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Dalton
Roberts |
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Often when I go somewhere to perform, people ask me for a column on my bird-feeding area. If you are like me, your bird-feeding area will be regularly changing to meet the changes in bird population and your own personal preferences.
To design your bird-feeding area you need to decide which birds you wish to attract. I want to get rid of the black birds (except redwings) so I use no general bird mixes containing corn and millet. My only regret is losing the doves. I love them but they can lay away more seed than any other bird and I have just quit trying to attract them. I don’t mind them hanging around under my feeders to pick up stray seeds.
Give top priority in your feeding area to water. You may think they can find plenty of water but their bodies are bothered by toxic water as much as a human body. Where can they find good drinking water if we don’t put it out for them?
I quit putting water in a pan on the ground when a cat got one of my birds. It is easy for them to hide and make a dash for a bird as it drinks. Never underestimate cats. It is foolish to think a well-fed cat will not attack birds. Set your feeders as far away as possible from places where cats can hide.
A neighbor’s car jumped five feet up in the air and swatted one of my birds sitting on a feeder. Luckily it escaped. When I told my neighbor he laughed and said, “That cat is too lazy to jump that high.” People who love cats refuse to believe their precious little kitty-poos would hurt anything. Cats remain the number one predators of birds. Famed Chattanooga naturalist Robert Sparks Walker said a prowling cat could kill as many as eight birds a day. They kill them slowly, carefully torturing them as they go.
I have never allowed my cats to roam. A cat can be trained to remain in the house. If you put one in the barn to kill rats they will kill more birds than rats.
When I lost that bird with my ground waterer, I bought a hanging feeder, making it much more safe from cats. Mine is made of glass and is easy to clean but I saw some nice copper and plain metal hanging bird waterers at Wild Birds. There are two Wild Bird s Unlimited stores here now, the original one at 7626 East Brainerd Road and the new one at 6180 Hixson Pike. Of course, birdseed and feeders are also available at hardware, home supply chains and some pet stores. I prefer to shop with stores that have bird experts on staff so I can get my questions answered.
Here are the feeders I have in my feeding area:
1. Two clingers-only feeders from Wild Birds to attract chickadees, titmice and finch. 2. A tube feeder from Wild Birds for goldfinch that requires birds to hang upside down. Only goldfinch and chickadees can do that so I put my most expensive feed (thistle and sunflower chips) in it. 3. One feeder I bought at Ace just big enough for cardinals to sit on so I can stock it with safflower – the favorite seed of cardinals. If you dislike house finch you may want to leave this one out of your area. 4. A wire cage feeder from Wild Birds designed for peanuts. Only small birds can get inside and the red-bellied woodpecker can access it from underneath. Wrens also love this one. 5. Another cage feeder designed for suet for woodpeckers and small birds. Wire feeders cost around $30 so if you can afford only one, go with the peanut feeder. It will attract more birds and you can feed peanuts year-round. Suet melts and makes a mess in the summer.
Call me at 697-0680 if you still have questions. ~~~~~ Hear Dalton's weekly podcast at www.timesfreepress.com/podcast/downhome/mp3/102006.mp3
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