Feeding the Birds

Bird feeder and bath

For most of my adult life, I have eschewed the use of feeders in my landscape, promoting instead creating landscapes that feed them naturally. I recently broke from my tradition and purchased and installed one. My landscape is just too many years away from doing what my birds need. I also have to admit that having this feeder (and bath) is fun. With it, I'm noticing birds that are in my area and getting an opportunity to make a difference in their diets.
On the first day, I had tufted titmice and Carolina chickadees visit me, taking turns at plucking a shelled sunflower seed from the tube feeder and flying off into the cover behind me. Today, I had a pair of cardinals and a red-bellied woodpecker stop by as well. It's been rewarding to share my yard with these gorgeous birds. As my small woodland develops over the next few years, it might feed them also, but for now my feeder is indispensable. Landscapes can only do so much.
I've also been playing with the pole guard to discourage the gray squirrels that also want to use it. It seems mean to not help them also, but they have plenty to eat already or they wouldn't be here in the numbers that they are. It took a few adjustments to get it high enough up the pole to keep them out and today it would seem that I've accomplished my objective. I've not seen them feeding from it; just birds.
How birds discover a feeder in an area that did not formerly have one has always intrigued me. Most bird species have relatively no sense of smell or taste which is why bird food laced with hot pepper works to dissuade squirrels and other mammals and not keep birds from feeding. Birds must use their well-developed sense of sight to find a feeder, but how they see a tube feeder like mine and "know" that there is food inside is still a mystery to me. As far as I know, I have no neighbors with a bird feeder. Mine, along with my landscape, is an anomaly in these parts, but the birds were quick to respond to it. 
It takes really very little on our part to provide for the rest of the living world. We just need to share our world with them. We need to be able to evaluate what our landscapes are missing and add it. Of course, different birds have different habitat needs - including food, and my feeder will not do it all. The Carolina wrens will continue to glean insects from the foliage and leaf litter I've provided. Mockingbirds are waiting for the fruit that is yet to be produced by my plants. The palm warbler that is hanging around will ignore the seeds as will any of the migratory warblers that I hope to see in the weeks ahead. 
Landscapes need diversity if we are to create truly living landscapes, but as my diverse landscape continues to develop, my simple feeder will add to what I have planted.



Comments

  1. StoryHatFebruary 27, 2020 at 1:58 PM

    Your Carolina wrens and Mockingbirds would appreciate some dried mealworms. We didn't have any feeder visits from Mockingbirds until I added mealworms as a topper in my flat feeders. Carolina wrens also appreciate shelled peanuts, as do Catbirds and Red-bellied woodpeckers. Warblers particularly like suet, as do Downy woodpeckers. Mealworms and suet are a nice source of protein for insectivores when it's still a bit early for caterpillars.

    The male mockingbird has a high perch in a tree in our backyard - it gives him a fine view of any potential food source in his territory, including the feeders in our front yard. Carolina wrens will check out anything new - they visit the inside of our house if the front door is left open for just a couple of minutes! It's not surprising that the birds quickly discovered your feeder.

    Thank you again for your wonderful blogs, Facebook posts, and books - they have been invaluable guides in choosing native plants to convert our small suburban landscape into a habitat for wildlife.

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