Capital Living

Birds in the Garden, Part One

By Jennifer Wilson, Wilson Nurseries, Contributing Columnist

It’s bird feeding time again for those who only feed birds in the winter. By now, many of the natural food sources such as seed heads and berries are being consumed and enjoyed by the birds so they will appreciate, more and more, the offering of additional food choices. Many birds can be picky-eaters, but by providing different types of quality seed in the appropriate feeders, y ou can easily attract a nice variety and all of your favorites. Winter in Kentucky is famous for cardinals, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, goldfinches, purple finches, mourning doves, blue jays, wrens, and multiple species of woodpeckers. By doing a few of the right things to get them attracted to your yard, you can be entertained and educated about wild birds through the cool months that are upon us.

Where bird feeding is concerned, there are plenty of myths going around that are probably worth dispelling. Here are a few….

Myths & Truths About Birds:

Myth: All bird seed is the same, so buy the cheapest.

Truth: All bird seed is not created equal. Beware of cheap seed which has often been sitting on a shelf for months. Birds prefer fresh seed and will even search for it. Also, many inexpensive seed mixes are loaded with wheat, oat, milo and other cheap filler grains that most birds simply won’t eat. As a result, few birds visit feeders containing cheap seed mixes and the ground beneath may sprout a not-so-desirable crop of grain in the spring. Use a good quality mix of seed which includes sunflower, safflower, peanut and sunflower chips, just a little millet (for doves and indigo buntings), and a touch of vegetable oil to make the seed more palatable. The result will be no wasted seed and birds at your feeders all winter long.

Myth: Keeping water in bird baths in winter is not necessary and may freeze the birds.

Truth: When most natural water is frozen over, birds can still be thirsty. Some thirsty birds eat snow, but then have to eat that much more seed to keep themselves warm. Birds are smart enough to know not to take a bath in sub-zero weather. Be sure to provide a very shallow bird bath and use bird bath heaters or de-icers.

Myth: If you are going to be gone for any amount of time, you should not feed winter birds because they become dependent on you and may starve while you are gone.

Truth: Birds don’t depend on a single feeder. Many will visit a dozen or more every day. The birds will revise their schedule, so it may take a while before their re-filled feeders are discovered once you return.

The most crucial time when your feeders may make a real difference is after a heavy ice or snow storm that covers natural foods & feeders. Clear off your feeders after a storm & you’ll be rewarded with large numbers of hungry birds!