I have made every bird feeding mistake possible. With winter on our doorsteps and grateful birds gathering at the feeder, I am forced to recall my errors. Despite the personal embarrassment of these revelations, here is my top 10 list.
10. Placing feeders too far from cover and trees. Chickadees, titmice and nuthatches perch on safe branches, scan for danger, then dash in for a seed. They retreat to safety before eating. Feeders that are placed too far from security are often ignored. Finches require less cover. American goldfinches, pine siskins and common redpolls will mob an exposed feeder, relying on their numbers to spot approaching danger.
9. Placing feeders an improper distance from windows. If you find dead birds under your window, try moving the feeders closer to the house. It seems counterintuitive, but when feeders are close to the window, birds may not build up enough speed to injure themselves. Streamers and hawk silhouettes in the window also work. You can try moving the feeders farther away, but I find closer is better.
8. Placing feeders near shrubs and plants where cats can hide. Outdoor cats kill billions of birds a year. Don’t help them.
7. Cleaning feeders too infrequently. Under moist, warm conditions, seed rots. Hummingbird food ferments. Mold develops. Where birds congregate and defecate, disease spreads. I keep 5-gallon buckets in the garage, big enough to soap my feeders periodically. I hang smaller hummingbird feeders. Because they empty quickly, I clean them more often before each refill.
6. Storing seed improperly. Seed must be kept cool and dry. I stockpile bulk seed in metal garbage cans that are impervious to rodents. I keep the cans in the garage. On one warm day two years ago, I opened the lid and discovered that $50 worth of Nyjer had fermented in the August heat and humidity. Nyjer is the brand name of a thistle-like seed that is imported from Africa. It’s expensive stuff. Learn from my mistake.
5. Offering too little food variety. Many desirable birds can be attracted to the backyard with the right mix of food offerings. Goldfinches, siskins and redpolls relish Nyjer. Woodpeckers devour suet. Orioles like oranges. Hummingbirds seek nectar. Bluebirds gobble down mealworms. A wide range of feeds and feeders will customize your back yard to attract more local species. Know what’s in your neighborhood.
4. Offering too much food variety. Many undesirable birds and other pests are attracted to the back yard with the wrong mix of food offerings. Hordes of unwanted pigeons and house sparrows can crowd out other songbirds when there is too much millet or hard seed in the mix. Platform feeders are great for cardinals, but they also tempt excess doves, jays and squirrels. If there are no cardinals in the area, why invite trouble in the forlorn hope of attracting one? (More on this next week.)
3. Making life too easy for ants and bees. I enjoy my hummingbird feeders right up until the moment the ants and yellow jackets discover them. Ant and bee guards are cheap and effective. This is an easily preventable pest problem.
2. Making life too easy for bears and raccoons. There are times in spring and autumn when it may be wise to bring the feeders indoors, at least at night. I once dealt with raccoons by using a live trap. That seemed like a good idea, until I caught a skunk. I dealt with squirrels by putting feeders on poles and protecting them with baffles. One night, a bear that had just emerged from hibernation, effortlessly bent the wrought iron poles to the ground and tore the feeders apart. I replaced them with squirrel resistant feeders — the Brome Squirrel Buster Plus is my favorite — and I take them indoors if I suspect trouble.
1. Making life too easy for squirrels. Some folks enjoy the squirrels. They may even put out peanuts and other foods that lure the squirrels away from the feeders. I’ve tried that. It works, somewhat. With baffles and special feeders, I can keep them out of the bird seed much of the time. They are welcome to eat anything that falls on the ground, so I can tolerate a few squirrels. But sometimes there are more squirrels on the porch than there are clowns at a Shriners parade. Make no mistake — this means war.
Bob Duchesne serves as a Maine Audubon trustee and vice president of its Penobscot Valley Chapter. Bob developed the Maine Birding Trail, with information at mainebirdingtrail.com. Bob can be reached at duchesne@midmaine.com.