decatur - Wise County Messenger

ALL AROUND WISE, Decatur, Texas, Thursday, February 3, 2011OutdoorTips on feeding birdsBored withyour job?Wise County Messenger Classifi edswww.wcmessenger.com/classBy CLAIRE CURRYMany types of seed occupy the birdfeedingshelves in stores. If you wantto start feeding birds, or scale up yourcurrent endeavors, how should youstart?The most low-tech way is just to scatterseed on the ground. To get a largervariety of seed-eaters, put the seed ona raised platform (some birds will beshy about sitting on the ground). Anotherpopular feeder is a tube withperches for several birds to feed at thesame time.What seeds are best to feed? Thegreatest variety of birds will come toblack-oil sunflower seed. Everythingfrom big-beaked cardinals to tiny goldfincheswill eat it. Woodpeckers willcrack them open. Titmice will stashthem in hiding places for later use.You can get a little bag from the grocerystore or 50-pound bags if you areusing a lot of it. The mixed-seed bagsadvertised for birds are usually not soeffective with a lot of millet and milothat often only a few species such asdoves and house sparrows like.Cracked corn could get some turkeysif you are in the right habitat. Stripedsunflower (which you can grow in yourgarden) is a bit big for most species,but cardinals can handle it. I've seensafflower seed recommended for cardinalsas well, but I've not used it muchnor seen many birds eat it.Of course, not all birds eat seeds.Suet can get some insect-eating birdsto visit your yard. It is a mixture of fatand other foods that birds love, eventhose that are coming for the seeds.It seems weird to want to eat a bunchof fat, but birds are looking for highenergyfoods to help them keep warmduring the winter and fuel their dailyactivities.BirdsandBeyondPhoto by Mary CurryAMERICAN GOLDFINCHYou can buysuet cakes that fitconveniently intowire cages (whichcan be boughtusually near theother seed-dispensingfeeders)or you can makeyour own.Making yourown is a bit messybut probablycheaper. We use amix of equal partslard, peanut butterand corn meal(then keep addingcorn meal until there is enough tomake it clump together without becomingcrumbly). You can then add yourown “bird treats” to this basic mixture,such as raisins and pre-shelled sunflowerseeds.We stuff this in holes drilled in asmall log that we hang. Everythingeats it, from woodpeckers to kingletsto sparrows to winter warblers (suchas those rare pine and orange-crownedwarblers) to meadowlarks (if you arein the right habitat).Keep in mind that your bird-feedingis not going to get your local birds dependenton your handouts to survive.There will be many more birds than youcan detect visiting the feeder over theday. When people have banded birds atfeeders (so they are individually identifiable),they are usually surprised tofind out their “regular chickadee” and“regular flock of finches” are actuallyquite a few chickadees and finches!The only time when feeding maymake a difference between life anddeath for local birds is during an episodeof severe winter weather, such asa layer of ice or sleet covering theirnormal food sources. Even then, birdpopulations have survived for generationson what nature alone provides.As you stock those bird feeders thiswinter and enjoy the feeding flocks,keep your eyes peeled for unusual visitors,your old familiar favorites andthe unique behaviors that even ourmost common of species exhibit. All ofour birds are amazing, and you neverknow what wonders you may observe!!The next monthly field trips to theLyndon B. Johnson National Grasslandswill be Feb. 2 and March 2. Wewill depart at 9 a.m. from the ForestService District Office in Decatur. ContactMary Curry (see below) or theForest Service District Office, (940)627-5475.!Claire and Mary Curry are nature enthusiastsbased in Greenwood. 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