This One’s for the Birds and for the Birders on that Christmas Gift List!
(Via gardenauthor)
Mmm! Even ceramic cardinals seem to relish a bit of suet - of course, our backyard cardinal is not a clinging bird, so would have to wait for the woodpecker or chickadee to drop a few morsels. All the clinging birds that can negotiate these suet cages will welcome the addition of suet cakes to your backyard feeding station... this high-energy food insulates against the wet and cold of winter.
If you must choose just one type of seed, make it black oil sunflower... a favorite of all birds and most backyard wildlife. A tube feeder with metal-reinforced seed ports, is an ideal way to present this seed to small birds, such as chickadees, nuthatches and titmice.
The tiny, black thistle seed that all finches and a few other small birds truly enjoy, are offered in a specialized thistle feeder which allows them to extract one seed at a time.
A high-quality seed blend, with striped and black oil sunflower, peanut hearts, safflower seed, thistle, golden millet and other sought-after foods, will attract an upscale backyard clientele. Red millet, milo and various other grains are common fillers in inexpensive blends and tend to attract less desirable birds and rodents.
Now, if you, like I, have the average-sized, feathered birds at your feeders, you may be intrigued by the above fur-bearing specimens. Humongous (compared to the real thing) and furry, these birds are also perfect for gift-giving... mimicking, upon demand, the individual song, characteristic of the breed... fun for adults and educational for children. These are well-made, with detailed coloration and, in the case of the female cardinal having a "bad hair day," a fair amount of attitude (why wouldn't she be grumpy, when she needs wider perches or a platform feeder?). Why not include one with that feeder you're giving as a gift?
Feeders, in every conceivable variety are widely available now, at your local garden center. A thoughtful gift, especially when combined with top-quality seed, and a fine way to encourage a favorite gardener to become a backyard birder. Suet cages and suet cakes, seed dispensers, bird houses (shelter now/housing later), birdbath heaters (for open drinking water) and books on birds - particularly the Peterson & Audubon field guides - make ideal gifts.
The overarching message of this posting, is that the backyard birds could truly use our assistance, in light of the substantial snows we received yesterday, here in New England. Much of their natural food sources are buried beneath snow - so, no time like the present, if you were considering setting up a bird feeding station. And don't forget to offer an open source of water, a real lifesaver as local bodies of water freeze over... birdbath heaters make this an easy proposition.
So, get out there and tend to your backyard birds... shop for the birds... shop for your friends. Enjoy nature, and sharing the joys of nature, with all those backyard enthusiasts!
©Deb Lambert 2007
Photos ©2007: Courtesy of the staff of Corliss Bros. Garden Center & Nursery (Ipswich, MA)
Mmm! Even ceramic cardinals seem to relish a bit of suet - of course, our backyard cardinal is not a clinging bird, so would have to wait for the woodpecker or chickadee to drop a few morsels. All the clinging birds that can negotiate these suet cages will welcome the addition of suet cakes to your backyard feeding station... this high-energy food insulates against the wet and cold of winter.
If you must choose just one type of seed, make it black oil sunflower... a favorite of all birds and most backyard wildlife. A tube feeder with metal-reinforced seed ports, is an ideal way to present this seed to small birds, such as chickadees, nuthatches and titmice.
The tiny, black thistle seed that all finches and a few other small birds truly enjoy, are offered in a specialized thistle feeder which allows them to extract one seed at a time. 
A high-quality seed blend, with striped and black oil sunflower, peanut hearts, safflower seed, thistle, golden millet and other sought-after foods, will attract an upscale backyard clientele. Red millet, milo and various other grains are common fillers in inexpensive blends and tend to attract less desirable birds and rodents.Now, if you, like I, have the average-sized, feathered birds at your feeders, you may be intrigued by the above fur-bearing specimens. Humongous (compared to the real thing) and furry, these birds are also perfect for gift-giving... mimicking, upon demand, the individual song, characteristic of the breed... fun for adults and educational for children. These are well-made, with detailed coloration and, in the case of the female cardinal having a "bad hair day," a fair amount of attitude (why wouldn't she be grumpy, when she needs wider perches or a platform feeder?). Why not include one with that feeder you're giving as a gift?
Feeders, in every conceivable variety are widely available now, at your local garden center. A thoughtful gift, especially when combined with top-quality seed, and a fine way to encourage a favorite gardener to become a backyard birder. Suet cages and suet cakes, seed dispensers, bird houses (shelter now/housing later), birdbath heaters (for open drinking water) and books on birds - particularly the Peterson & Audubon field guides - make ideal gifts.
The overarching message of this posting, is that the backyard birds could truly use our assistance, in light of the substantial snows we received yesterday, here in New England. Much of their natural food sources are buried beneath snow - so, no time like the present, if you were considering setting up a bird feeding station. And don't forget to offer an open source of water, a real lifesaver as local bodies of water freeze over... birdbath heaters make this an easy proposition.
So, get out there and tend to your backyard birds... shop for the birds... shop for your friends. Enjoy nature, and sharing the joys of nature, with all those backyard enthusiasts!
©Deb Lambert 2007
Photos ©2007: Courtesy of the staff of Corliss Bros. Garden Center & Nursery (Ipswich, MA)
