fall ill. Many bird bath owners choose to keep their bird bath covered for a couple of hours so that fresh water can sit in the basin.

6.) Refill the bath: Once the bird bath is clean and thoroughly rinsed, refill the basin with clean, fresh water.

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birdfeeder

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Bird Feeders & Baths - They Are A Great Way To Attract Birds To Your Outdoor Space

Watching the birds fly around and land in your yard can be a fun and relaxing pastime. If you want to attract various kinds of birds around your home, turn to bird feeders and baths. They are selections that will make those flying wonders feel right at home in your yard.

Birds spend the majority of their time looking for two main things: (1) food and (2) water, which is exactly what bird feeders & baths offer. If you provide both in a safe area, you will be rewarded with hour after hour of nature's own reality show playing right outside in your backyard.

So, you will need to invest in bird feeders and baths. The first thing that you need to do before you get the first selection is to check over a bird guide that has an overview of the bird species most prominent in your area. This will give you an idea of the specific kinds of treats to have out, but for starters a feeder out with some wild bird type of seed, that's a mixture of many different seeds, will be great for a start. Remember to hang it in a place that isn't easy for cats or dogs to get to but is very visible from your window. Once you have the food handled, then you need to set up a place for your feathered friends to count on water. Nearby to your food source is great (but not directly under it or you'll have an icky mess to clean up

when bird droppings go into your water). Go for a garden motif and use a rose or floral designed birdbath. When the weather is icy, chip the ice off it or pour water over it during the day to melt any frozen to ensure your feathered friends will have access to water.

Once you have some bird feeders and baths in place in your outdoor space, then, all year round just sit back and enjoy the show. You and your kids can watch the birds come and go and you will soon notice certain characteristics that make certain birds individuals in their own right. A sparrow with a few feathers that are always standing up on his back will be easy to pick out from the crowd at your bird feeder, do not be surprised if your kids wind up giving regular visitors to your bird sanctuary names!

To find just the right bird feeders and baths for your outdoor space, simply head to your family computer for some online shopping. It is a convenient way to look into all the choices because you do not have to drive or go anywhere to do it and what you do purchase will then be shipped right to you. So, no wasting time or money by going anywhere.

In the end, if you want to a nice way to relax, purchase some bird feeders and baths for your outdoor space. It will attract birds to your yard, providing you with something fun to watch.

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birdfeeders

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Birdfeeders And Birdhouses: Find Helpful Information On Your Wild Birds Feeding And Nesting Preferences.
By Neisha Bjorklund
Bird Houses
Bluebirds and swallows seem to prefer a wide open area location for their birdhouse, but the robins like their nestboxes underneath eaves and in the trees. The nuthatches and wrens are attracted to a bird house that is mounted on the just inside a tree line. We carry wood bird houses for wrens, bluebirds, and bats. We also have decorative bird houses to decorate your yard and/or garden.


Bird houses for the bluebird are deeper than for the swallows, nuthatches and wrens. One thing that always amazed me is the lack of cooperation from the birds in using the correct bird house. Birds like to invade each others domains when they are unoccupied. A simple solution to this would be to place predator guards under or above your bird house if you have problems with such predators. A predator guard can consist of a thin sheet of tin about 18 to 24 inches high rapped around

a pole, post, or tree. There are many methods used but I have found this to be the easiest solution.

Bird Feeders
We have many different types of bird feeders. We have seed feeders, thistle feeders, globe feeders, window feeders, hummingbird feeders, haven and cage feeders, decorative bird feeders and the new squirrel-resistant roller feeder. Don't forget to provide water for your wild birds as well. Bird baths are an excellent way to provide water to your backyard birds. Be sure to clean the birdbaths when you add or change the water to prevent the birds from passing diseases to one another. One of the problems that has experienced with birdbaths is that bees take over the birdbath during hot days. The only solution we have found for this particular problem is by determining the main location of the bees and placing another birdbath or bucket of water with some wood floats inside.

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wild bird food

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St Francis Bird Feeders - A Natural For Your Backyard Birds

One of the favorite activities of bird lovers and just folks who want to put a little bit of nature back into their yards is to put out bird feeders and bird baths in order to attract the local bird population. There are few things that match the simple pleasure of listening to the birds singing in your yard and watching their interaction as they take their turn around the feeders.

The type of feeder that one selects will often make a simple statement about the owner and the ambience they are trying to create in their yard. One can choose to go with a simple rustic design for a feeder, or something quite ornate and stately like a replica of a Victorian mansion.

But for many a simple statue or likeness of St. Francis is the perfect choice. The story of St. Francis and the local wildlife of his times are many. The source of this was the fact that Francis and his followers took a vow of total poverty and often lived in the wild.

One of the most famous was of a wild wolf that was causing a lot of problems for a local village, threatening not only the livestock but the

citizens of the village itself. St Francis spoke to the wolf and made a pact with it such that the local villagers began to feed it and it was essentially domesticated and was no longer a threat.

Another equally popular one and probably the source of his association with bird feeding is a time when he was traveling with his followers, and stopped to preach to the birds that had gathered about the goodness of the Lord and how he provides for each of us just as he cares for for the birds of the field (echoing the passage from St. Matthew). The birds stayed and listened to him, and the story followed from there, and today he is considered the patron saint of animals and the environment.

It's these images that account for the popularity of St. Francis bird feeders. You can find them in many styles, from simple statues with birds perched on his shoulders, holding a basket as a feeder. Others feature a larger bowl at his feet for a feeder. Another style is a plaque with a dish extending out from the plaque as the feeder. There are also some that combine a bird bath with a feeder.
wild bird food.

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tube bird feeders

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Bird Feeders: Landscaping For Birds
By Kelvin Brown
As people learn to enjoy the beauty of birds around their home, they may wish to improve the "habitat" in their yard so that more birds will visit their property. Let’s look at planting a variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers to attract birds. These can provide good nesting sites, winter shelter, places to hide from predators and natural food supplies that are available year-round.


Beautiful landscaping isn’t only for attracting birds. It can increase your property value, provide natural beauty, and become a playground for young ones as various wildlife is attracted to your yard.

Landscaping for birds involves nine basic principles:

1. Food
Every bird species has its own unique food requirements that may change as the seasons change. Learn the food habits of the birds you wish to attract. Then plant the appropriate trees, shrubs, and flowers to provide the fruits, berries, seeds, acorns, and nectar.

2. Water
You may be able to double the number of bird species in your yard by providing a source of water. A frog pond, water garden, or bird bath will get lots of bird use, especially if the water is dripping, splashing or moving.

3. Shelter
Birds need places where they can hide from predators and escape from severe weather. Trees (including dead ones), shrubs, tall grass and bird houses provide excellent shelter.

4. Diversity
The best landscaping plan is one that includes a variety of native plants. This helps attract the most bird species.

5. Four Seasons
Give the birds food and shelter

throughout the year by planting a variety of trees, shrubs and flowers that provide year-round benefits.

6. Arrangement
Properly arrange the different habitat components in your yard. Consider the effects of prevailing winds (and snow drifting) so your yard will be protected from harsh winter weather.

7. Protection
Birds should be protected from unnecessary mortality. When choosing the placement of bird feeders and nest boxes, consider their accessibility to predators. Picture windows can also be dangerous for birds. They tend to fly directly at windows when they see the reflection of trees and shrubs.
A network of parallel, vertical strings spaced 4 inches apart can be placed on the outside of windows to prevent this problem. Be cautious about the kinds of herbicides and pesticides used in your yard. Apply them only when necessary and strictly according to label instructions. In fact, try gardening and lawn care without using pesticides. Details can be found in gardening books at the library.

8. Hardiness Zones
When considering plants not native to your area, consult a plant hardiness zone map, found in most garden catalogues. Make sure the plants you want are rated for the winter hardiness zone classification of your area.

9. Soils and Topography
Consult your local garden center, university or county extension office to have your soil tested. Plant species are often adapted to certain types of soils. If you know what type of soil you have, you can identify the types of plants that will grow best in your yard.
Kelvin Brown, author of the Introduction to Bird Watching, is a nature and bird lover. You can get additional information by visiting www.avidbirdwatching.com

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