Hi, Floridays (you a Parrothead, by any chance?)

Everyone has their own favorites and a lot depends on the types of birds you might have in your immediate area, but for me, the things that have worked best over 40+ years of feeding birds are the following.

Keep several feeders around the yard, placed close to, but not TOO close to nearby vegetation, shrubs, trees, etc. Birds like to have a place to escape to, but shrubs that are too close will give predators a place to hide, so they will be wary of those. And having several types with a couple of different kinds of foods will widen the variety of birds you will attract.

Of all the feeders I have ever used over the years, by far the most popular is a tray. You can buy several kinds of tray feeders to mount on poles, or you can make a simple one with a wooden frame and a bottom that is perforated enough to let rainwater (rain???? where????) escape. Tray feeders will accommodate large and small birds, and they all seem to enjoy them. You will need a squirrel baffle on the pole to keep them from emptying it ten minutes after you fill it. It's okay for the squirrels to get SOME food...squirrels gotta live, too. But it's not going to make anyone happy if they pig it ALL.

Some of your feeders should be less hospitable to larger birds, so the little ones have a chance. Many small feeders have limited perches that larger birds can't hold onto, or won't be comfortable on. A couple of those are great.

Remember to offer plenty of water. Birdbaths are essential, even if you do something as simple as put a garbage can lid on the ground with water in it. I have as many water sources in the yard as I do birdfeeders. The extra bonus with good birdbaths is that you will attract even those birds who don't go to feeders. They ALL need water.

As for seed, many commercial mixes are fine, but the favorite seed of the biggest number of birds would have to be black oiler sunflower seed. Safflower seed is a good one for feeders that squirrels can reach because most of them don't care for it much, unless they are truly desperate. Cardinals, titmice, and several other birds DO like it. And any good mix is fine, but beware of cheaper mixes with lots of MILO in them. (It looks like little round BB's.) I've never seen a bird eat those. They are just filler in the mix, to my mind.

I have lately begun to spend a bit more and buy the hull-less mixtures. Less waste, no mess to clean up (anything that hits the ground is eaten by the doves), and no sprouting under my feeder. It IS more. But it goes much farther. I get both hulled sunflowere seeds & chips, and a mix with hulled sunflowers, peanuts, and smaller seeds. The birds love it. I even have wrens and some warblers trying it out, and they are primarily insect eaters.

And don't forget your hummingbirds. In Zone 9 areas, they are back for the summer now (if they ever left, and there is a lot of debate & new info on that topic). Mine are in my yard daily, and sipping from both my coral honeysuckle & other plants, and my feeders. There are commercially prepared feeder mixes that only contain natural food coloring available now. (You don't want the ones with Red Dye #whatever in them. It's not good for the hummers.) Or you can make your own. Boil 4 cups water to 1 cup sugar, and let cool. Never use honey or artifical sweetener in place of the sugar. Honey can be deadly to them, and artifical sweetener will starve them.

That's everything I can think of off the bat, but if you have more question, give a holler. Nothing improves a garden like birds & other wildlife. Welcome to what I hope will be years of enjoyment for you.

Marcia

Marcia, as always, you're a wealth of information! I have a question though. Can I use the raw/turbinado sugar rather than the white/processed for the hummers?

As far as waterers, I've seen them bathing out of small plastic food trays I have catching excess water under plants. I also use plastic pot saucers on top of tomato cages as a cheap alternative to an actual birdbath. With a few rocks in there it's not too deep for even the wee guys. Plus, with a vine planted at the base the wire quickly disappears :)

I like the idea of the tomato cages and saucers, V. The birds don't care if it is cute. They just want clean water. And you bring up a good point...it needs to be shallow. Many songbirds will not step into water that looks like it might be deep. I usually add a rock or the like to my birdbaths, or even a layer of rocks in the bottom. The smaller birds will land on the rock (keep it barely sticking up out of the water) and lean forward to bathe.

I don't know anything about raw sugar, V. Sorry. I would IMAGINE it would work, but you should probably google around and see if you can get something definitive. I know honey is bad. Small babies and hummers can die from something in honey. And of course they will starve with sugar substitute, because the FOOD they are needing is sugar. And if it's not in the nectar, but it TASTES like it is, they will keep drinking that and get no nutrition at all.

If you find out anything on the raw sugar, let us know. I'd be interested in learning more about that.

Marcia

I really DO know how to spell artificial! I just made a typo...TWICE...and couldn't edit it. (I sure wish that feature was available to us!)

Marcia

Marcia,

Thanks so much for the informative feedback. We're heading to the stores tonight to find the right seed and feeders.
My girls are so excited and have their notebooks ready to start recording the bird visits!! I love that sense of wonder they have.
Any good websites that show what to expect at certain times of the year (migratory or otherwise?) We are in East central Fl.

Thanks again,
Scott

I make sure any feeder has plenty of metal around the feeding holes and perches . Squirrels can gnaw away plastic in a heartbeat . These sturdy feeders cost more but last a very long time . I have one that is 20 years old and as good as the day I bought it .
Tractor Supply has a good selection of feeders and seed . I keep the sunflower and safflower seed in a steel trash can . The squirrels ate the original bungy cord I used on the handles and up across the top so now I keep the lid chained down . You should hear them banging that chain up and down in frustration !