Topic: Feeding wild birds

[barleychown]

I would really like to start feeding the wild birds, since I will be spending more time inside on the couch. I have always had a feeder out, and I have certain favorite types I would like to feed, but I'd like to know how to feed them, house them, and encourage more of them. 

First, I REALLY like the chickadees. They are the first wild birds I fed, way back when I first moved to the valley.

Then, in the last year I seem to have aquired a wren (or a few)...but I know nothing about what they like. All summer long she was stealing chicken food.

What would be best to feed them? Is there a way to encourage them while discouraging sparrows? How many houses is too many for 1/3 of an acre?

[barleychown]

I forgot to add that right now I have a two-level feeder out, one level just black oil sunflower seeds, the other a sunflower/nut mix, and a suet feeder out.

I also see numerous types of birds stealing chicken scratch, which is a blend of cracked corn, wheat, rye, oats and sometimes milo.

[bestofour]

I have lots of chickadees in my yard.  I read online that they like nest boxes made of wood but we don't have any for them.  I think they make nests in tree cavities.  They eat insects but I see them eating suet and sunflower seeds I put out.  I've also seen them eating thistle that I put out for the goldfinches.




Here's one of mine.

[Jessica]

We feed the birds here too but I don't know a lot about what to feed the different kinds.  I just put out a good mix and hope the good ones come.

[Dianna]

The sparrows need to eat too, Sarah. Just like the dadgum grackles that keep raiding our feeders here...

I have seen the above, with the wrens, finches, and the cardinals around here and don't mind any of them. As long as they share....

[bestofour]

Dianna, grackles will run other birds away.    They love sunflower seeds.  I stopped putting that out for a while and put only safflower seeds.  They left and haven't come back so far.  I can't stand those mean, loud birds.

[Dianna]

They are as bad as crows aren't they, Sheri? They have to eat, too...

Lately I haven't seen any birds at the feeder. Wonder if the bird seed is bad?

[Wrennie]

Chickadees love black oil sunflower, nuts, and suet. They are the first bird I ever fed right out of my hand. They are cavity nesters. You can buy chickadee houses which are similar to bluebird houses but have a smaller opening. They prefer that they dont hang and swing, secure them to a post or building. Mount your house between 4 and 15 feet above ground. Space one box per 10 acres,

Wrens are more of a meat eater than chickadees. They come to suet before seed. I sell freeze dried, and amoister version of mealworms. I've put them out on a railing and the wrens love them (chickadees too) You can also get live mealworms. Place their houses at about the same height as the chickadees.Some wrens dont mind a bit of swing, others prefer to be on a post or wall.
Both wren and chickadee prefer some cover. My house the chickadees use most, has a pine branch that sorta hides the door. Good predator cover. Not too close tho'. Ya dont want to give a predator a 'bridge'.
Now, a word of advise, wrens need multiple houses to choose from, so you'll want to place 3 or more around your yard. Mr wren will put some twigs etc in each. Then Mrs comes, picks which one she likes, tosses his stuff out and builds a nest. Heres the important part, hang or mount the wren house(s) as far away from the chickadee house, out of sight too, as possible. (Is it a house wren? Carolina? Not sure what you get out there.) Wrens will invade other birds houses and peck holes in the eggs so there are more food opportunities for their own babies.
I have 1/3 acre too, my wren houses are on the north side of the house, chickadee and swallows live on the south side.
As for sparrows, most are good birds. The ONLY sparrow not federally protected is the house sparrow. If you see these guys moving into one of any of your houses EVICT them!!! Seriously! They are not a native bird, and take up native bird habitat which kills off our birds such as bluebirds. If i see them in our bluebird house i open the front, toss the nest and leave the front open for a few days till they move on. Starlings are the only other bird not protected for the same reason. And both breed like bunnies!

[barleychown]

Thank you guys! 

I asked for houses for Christmas, so we will see if I get any. If not, he can just buy them the next day. 

We have house sparrows out the wazoo here...so far I don't see them eating out of the feeders. I'll keep an eye on the nests.

And Dianna, I actually like the crows. They run off the hawk that hunts my chickens.