Spring is one of the most beautiful times of the year in East Texas. The flowers and trees delight us with their happy colors, ushering in a new season of growth. The birds that enjoy these plants enhance our yards and gardens with their bright colors and song. Many gardeners work to enhance their yard's visitors by providing them with feeders. The feeders themselves can be a visual enhancement to yards and gardens and provide birds with a reason to pay your yard more visits.
When selecting a bird feeder for your yard or garden, you need to make sure that you are selecting one that will be able to keep the seed you put out for the birds clean and dry. There are tall feeders, short feeders, and many in between. The sky is the limit when selecting one for your own enjoyment. Many birds prefer to eat from a perch, so providing a space for them to do so will be beneficial. Hummingbirds feed while in flight, so feeders designed for them do no need a perch. When selecting what type of feed to use for the bird feeder, you need to keep in mind which types of birds your a working to attract. Black oil sunflower seeds, safflower, millet, and thistle are popular bird seed options, or you can buy a prepackaged mixture. If you are seeking to feed hummingbirds, a simple recipe of 1part refined sugar to 4 parts boiling water will make them happy. The red dye found in commerical blends in not needed. Keep in mind that if you are trying to attract a rare bird by feeding it you shouldn't. Feeding them will bring them in close contact with humans which will expose them to dangers, as well as inhibit their ability to forage for themselves if they become dependent on humans for food. This will do more harm to these species than good. Location of your feeder can also have a large impact on your success. Ideally, the feeder will be near nesting sites and structures and have a potable water source. |
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August 2022
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