How to Create a Friendly Backyard for Birds

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By e-Rambler
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Backyard bird

Bird watching is a favorite activity enjoyed by many people. It is a way to relax and spend time alone or together as a family to observe the beautiful birds that might visit your yard.

Following are tips to help ensure a constant visit of colorful friends and maximize your viewing pleasure.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Patio, deck, yard, or garden
Safe environment (birds have predators, too)
High grade bird food
Feeder
Bird bath
Time
Patience

Step 1

Friendly backyard

Keep your yard clean - - Unclean food sources can create fatal diseases, particularly birds that feed on the ground beneath feeders are at risk. Clean your feeders and the areas underneath them often. Wear rubber or disposable gloves when cleaning soiled feeders.
Step 2

Constant feeding - - Serious bird watchers who care for birds feed them year-round; non-stop. Birds are likely to get into the habit of visiting your yard, if you keep a regular basis of food supply. Food should not be there just during the cold season when food sources are the scarcest.
Step 3

Wild bird

Use only the highest quality seeds - - Experts agree that birds know the condition of the seed. Birds will kick aside the seeds that are questionable, and thereby creating a mess around and beneath the feeder.

Seed shells are messy, and given the right weather settings, they will germinate into weeds eventually, which will create other problems. You will minimize your maintenance by eliminating shells that come with the bird food. Economically speaking, you are giving more bird meals per pound than seeds mixed with fillers and shells.
Step 4

Yard guest

Your yard is their home - - The key to attracting birds to your yard is to motivate them to return as many times as possible. It is like making your human friends or guests feel relaxed and comfortable in your own home. Make the birds feel pleasant and enjoyable, then they are more likely to return again.
Step 5

Garden friend

They have natural predators - - If necessary, try to hang feeder(s) near bushes or trees where birds can hide.

Evergreens are best and appealing to birds. these plants provide protection from the weather, shelter, and a good site for nesting. If you are planning to add shrubs or trees to your yard, do plant them on the north or west ends of the yard to help barricade the wind.
Step 6

Backyard feeder

Provide bird baths - - The water should be changed frequently to prevent the hatching of mosquito larvae, algae growth and breeding of germs. Also, to attract more interest, you may want to consider adding a mister or dripper, which will create surface water movement.
Step 7

Wild garden birds

Bird watching and feeding can be fun and rewarding, and you're doing the birds a favor. Experiments show that wild birds only get a about 30% of their total food intake from feeders, and they tend not to become dependent on any single food source. Although still, some people believe that feeding birds will only make them dependent on humans.

Comments

naturenut said

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on 8/16/2009 Me and the squirrels became enemies when I was a bird feeder. I guess all that food was too tempting for them. Bird watching is so much fun.