Birds and Squirrels

Droll Yankees is a company that manufactures quality bird feeders that are distributed through retailers, including Birds DunRite.  In 1969, artist, engineer and inventor Peter Kilham developed revolutionary tube bird feeders for Droll Yankees that became popular with both birds and people, and remain a best seller to this day.

Droll Yankees believes that people feeding the birds can help the planet maintain its own health and restore the balance of nature-a larger number of birds will survive to reproduce in the spring if they are fed during the winter. A portion of the proceeds of their product sales is donated to causes that support wild birds and their habitats.

If you have a birdfeeder in your yard, you may have dealt with “bully birds”. Bully birds are usually blackbirds, grackles, house sparrows, and pigeons who want the birdseed in your feeder or on the ground and will chase away your favorite birds so they can inhale it all.

Bully birds are usually bigger than the birds you are trying to attract with your feeder, so try to limit accessibility of the feeding ports and keep the area under the feeder as free of seed and suet as possible to discourage pigeons. It can also be beneficial to eliminate favorite bully bird foods from your bird feeding area-they seem to prefer bread, corn, wheat and sunflower seeds.  Finches prefer hanging thistle bird feeders, while safflower seeds in hopper or tray feeders will appeal to cardinals, nuthatches, and chickadees.

The Pacific Northwest has so many native species of birds that it can be hard to keep track of which ones are visiting your window bird feeders each day. To get a wide variety of birds to eat at your feeder try using a variety of food to lure them; sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, peanuts and traditional bird seed are food types that can be used to attract different birds.

You will be surprised how many different colors shapes and sizes of birds you will see. Gold finches, nut hatchers, cardinals, bluebirds, woodpeckers and doves are all frequent visitors to Pacific Northwest birdfeeders. If you’re really interested in identifying the birds purchase some bird-watching binoculars for a birds-eye view.

There are several bird feeder companies that manufacture quality feeders that are distributed through retailers.  In 1969, artist, engineer and inventor Peter Kilham developed a revolutionary tube bird feeder that became popular with both birds and people and remains a best seller to this day. Their unique design allows you to keep a good amount of food in the feeder at all times, eliminating the need to constantly refill it.

Many people believe that feeding the birds can help the planet maintain its own health and restore the balance of nature-a larger number of birds will survive to reproduce in the spring if they are fed during the winter. This is just one way that we can protect the wildlife in our area and ensures that we don’t contribute to the termination of species.

  A Bluebirds’ diet consists of insects and fruit. These birds will perch themselves on a branch looking down waiting for an insect, then swoop in on them almost like a bird of prey. If you want to feed them you can plant native plants like American Bittersweet, or you can try providing them with mealworms. These worms (which are actualy beetle larval and not worms at all) will provide them with a high source of nutrition and protein. 

  You can first try feeding them by putting the worms in a pan or cup close to one of thier favorite perches. They are quick to learn where the food is and can even be trained to come to a call or whistle. The biggest problem with feeding Bluebirds mealworms is, they aren’t the only ones who enjoy these mouthwatering treats. Solution? Try a Bluebird Feeder. With a Bluebird feeder the bird has to enter through a entrance hole where the food is and most other birds will not do this. In the end you will have plenty of hours to spend with these beautiful birds!

Quickly becoming one of America’s favorite birds is the Oriole. With their striking black and orange or yellow feathers and their unique whistles and song it’s easy to understand why. So why not bring some more color into your yard with these beautiful birds! Orioles do most of their migrating at night so by the time they get to you they’re ready to eat. 

Now how to feed them? Nectar feeders with Oriole nectar are always a good idea. But nectar isn’t the only food on the menu. Try getting a fruit and jelly feeder. Cut oranges in half and attach them to the feeder with the juicy side out. The other favorite is grape jelly, I’ve heard many people say that not only do they keep their orioles around longer (some say all winter) but the sugar content makes for a high-energy food. And if you also love Woodpeckers, Robins, Warblers and Tanagers you’ll have your yard filled with favorites. Once you get them you can try some other foods. I had one person say her Orioles and Blue jays loved popcorn! No salt please. So feed and enjoy!

Sunflower seeds are an undeniable delicacy in the winged world as proven by the fact that birds will flutter from acres around just to indulge in the bite-sized morsels. Bird seed is also among the most convenient of foods to buy as it can be found in bulk at most farm supply stores. Still, this mainstay of the bird diet isn’t exactly the be-all, end-all. If you’d like to diversify you backyard birding portfolio by bringing in a few new specimens, try upgrading to suet.

To you and me, suet doesn’t seem like the most appealing dish in the world. To a woodpecker, nuthatch or chickadee, however, it’s one of the most heavenly concoctions ever devised. Suet is really a glorified term for a block of rendered fat that may feature a few additions such as seeds and peanut butter. Suet bird feeders resemble a small cage, which can be loaded with a brick of suet and left for the birds to enjoy.

It’s a battle that’s seemingly been waged since the dawn of time. No, I’m not referring to the conflict in the Middle East or anything quite so weighty and grand. This particular skirmish recurs on a daily basis in backyards across the nation, and the two principle parties are humans and squirrels. The squirrels just want to scavenge a few seeds from low-hanging bird feeders. For their part, the humans are interested in keeping that from happening at all costs.

Selective, squirrel proof bird feeders are the secret weapon that can sway the war firmly in the humans’ favor. The feeders boast a protective cage that wraps around its base. This cage is too narrow to allow furry intruders any entry points, but it’s wide enough to let birds pass at will. From a squirrel’s perspective, this confounding contraption is utterly worthless, but to you it will prove invaluable.

With their bright orange, yellow and black plumage, orioles can’t help but make a grand entrance when they appear in your backyard. Many homeowners are so taken by the sight of these beautiful creatures that they try to attract them through specialized means. In order to lure an oriole closer to your home, you’ll need to come bearing fruit. Start by cutting an orange in half and laying it face-up on a railing.

Once you’ve confirmed the bird’s interest in eating in your neck of the woods, start looking around for oriole feeders. These receptacles are similar to hummingbird feeders in that they are meant to be filled with nectar. Fill the feeder with four parts water for every one part sugar, and then hang it from the exterior of the house or a nearby tree branch.

  When attempting to attract Goldfinches to your yard sometimes less is more. Just plant some of their favorites like Marigolds, Zinnias, Cosmos, or Cornflowers and don’t bother to cut off the tops, Goldfinches love them. You don’t even have to weed out the dandelions these also are favorites. What a great excuse to get out of weeding!

 Of course you’re also going to want to put up some thistle tube feeders, since other than the plants you’ve planted for them they eat seed almost exclusively. Even to the point of bringing partially digested seed to feed their brood. And if you want to keep them around all year you’ll want to keep those feeders full. To keep them from competing too much over the feeder you can always put up some extra inexpensive thistle sacks. That way you’re sure to keep these golden beauties close to you with their delightful songs and charming flights.