Bird Feeders and Houses-Attracting Wildlife to Your Backyard Decor
What is more peaceful than having bird feeders in your backyard providing you hours of watching enjoyment especially after a stressful hard day? Birds need to have nutrients and food on a regular basis every day in order to keep their energy levels working properly. There are a variety of different species of birds that need different types of birdhouses and birdfeeders to suit their particular needs, one type of house may not be suitable for all. 
When choosing outdoor feeders for your garden make sure you find one that is compatible with your style of garden and the type of birds that you're going to feed. By doing this you will get birds readily easy as they feel safe and content for nesting in your backyard.
Natural Way to Provide Food for Birds
The first and natural way to provide food for the birds is to enhance your landscape with a variety of different plants that will be able to produce things that birds are drawn to and want to eat (fruits, seeds, sap, plant matter and a variety of different insects that will inhabit the tall grass and plants).
The easiest and best way for you to control feeding your birds is to give them proper food in feeders. This allows you to provide the birds with good healthy food and we benefit by getting to watch them at the feeding stations. If you provide a regular and steady source of food you will start to attract birds regularly as they will return to your garden over and over.
This allows you to enjoy their company or providing them with all the nutrients that they will need to survive were they may find it difficult trying to find food on their own.
Best time to set up your bird houses
The best and most ideal time for setting up your birdseed houses is during the late summer or early fall. This will provide ample time for the birds to locate their new birdhouses and other nesting spots, this also provides some time for your wooden birdhouses to get well weathered and provide them with a natural look so they blend in with the surrounding area. This also gives a more natural inviting place that birds will also settle quickly into the new habitat.
Connecting bird houses on the side of trees is not recommended as this provides an easy access for squirrels and cats. They should be corrected 5 to 30 feet above the ground. If you want to attract more than one species of birds keep in mind to direct them at least 25 feet apart. Birds just like any other animal like their own territorial space.
Types of bird feeders available:
- Tubular Bird feeders: A tubular bird feeder is just how it sounds is a long narrow cylinder typically constructed of plastic allowing you to fill it with seed mixture and hang it from a eavesdrop, tree branch or other similar types of overhangs that can provide you the support. This design is also used for squirrel proof bird feeders allowing the perch to drop and shut off the feeding supply. Fitted with a perch and small cylinder holes will allow the birds to reach in and grab the seed. The length of the perch that is on the feeder typically determines which types of birds will be drawn to the tubular bird feeder. Larger birds will come to feeding stations that have longer perches. Other squirrel deterrents will include tubular feeders that are encased in a metal cage, allowing to feed the birds and keep squirrels out.
- Nyjer bird feeder: Nyjer is a yellow flower that is tall (the sunflower family) and typically produces oil-rich tiny seeds that a variety of species of birds love. This particular Nyjer bird feeder is very similar to the regular tubular feeder but is designed to be able to store smaller seeds that provides a better choice for sparrows, chickadees and grosbeaks. Nyjer feeders are designed with small spill trays below them to provide easy access to the seeds. The stocking feeder is another way for feeding birds as it dispenses seeds that are inside of a netted clock stocking (typically made with vinyl or nylon).
- Tray Feeder/Platform: This is one of the most simplest forms for feeding birds as it is a simple birdfeeder that is a tray on the ground or you can mount it to a post which you place food directly on to the tray. The bird tray has a screen bottom allowing for air to flow through keeping the birdseed dry. If it does not have a screen tray try to protect it from the rain as this will cause soggy seed and damage to the feeding unit.
- Suet Feeders: A suet birdfeeder is typically constructed of a wire or a nylon mesh bag that you put in a suet block made up of a variety of different ingredients. Known as a cake of suet is pumped full of calorie dense, fatty mixture mixed in with seeds, nuts and sometimes a variety of different fruits. I have bought peanut butter suet's which seem to be a popular choice, you can also get these with insects or (mealworm). Making your own suet balls are easy. Typically derives from beef fat, peanut butter and is either a vegetable-based or insect. This provides high nutrition and protein for the winter months. Great for a wide range of birds such as woodpeckers, Cardinals, bluebirds, wrens, goldfinches.
- Oriole Feeders: This is the best way to provide orioles with all of the nutrition that they will need when it is breeding season. Peter should be put out to dispense nectar, jelly or a variety of fruit. Hummingbird feeders look like the same type as the oriole does and it is to simulate the abundance of flower nectar, this type of fear can hold half oranges which this particular species just loves.
Different Bird feeders Attract Different Species of Birds
Winter months is one of the more critical times for feeding birds. Having a well-stocked outdoor bird feeder will help supply the largest variety of species with the proper nutrition that they will typically need to help them to survive through the coldest climates and time of the year. Depending on style that you choose you will attract different types of birds to the feeding station; depending on your environment some feeders work well while others not so much.
I find particularly that if I use a combination of different feeders for wild birds (tray feeder, tubular feeders) it will help to balance out the different types of birds that I will have in my garden. If you find that you have a particular favorite species of birds that you would like to attract, then you have to change your environment in your backyard so that it will complement what they require and provide them the proper houses and feeders outdoors.
Buy the Best Birdseed You Can
Birds can be very picky on what they eat, where they live and who they want around them (this includes you so make sure you are a good landlord) seeds will provide the birds for a daily well-rounded nutrition along with the insects and plants that they eat during the day.
As with the food bird houses and nesting boxes have different requirements for different species of the birds as with the birdseed that they love. You will find other animals including squirrels, raccoons, deer and a variety of other animals will take advantage of the food resources that you put out.
To cut down on other animals eating your birdseed/food you should follow some feeding tips to what seed you buy and read the labels and make sure the manufacturer is not adding any fillers or additives such as flax. There is no nutritional value to the birds and art typically a waste to even have.
Types of bird seed you can use:
- White Millet: This is best used for tray feeders on the ground and will attract the ground feeders such as sparrows, towhees and Cardinals. Stay away from the White Millet if you have pest such as blackbirds and cowbirds that are around.
- Cracked Corn: This is a highly nutritional choice and is best suited for ground feeders, a variety of colorful birds love this type of treat(Blue Jays, Cardinals, grosbeaks) this is a favored to everyone so avoid or protect the food supply if you have problems with house sparrows, squirrels, blackbirds, cowbirds.
- Peanuts: This is a good choice if you are using a tray feeder or tube feeder and want to attract chickadees and woodpeckers. Because there are other animals that love it either protected or not use it if you are in an area with squirrels, bears.
Ways of Attracting Birds to Your Backyard
Insects are the primary food source for many species of birds but providing them with another choice of nutritional birdseed to the garden area you are contributing to a healthier birding environment. You can also provide the other ingredients in your backyard decor such as nectar from your flowers, fruit, and nuts as this will create a very happy home for your birds. Provide bird baths, water feeder to your yard as this will give them a natural water source for them to use.
This can be a decorative stone birdbath or you may have a beautiful garden pond that you have created. If you have a birdbath, fountain or the pond try to provide little rocks that they can stand on in the middle of the water source.
The basics for attracting birds to your backyard:
- Having a good variety of quality birdseed.
- Make sure you have fresh drinking water and water for bathing.
- Cover and protective shelter are important, try using native plants. This type of protection also allows birds with nesting possibilities for your backyard.
So remember, use your own garden environment to determine which birds you will want to attract, feed them and provide water regularly. This will create a very tranquil backyard and bringing it to life allowing you to watch nature in your own back garden. All of us at Garden-Delights.com want to help you in creating your backyard decor and birding experience. Use our information and resources to help you with bird feeding tips and backyard planning.
Home Made Bird Houses-Crafting Your Own Bird Home
If you have even the slightest do-it-yourself spirit in you, you are more than capable of doing a much better job yourself and make a Home Made Bird House.Building a homemade bird house is not rocket science. With some careful planning and preparation even young children could do it.
Bluebird Houses-Provide a Safe Bluebird Nest Box Environment
Bluebird Houses are probably the most common bird houses in the country. Helping and protecting the bluebirds should be everyone's priority.Bluebird houses can be mounted on fence posts, utility poles or trees (trees are less desirable as climbing predators have access). Another good area is to consider mounting them on poles that you can place in your yard.
Bird Baths-Backyard, Decorative Bird Heated, Stone, Metal Water Features
Adding a Bird Bath to your garden decor is not only a beautiful garden decoration with sound but it also provides so much to the wildlife of your backyard.Many of the fountains that you will find are both for aesthetics and providing resources for your birding environment.
