Birds and Bird Feeders

Posts Tagged ‘Bird Feeders’

You can make your garden attractive to wild birds in many different ways. An easy way is to give them a safe place to eat and the food they enjoy. Bird feeders are the best way of providing food for them. When natural foods are scarce during the winter bird feeders can save their lives.

Feeding stations, containing favorite foods, can be set up to attract different species. Finches are attracted to thistle bird feeders that hold the tiny seeds they love. Prevent the seeds from getting moldy by keeping them dry in a tube feeder. Set up a window bird feeder to watch the birds feed from inside your home.

Attract woodpeckers,goldfinches and hummingbirds with specially designed bird feeders. Place close to your bird house somewhere safe. Food in the bird feeder should be checked regularly to see that it is free from mold and dry. Clean up any spilled food around the feeder regularly to deter ants and wasps and other predators.

Birds benefit most from feeding during the winter but food can be scarce in other seasons too. Shortages can occur at any time of year so put out food to help them whatever the season. Temporary food shortages that occur in the breeding season can affect the fledglings so you should provide suitable food at this time.

Provide them with a safe place to bathe or drink by providing water in pans or a garden bird bath. Water should be provided at different levels for different species of birds. Only shallowly fill water pans and do not place them close to bird feeders as wild birds need quiet to bathe and preen their feathers. Wild birds will be attracted to the sounds of running water. A water dripper on your bird bath will attract the birds and also deter mosquitoes from laying eggs in the water.

Wild birds will feel much more secure in a natural environment which you can easily provide. Leaving an area to grow naturally with wild flowers and trees will provide an attractive place for them.

By Pam Caouette

Cardinal bird feeders are a great way to attract cardinal birds to your backyard. Cardinal bird feeders will attract these beautifully colored birds right to your door, if you wish. There are different types of cardinal bird feeders. Many bird feeders are designed for birds that weigh more. Cardinals need these types of bird feeders.

Cardinals will eat sunflower seeds and other bird seed from hanging bird feeders (which come in a wide variety of styles and types including wooden bird feeders, gazebo bird feeders, as well as suet feeders ), or hopper bird feeders (which have a trigger to release the seeds) as well as platform bird feeders (ground bird feeders or tray bird feeders). Cardinal bird feeders can hold a variety of bird seed from sunflower seeds to cracked corn and even peanuts!

Cardinal bird feeders will attract other birds as well, so don’t be surprised if you see a flurry
of color at your backyard bird feeder with the red cardinal bird as well as other wonderful birds. Some of the birds that are attracted to cardinal bird feeders are Evening Grosbeak, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Blue Jays.

Cardinal bird food for your cardinal bird feeders may include black oil sunflower, buckwheat, black and gray stripe sunflower, and safflower seeds are cardinal bird and grosbeak favorites. Grosbeaks have prominent, seed-cracking bills. Which is why they tend to favor these types of seeds.

Buy your cardinal bird feeder online and have it delivered right to your house. This is a great way to shop for cardinal bird feeders not only do you get to see a variety of cardinal bird feeders, but you can choose the cardinal bird feeder that you want. You can also buy premium cardinal bird seed online and attract beautiful cardinals and other grosbeaks to your yard.

Pam Caouette is the lead author for www.aplusbirdfeeders.com. Visit www.aplusbirdfeeders.com for great information on wild birds and bird feeders.

By Wendy Mitchell

Whether it’s playing in the park, visiting a zoo or just looking out a window, experts say there are plenty of everyday activities that can be used to teach children to respect the environment and wildlife around them.

The key is to make the lessons fun and to tie them to interests that kids already have.

For instance, if your child loves sharks, talk to him about oceans and how people can keep them clean. Or, have a favorite character help deliver the message with fun, interactive play. Fisher-Price’s Go Diego Go! line offers a terrific collection of toys inspired by the Nick Jr. show “Go, Diego, Go!” In the show, Diego races to the rescue of animals and the environment. Try asking your children questions about why it’s important for Diego to help his animal friends and what we can do to help ours.

There are also toys, including Fisher-Price’s Diego Rescue a Friend Assortment, and Diego Animal Caller, that let children make animal sounds or pretend to rescue baby jaguars, elephants, lions, spider monkeys, maned wolf pups and spectacled bears. There’s even the Diego Mobile Rescue Unit that includes everything kids need to help Diego rescue his animal friends-a kid-tough toy truck, a base of operations, complete with mission post and veterinary center, and a launch pad with airstrip and airplane.

Parents can also share these tips with their kids to help them be an Animal Rescuer, just like their hero, Diego:

• Respect Nature-Animals and plants need their space. When you see plants and animals, look, but don’t touch. Instead, get a closer look at nature with your binoculars, camera or by drawing what you see.
• Create a Habitat-You can create healthy and safe homes for animals right in your backyard. Help your family and friends plant trees and flowers in the yard to serve as shelter for small animals, or build and hang a bird feeder.
• Clean up a Park-Everyone can work together to keep environments clean. As an Animal Rescuer, you can get your parents and a group of friends together and head to your community park. Give each helper a garbage bag and gloves, and send everyone out on a treasure hunt to pick up paper, cans and other litter.
• Reduce Waste-Animal Rescuers help save water, too. Always turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth and after washing your hands. If you do, you’ll save water and energy, since it takes a lot of power to pump that water out.
• Transform Your Trash-Give paper, plastic and glass materials to an adult to be recycled. Or get creative with your trash. Wrap a friend’s birthday gift in the Sunday comics section or store your crayons in an empty coffee can.

For more information and ideas, visit www.fisher-price.com. Kids’ favorite characters can help them learn important lessons about rescuing animals and protecting the environment.