The Birds Are All A-Twitter
May 14th, 2009 by Shari
As I mentioned in an earlier blog, feeding the birds can be a real hoot! It’s also humane and charitable, and it shows that you’re a real swell egg. On top of everything, however, it’s a commitment. Once you start, it’s important to stick with it, as your birdfeeder should be a reliable and steady source of food for the birds.
Of course, birds can survive in the wild on their own, and have been doing so for millions of years. Even so, there are times when they really need our help, not only in the winter, when things are frozen over, but in the summer as well, particularly during periods of drought. So, if you start feeding them, then suddenly withdraw your largesse, you’re going to cause a real flap and ruffle some feathers!
Although each species has its own food preferences, finches, sparrows, downy woodpeckers, tufted titmice, slate-colored juncos, black-capped chickadees, and cardinals, thrive mostly on seeds during the winter, when fruit, insects, and many other natural food sources are scarce. Even in the warmer months, when other food is available, they, along with many of their fair-weather friends, will be regular visitors at your birdfeeders.
It’s best to have multiple feeding stations offering different foods. Sunflower seeds are by far the favorite among the largest assortment of birds; but always use black oil sunflower seeds, which, besides being easier for smaller birds to crack open, have a high fat and oil content that gives them the energy that they need to survive under inclement conditions. To set the widest variety of birds a-twitter, you should also provide hulled peanuts, thistle seeds, suet mixed with seeds or fruit, peanut butter, and white millet seed.
It also helps to use many styles of birdfeeders, such as hopper, platform, tube, and fly-through designs. You can find all of these birdfeeders, as well as an assortment of birdhouses, at CedarStore.com. Best of all, some of them ship in as few as two business days, so, before you know it, you’ll be all set up and enjoying hilarious daily performances of those rollicksome, frolicsome birds, as you relax on your porch swing, glider, rocking chair, or hammock.
Oh, yeah – don’t worry if you see only one or two birds the first day you put up your feeders, because the birds will immediately begin tweeting each other, and the word will spread quickly. You know, I just realized that it kinda makes sense that the newest, fastest way of relaying information uses bird references. Apparently, they’re the original masters at mass communications; that’s why, when asked how they came upon a bit of insider information, people often say, “a little bird told me.”
So, rest assured, in no time at all, the entire bird community will be flocking to your backyard diner. In fact, it will soon become the trendiest place in town, where every-birdie who’s any-birdie will want to be seen!
Yours Outdoors,
Kathy
