For the Birds

Reprinted with permission from Winter 1992 issue Rural Living, Michigan Farm Bureau

Attracting the birds is both easy and inexpensive. While foods, such as bread or doughnuts broken into small pieces and scattered on the ground or a suet bag hanging on the branch of a tree will attract the first birds to your yard. If you have trees for shelter nearby, songbirds such as bluejays and chickadees will quickly announce the discovery of your handouts. To keep the birds coming back, you'll soon want to add a bird seed feeder, and provide a shallow, rough-textured container for water

SAFE AND SURE

Sounds easy and it is, but remember that while providing feeding stations in the winter is a nice way to enjoy the presence of a variety of wildlife, it is also a big responsibility. If birds learn to depend on your feeding station, you should make arrangements for continuous feeding even when you're away. Leaving for Florida or vacation without continuing to feed the now-dependent wildlife could cause slow deaths from malnutrition and exposure during the coldest time of the year.

James Sikarskie, Michigan State University associate professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine says casual or irregular feeding can endanger wildlife by concentrating them at an exposed feeding station. It makes them vulnerable to predators and diseases like salmonella, which is spread by fecal contamination of the food.

Animal watchers can reduce these dangers by dispersing wildlife feeders around the backyard. Sikarskie suggests placing well-constructed feeders in several locations, sticking ears of dried corn on nails and hanging suet bags around the edge of the yard. Select protected locations with nearby brush or trees to provide cover and, perching areas for the birds. Most importantly, he says, it's very important to continue feeding the same type of bird and animal Feed throughout the winter. It's best to continue feeding several weeks after the last snowstorm or until the frost-free date (mid-to-late May in Michigan).

BIRD SEED: PLAIN AND FANCY

Your choices of feed will largely determine the birds your feeding station will attract. Bird feeds are available in convenient, pre-mixed variety of sunflower seeds, rapeseed, millet, and sorghum. Generally available at supermarkets and feed supply stores, these mixtures are relatively inexpensive particularly when purchased in bulk. In addition, commercial mixes will attract a wide variety of birds.

Those who wish to attract certain species or discourage "undesirable" birds may choose to offer separate feeds such as cracked corn, sunflowers, and niger thistle seed. Although not a first choice for birds, they will eat safflower seeds and the seeds are shunned by squirrels. Look for these at nature centers or farm and garden stores, but expect to pay more for these "menu" selections.

During the winter months, beef suet is available in the supermarket meat section and can be hung from tree branches in netted bags or rendered and mixed with seed, bits of fruit and other foods for the birds to make your own suet cakes.

Dry dog food in a self feeder protected from the weather is an inexpensive, yet excellent and long-lasting food for many birds and small animals. Some table scraps and food refuse such as egg shells (a calcium source for birds) can also be fed in small quantities. Try cooked potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, cereal, melon and squash seeds, and pieces of bruit· Small quantities and small pieces are important; otherwise you'll attract unwanted guests.

(NOTE: Also, if you don't store your bulk seed supplies indoors, you'll want to keep it in covered, vermin proof storage.)

HOME RECIPES

Cooking for the birds is a fun project for children and adults alike and a special treat for the over-wintering birds. Select your ingredients from those already mentioned using rendered suet, bacon grease or peanut butter to bind the mixture. You may also want to add raisins, currants or brown sugar. Re-use small containers such as tuna fish cans and margarine tubs by filling them with the concoction.