Today, I’m sharing backyard bird tips on how to bring birds to feeders. First, when I started gardening years ago, I’ve starting noticing the backyard birds more. It seemed that gardening and birdwatching went hand in hand for me. So, I placed several feeders throughout the yard to see what birds I could attract. I love watching the birds enjoy the food and show their personalities. Yes, birds have personalities. Now, I find bird watching to be relaxing. It’s a great way to connect with nature and a great way to peak intellectual curiosity about these beautiful creatures.
So, some of my favorites backyard birds are the Blue Jays, Cardinals, and the American Goldfinch. I find the colors on all of them striking. Unfortunately, the male Goldfinch molts and loses it brilliance in the fall. It turns a dull yellow. It becomes hard to distinguish the male from the female.
Next, learning the identity of various birds is a great to stimulate the brain. It requires research and opportunity to learn their cousins and their habits. I have feeders outside my bedroom window and feeders outside my family room window. I blog, read and watch TV by both windows, it provides an opportunity for me to capture great photos. And, my favorite photo opportunities are during winter snow storms. I open the curtains, enjoy the fireplace and wait for the perfect opportunity to grab a few photos. The feeders have lots of activity when it’s cold and snowy.
Furthermore, placing a feeder in the yard is a great way to get your children off electronics and interested in the birds. They can learn the calls of backyard birds and watch them interact with each other. Fortunately, their habits are quite interesting too.
Bring Birds to Backyard Bird Feeders:
- Fill feeders with a quality mix of birdseed. I have a large feeder that lasts for 3 days. You can cut the recipe in half if yours is smaller.
Here’s the recipe to bring backyard birds to your feeder:
- 8 ounces of no waste bird seed
- 8 ounces of chopped peanut pieces
- 16 ounces of black oil sunflower seeds
- 8 ounces of dried cranberries, raisins or apples
- 8 ounces of cracked corn
Note: I use an 8 ounce plastic cup to measure my ingredients. Also, if you have raw peanuts instead of the peanut pieces, use your kitchen chopper to break them into smaller pieces. And, I chop the dried fruit. Mix the seed mixture thoroughly. I use a long handle spoon
- Fill a feeder with Safflower Seeds – You can attract different birds with different types of food. Not all birds love safflower seeds. However, Norther Cardinals, Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadees and more love it.
- Use Suet Cages – Also, suet is the perfect food to offer backyard birds, especially in cold, snowy months. My backyard birds can’t get enough of my homemade suet cakes.
- Fruit – Catbirds devour fruit in the spring. Cherries, apples, and grapes are favorites.
- Shelled Peanuts – Last, Blue Jays, Woodpeckers, and Carolina Chickadees love unsalted shelled peanuts.
Additionally, I grow sunflowers in my garden in the summer. The American Goldfinch and Cardinals devour the seeds.
Catbird
So, the feasting starts at the backyard bird feeders most mornings around 7:00 am and doesn’t stop until sunset. I fill my feeders every 3 days. In the winter, I add suet in addition to the feeder, peanut butter birdseed pinecones or birdseed cookies to the feeding station. The birds need the fat during the colder months to help keep them warm.
Finally, I hope that you found my post on backyard birds helpful. Follow tips and you will have feathered friends in your backyard in no time. Also, if you missed my post on making Birdseed Cookies, just click on this link. It’s a fun activity for the kids this winter and they will be helping nature feed our feathered friends. Do you have your children involved in nature? What activities do they do?
