A lovely Saturday morning not too long ago, I pulled back the curtains and saw a small flock of sparrows at the feeder in the front yard. Soon, a few red-winged blackbirds settled on the lawn, cleaning up what the sparrows had spilled. A white-breasted nuthatch hopped down the trunk of the tree while one of the three squirrel “regulars” (Fuzzbutt, Scrounger and Sneaky the littlest one) sat in the squirrel feeder and looked in the window as if to say, “Hey lady, get out of your pjs and put out some nuts, will ya?”
Later in the day, a red-breasted woodpecker, a downy woodpecker, a pair of cardinals, and a couple of finches came to visit. I’m one of millions who are backyard (front yard, in my case) bird feeders and watchers. One of the biggest outdoor hobbies in the world, birding in Indiana involves people from all walks of life, ages, and socio-economic backgrounds. Indiana is on major bird migratory routes in spring, making this an ideal place to watch — and learn — about birds.
Spring is an ideal time to start watching the birds. Many birds are moving north from their winter vacation spots to northern climes. If you’ve never fed birds, it may take a while for them to find you — but they will find you.
Bird watching isn’t expensive. A well-placed feeder kept filled, a birdbath, and some shrubs or trees for cover for the birds to rest in are all that’s needed. It helps if you don’t have an outdoor cat or are visited regularly by strays and ferals.
A feeder that hangs from a tree is great for attracting smaller birds that don’t mind swaying a little when they feed. However, some birds are unnerved by the movement and may avoid a hanging feeder. A platform feeder on a pole, or other stationary object, will attract other types of birds, especially larger ones. A suet feeder will attract woodpeckers, as well as other kinds of birds.
Try as I might, I have had no success attracting hummingbirds to a feeder in my yard. However, I have had them visit the flowers in the front yard — they loved the bee balm patch, and I saw them hovering around the hanging baskets of red petunias. One even tried to land on me and “nectarize” my red shirt! Last year I had a few in the morning glories I planted on the fence in the back yard. This year, the hummingbird migration to Indiana has been delayed by our chilly weather, but rest assured they are heading this way.
I don’t buy extremely expensive bird seed, but I read the labels carefully. The most popular and nutritious seed to use is black oil sunflower — almost all birds love the stuff. Striped sunflower is more expensive and the big birds love to crack them open. Cracked corn, thistle (Nyjer), safflower, and white millet are also popular seeds. If you see red milo or wheat listed first on a bag, odds are the birds will knock it out of the feeders to get to the good stuff — a big waste of money, and it makes a big mess.
Peanuts, in or out of the shell, are wildly popular with blue jays, titmouses, woodpeckers, and of course squirrels. I’ve used stale canned nuts in the feeders and they mobbed the feeders — salted nuts won’t hurt them because they don’t have to watch their blood pressure! I do a very rough chop on the bigger nuts to make it easier for the little birds to get their share.
I’ve also crushed old crackers and stale bread for feeding, but I discovered that kind of food attracts a lot of starlings and bully birds. Bruised fruit, cut up, has also been a popular item on the stationary feeder. Apples, grapes and pears were nibbled on by the squirrels and a surprising number of birds. Avoid putting rotting fruit out, as it could be hazardous to a bird’s health.
Young or old, rich or poor, watching the birds can be a hobby that is educational, relaxing, and definitely entertaining.
