Smoky Lake County Wildlife

I am picking up from where we left off in my last column (Part I) about attracting birds to your backyard with bird feeders. If you missed reading my column in the March 2 issue, you can find back issues online at www.theredwaterreview.com.

Finch feeders are tube-style with multiple perches for Nyjer seed. This specialty feeder attracts American Gold Finches, Pine Siskins, and other small songbirds. My Nyjer feeders will remain untouched for long periods because these birds aren’t here right now, but when they show up in the spring, the small finches go nuts for them! My largest Nyjer feeder has twenty perches on it, and on multiple occasions, I have had more than twenty finches scrambling to get on it. It’s quite the sight!

Woodpeckers and Nuthatches love suet feeders. You can make your own suet or purchase a wide variety of suet “flavours.” There is a wide variety of suet feeders you can buy for your yard: cages, plug feeders, upside-down feeders, etc. It really is a matter of personal choice. Chunky peanut butter is a good high-protein food for birds and can be used ‘as is’ or as an ingredient in homemade suet. Although they can eat the same brands humans do, the more full-fat, natural, and organic kind with the fewest preservatives is best. I smear chunky peanut butter on my tree trunk into the bark – the Woodpeckers and Nuthatches love this!

Most people I know, even if they aren’t into birding, become excited when they see a hummingbird. Hummingbirds must eat all day long just to survive. They consume about half their body weight in bugs and nectar, feeding every 10-15 minutes. You are contributing to their survival by putting up special feeders for them. There are various styles of hummingbird feeders, but the commonality with all of them is the bright red colour which attracts these little birds to the feeders in the first place. Some feeders allow the hummingbirds to hover while they eat whereas others have perches on them to land. I hang both styles because I enjoy watching them ‘buzz’ around all over the yard, but it’s just as much fun to observe just how small they really are when they sit still on a perch to enjoy some nectar. Nectar is easily made at home by mixing white sugar in warm water. I will devote a future column to hummingbirds closer to their season.

Orioles are a wonderful, special songbird which we will only see in the summer. Orioles have a sweet tooth so you will see them hanging out near the hummingbird feeders, but their favourite foods are oranges and grape jelly! Similar to what I explained about peanut butter, organic grape jelly is best, so the orioles aren’t eating human-grade preservatives and additives. Specialty oriole feeders will have little cups to hold the jelly or spikes for attaching orange pieces. For the DIY birder, simply hammer a few nails into a scrap piece of wood for the oranges and hang tealight holders you have at home for the jelly. Orioles are wonderful singers so they will thank you for your efforts with a concert. Unfortunately, but they don’t tend to stick around our region for very long.

All the feeders I have highlighted here will benefit greatly if you add one more thing – water. A bird bath, especially one with a battery-operated wiggler to add motion to the water, is great idea. I purchased a heated bird bath from Wild Birds Unlimited, which is fantastic to use year-round because it can be plugged in during the winter months when the birds have fewer sources of water. I have mine sitting on top of a large flowerpot beside some bushes and my birds are in it daily. Even in -40 C weather, they’ll jump right in for a good splash and a drink. I fill it with snow, which melts for the birds. They love it!

Future articles will go into much greater detail because there are more tips and tricks to share, but this is enough basic information to get you started with attracting wild birds to your backyard. Until next time, stay warm and happy birding!