Feeding Newbie - Resouces?
I've recently started feeding the birds in my very urban, south Philly garden. I'd like to learn... a lot!
1. The most ecologically sustainable ways to feed the birds.
2. How to attract a variety of birds - I do know that different birds like different foods and/or feeders.
3. How to discourage certain urban wildlife - I don't mind feeding the squirrels as long as they stay on the ground - the pigeons, on the other hand...
I've looked at Cornell's bird website and around the web in general. Also contacted local wildlife centers... without much luck.
What advice do you have for me?
My feeders (cats are indoors only:)
Comments (28)
- 10 years ago
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Comments (5)Hey Jenny, Everything I have read about worming said not to use glossy paper. I started my bins using cut up newsprint. It seems to have worked out fine. I also use shredded office paper which also works good. Recently I have been using shredded leaves and that has worked the best for bedding from my observations. If you don't take the newspaper ask a neighbor for some or see if you can get some recycled paper from somewhere (not glossy). I agree about restricting foodstocks. You may also find a smaller container to house the little guys in until they start having babies and the population increases. I have read that a less dense population will increase very slowly. When I started worming I bought Mary Applehoffs book "Worms Eat My Garbage". It's not expensive and very informative. I hope this helps,Tim...See Morenewbie questions - how much to feed, leachate?
Comments (10)Yes we started with a lot of worms. We generate about 6lbs of kitchen waste a week according to my husband. In the past 6 months (we just moved to N. Mexico last fall), we've been putting this, together with a lot of animal poop plus garden greens and browns, into the big compost bin. So far we have about a volume of 4' x 4' x 3' of compostable stuff which is decaying very slowly. Our hope is to add worms to the big bin some time when it's cooler. Then we'll keep a smaller population in the rubbermaid bins, feeding it on the kitchen waste. I don't know how the worms will do in the big compost pile. This is all an experiment to try to speed up the rate of composting. At the rate we generate compostables, the big bin would overflow in a few months. My concern isn't too many worms, not for a while. I assume that if the population in the big bin is too large, the worms will escape and be eaten by the birds. We are adding bedding, mostly damp cardboard and some paper, regularly and keeping everything covered with bedding. I assume the lack of any leachate means I'm not overdoing the food. I don't have room to freeze or blend the kitchen waste, it's too much volume and mess. I hope the week or so in the outside bucket starts the decomposition process. The next hurdle is harvesting. I need to think on this - I'm still too squeamish to handle the worms with my hands. But the garden desperately needs organic matter and nutrients, so I'm looking forward to the proceeds of my worm colony....See MoreNewbie here. How much do I feed my worms?
Comments (6)Ok, Patti, pour yourself a nice, tall glass of iced tea, take a deep breath and relax! Your questions are certainly not stupid, you have done nothing wrong with your bin, and it sounds as though you have some excellent resources for use in the system. All is well! First, you need to know that while straw may not be the first most favorite bedding of many vermicomposters, it is by no means a poor bedding choice. That you used straw mixed with paper means that, regardless of what any of us think of straw, it is most likely that the environment you've created in the bin will be wonderful from the worm perspective, and it is their opinion that matters most. It was not a mistake to use the straw, regardless of whether or not it was chopped. Some folks prefer materials other than straw simply because straw takes longer to break down than many of the other bedding options, thus, you may find bits of it in your "finished" material. This is the biggest challenge associated with the stuff, however, and if this is the worst thing you ever have to deal with you are cerainly in very good shape! ::grin:: On the upside, the fact that straw will tend to hang around longer than most other bedding options means that it will remain in the system after all other materials have been fragmented into very small pieces, aiding in keeping channels open for good oxygen penetration. The take home message in this is that straw, as with all bedding materials, comes with some drawbacks and some advantages, but it is generally considered a good bedding option and is used successfully in many home vermicomposting systems. You're in good shape! As to feeding your worms, begin small and work up based on worm activity. Consider burying about a cup of food scraps (be sure to include some moist, succulent veggie and fruit peals) in the bedding, making sure the scraps of completely buried, and check this pocket of scraps daily to see when the worms move in to begin feeding. Once they've become active in the first addition of food scraps, bury another cup or so of scraps in the bedding, adjacent to the first addition. Check this new addition of scraps daily to see when the worms move in. When they move in to the second addition of food scraps, add another adjacent to it, and keep checking. The previous addition of food does not need to be completely finished before adding more, there simply needs to be several worms active in and/or around it. Feeding in this way means you are feeding based on worm activity, and ensures you are adding sufficient material to keep them well fed and comfortable with breeding, but not so much that the bin envionment can become overly wet (due to the high moisture content of food scraps) and unpleasant. As to ants, it is only fire ants about which we need to be concerned in North America, and we do not have fire ants here in the PNW (I live in southwestern WA state). Few ant species anywhere in the world are predators of earthworms and none of our Northwest species are problematic in the bin at all. The presence of ants in the soaked leaves should NOT discourage you from using those leaves, which tend to have many advantages in a worm bin. Add the leaves! You'll be glad you did! It sounds as though you're doing just fine with your bin. Mix some of those lovely wetted leaves in as a part of the bedding, add some food, and don't be afraid to check on the progress of the worms, despite the cautions agains "disturbing the worms" that you might read on other web sites. These worm species are incredibly tolerant of disruption to their environment, and a system functions far more effectively when the humans involved are comforatable with observing and interacting with the bin environment. This is really is a simple system to manage, Patti, and it sounds as though you've started things off very well. You and your daughter are going to love it; trust me! Kelly S...See More- 10 years ago
Thank you, Pat. I'd visited Cornell's site, but somehow missed this article, and it was really helpful!
I'm excited about feeding the birds, and very much hope that I (and my birds) don't become a nuisance to neighbors (unwanted wildlife, bird poop) in such a way that I'm asked to cease & desist...
10 years agoHi Carrie! Congrats on
your new journey to feeding the birds. And, I'm sorry to hear about your glass
feeder that broke. Some of my favorite feeders that I see the birds on all the
time are my cheap plastic gazebo style ones (bought at Walmart or Lowes for
about $10). They have broke over the years but I continue to buy them and use
them. I recently bought a bunch of Droll Yankees feeders. I found some amazing
deals on them at my local Walmart. Plus I love that they are made in America
and come with a great warranty. I've been using them for months and haven't had
any issues.The best way to
attract a variety of birds is to offer 3 things: a variety of food options
(including different styles of feeders), water, and a safe habitat.
Black sunflower seed
is the most popular and easiest to offer in my opinion. Plus it’s affordable
& attracts a variety of birds. Next up I would offer suet. It’s cheap and
easy to offer as well. I see several woodpeckers on a daily basis hanging on to
my suet feeders. Next I would offer Thistle. This stuff is a little pricey but
the birds love it. I feed mine in a thistle feeder made by Droll Yankees. I
also feed peanuts (in the shell and out). I just recently added safflower to my
mix and the birds are already eating it up. I like to buy my seed in bulk and
make my own mixes. For example, I buy 50 pound bag of the BOSS (just got a bag
on sale for $18.95) and bags of safflower, cracked corn, and nuts. Then I mix
it all, using about 80% BOSS, 10% safflower, and a couple peanuts and cracked
corn – that’s my most recent mix.
Stay away from the
cheap store mixes. These often have milo – which the birds will pass up and go
for the good stuff (usually creating a mess too).
Tube feeders that have perches are too small for birds like cardinals to
land on so make sure you offer more than one variety of feeders. I did add
trays to my tube feeders and the bigger birds land on the trays so that’s a
plus.
Attracting a wide variety of birds comes with time and patience in my
opinion. I have set out fruit but didn’t see any birds touching it. Only
certain birds eat certain foods, and some are harder to attract so it does take
some time. It’s good to know what types of birds are in your area during
different times of the year, that way you know what to put out. I have several
books on this so I would suggest getting a book that specializes in your area.As long as you’re providing a safe environment for the birds, keeping
your feeders clean and filled (especially in winter) and offering water sources
then you’re doing it right.
I started with one bag of birdseed a couple years ago, feeding the birds on my porch rail. Today I have a bird station for prep work hahahaha. I love feeding them! :)
My bird area:
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Mrsshayne - thank you!
A few questions for you (or anyone!) I know that the BOSS, if purchased shelled, is more expensive - I'm considering buying that to reduce mess. Other than expense, are there other reasons to stick with the BOSS with shells? Will shelled last just as long and be just as appealing to birds?
I've had a suet feeder up for 2 or 3 weeks and I don't think it's been touched. Should I just be patient?
Oh, I put out a bird bath about a week ago - a very large plant saucer, up on a pedestal, with a few rocks at different height as perches. I've seen the squirrels drink out of it, but no bird action yet.
I have the Audubon Society's Easter Region Field Guide right on the table with me. I get mostly house sparrows & house finches. I did see this other sparrow (pictured below,) but not sure which one it is. And cardinals once or twice a day.
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mrsshaynes - I hear you about getting excited for other birds! Thanks for the good information about hulled/with shell. I'm in such an urban area - though only a few blocks from the Delaware River & park - that I think birds appreciate me giving them a food option.
Given my space limitations, I'd love to find... maybe 3 feeder/food combos to maximize my feeding success. On your suggestion in Pat's post, I ordered the Cardinal feeder (from Target, the cheapest I found it.) I may also want to get a nyjer feeder. I have the nyjer "sock" up now, but it's almost empty.
Pat - yikes. That's a lot of cleaning the water! It'll be easy in summer when the hose is out there, but it's too big to even fit in my sink... maybe I should go wit a smaller bird bath.
I don't mind feeding the squirrels on the ground. And it keeps the cats out of trouble.
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Glad to hear things are going well and you sound like you're addicted too with "a bunch of feeders" hehehehe. I'm getting a ton of house finches and sparrows too. I don't mind the doves but the black starlings are obnoxious lately. I snapped these pics earlier today. They aren't the greatest because I took them behind our glass door. My husband screwed down this little feeder on our deck rail and the birds visit it all day long.
(woodpecker won this battle lol)
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