Break out the feeders and call in the birds

Though some backyard birders keep their feeding stations stocked all year, I suspect many concentrate their efforts during the colder months of fall and winter. As cooler weather returns, here are some tips to make feeders attractive to the greatest variety of birds.

Attracting birds is easy. Buy the cheapest seed mix in the grocery story, scatter it on the ground, and you’ll get birds — mostly house sparrows and starlings, and maybe a few rats. A better approach is to match desirable birds to specific foods and feeders.

The single food that attracts the greatest variety of feeder birds is sunflower seed. Black-oil sunflower is appealing because it has a high oil (energy) content, and its shells are thin and easy to crack. Virtually every seed-eating bird eats black-oil seeds.

Striped sunflower seed is also great, but its heavier shell makes it more difficult to crack for smaller birds. It’s a favorite of cardinals, grosbeaks and blue jays. Sunflower seeds are best offered in tube and platform feeders.

Hulled sunflower seeds are more expensive because the hulls have been mechanically removed. But there is no mess and no waste; every ounce of the kernels is eaten. The hulls of in-shell sunflower seeds make up as much as 45 percent of the weight of product, so there’s a good bit of waste. Despite the higher price, I think sunflower kernels are a better value than in-shell seeds.

Though sunflower kernels are a terrific food, they must be kept dry. The only truly weather-proof feeder on the market and the one I use for kernels is called the All-Weather Feeder. It is essentially an oversized tube whose ports are totally protected for rain and snow.

From Africa

Nyjer, the tiny black seeds often incorrectly called “thistle,” attract goldfinches, house finches and purple finches. Because nyjer is imported from Africa and southeast Asia, it’s more expensive than sunflower seed, but its high oil content makes it great winter food. And farmers can rest easy because nyjer is not an invasive thistle species. Furthermore, nyjer is sterilized at U.S. ports of entry so it does not germinate. Finch tube feeders with small feeding ports are best for nyjer.

Nuts of various types are another more expensive bird food, but their appeal to species such as chickadees, titmice, nuthatches and woodpeckers justifies the expense. Peanuts, walnuts, and almonds are the more familiar nuts that are now commonly found in better-quality nut mixes. Stainless steel wire mesh tubes require birds to remove individual nuts so they disappear slowly from this type of feeder.

Live mealworms are a truly irresistible treat for most wild birds. I offer mealworms in a small custard bowl placed on a platform feeder. Reasonably priced sources can be found online (just google “live mealworms”); for instructions on how to start and maintain your own self-sustaining colony, send me $2 and a stamped, self-addressed stamped envelope.

Finally, suet is a favorite of woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches. Best offered in plastic coated wire baskets, suet is high-energy animal fat. It is available commercially in blocks, or you can make your own. Here’s my favorite recipe, courtesy of friend Martha Sargent.

No-melt Peanut Butter Suet: One cup crunchy peanut butter, two cups “quick cook” oats, two cups cornmeal, one cup lard (no substitutes here), one cup white flour and one-third cup sugar. Melt lard and peanut butter in microwave or over low heat, then stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into square freezer containers about 1-1/2 inches thick. Cut to size, separate blocks with wax paper and store in freezer.

We feed birds because we enjoy watching them. Matching our favorite birds with their favorite foods and feeders is the best way to insure an enjoyable fall and winter feeding season.

Migration watch: One way to confirm that many songbirds migrate at night is to step outside on an October evening and listen. Give it 15 or 20 minutes, and you’ll surely hear some flight calls overhead. On a clear night with a bright moon, scan the moon with binoculars or a spotting scope and you may even see some birds cross the moon in flight.

XSend questions and comments to Dr. Scott Shalaway, RD 5, Cameron, WV 26033 or via e-mail to sshalaway@aol.com