My challenge is that we have so MANY birds coming to the yard now. We want to feed the birds but didn't expect so many hungry birds. We expected to refill the birdseed once a week. At the rate they have been going, we need to refill it every day. We can't afford that much birdseed.
Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do? How do we attract fewer birds or supplement the birdseed with something less expensive?
Thanks!
Tricia from Royal Oak, MI
A: Tricia,
There are a number of things you can do to lower the cost of feeding birds in your backyard. Start by measuring out a specific amount of seed for the feeders each day with the idea that once it's gone, it's gone. Most birds visit a number of feeders in the neighborhood every day. As long as you offer something everyday, they will keep up their daily visits, but a limited amount of seed will also encourage them to develop additional sources of food elsewhere. If you're seeing a lot of waste on the ground, you may be better off switching to tube feeders, each filled with a specific food. For example, cracked corn, black-oil sunflower seeds, safflower and Niger seed (thistle seed) will attract a wide variety of birds native to your area.
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I am selective about the seed that I put out to help control the types of birds I get at my feeders. I put out thistle seed for the finches and black oil sunflower seed for the chickadees; the seeds that they drop on the ground bring in mourning doves. When I was using a mixed seed that had cracked corn in it I got a lot of sparrows and grackles and they would scratch through the seed and throw most of it on the ground; they are the reason that I changed the seed that I offer.
I like to use cracked corn myself. the shells from the sunflower seed in the store bought bird feed, killed my grass under my feeder, so the cracked corn was a much better option. On thing you may be having problems with is squirrels and deer etc eating the seed as well. A squirrel can really clean out the bird feeders fast. I have heard there are ways to treat the poles or feeders so that the squirrels can't get to them, but I am not sure how to do so.
I ration the bird feed - putting out a portion each day so that the amount is stretched over a period of days. It is a case of first in best fed but the birds soon learn that there is only a cetain amount to be had at that feed station and will seek other feeding areas. They will also learn to come and check each day for feed - the amount of feed will limit the numbers that come.
The variety and number of birds coming to your feeder will vary as the seasons change... Be sure to feed your birds year round. You will be pleasantly surprised... !
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Did you know that if you feed the birds to often that they start depending on you to keep doing it for the rest of their lives?
Putting out too much seed can also lead to waste, and can attract rats. I'm pretty sure I've seen one before dawn. I don't like the idea of rats coming around but I've yet to find a way to tactfully tell my husband not to put out so much. He likes to put out lots so there is some for the birds after the squirrels make their visit. My thought is just to suplement their diet, they'll figure out the rest. A lot of people don't like squirrels hogging the feeder, but we don't mind. They're really acrobatic and fun to watch, and they don't eat everything.
We get Mourning Doves, Cardinals, Chickadees, Titmice, Sparrows and Juncos, Blue Jays and a Woodpecker comes by once in a while. I make up stories about what they're all saying and thinking. We watched a cat this morning sneaking up on the birds, but I think he was just messing with their minds. He wasn't very subtle.
We've seen deer come by to have a nibble at what falls out of the feeder, or knock over the feeder :) We've even seen a fox in the early morning looking for a little birdie breakfast! He just doesn't seem to time it right though. The early fox doesn't catch the birds, but if he'd come a little earlier he could catch the rat. There's also a hawk who tries, un-successfully (so far), to grab lunch. Where we live is considered urban, but there's lots of woods and parks. Still its extraordinary to see these creatures thriving in a city.
Go to a feed store and buy chicken feed. It costs a lot less than bird seed.
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