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LETTERS

Why won't they come?

A Visitor Writes:

-----Original Message-----
To:
Subject: have feeders, no birds?

I've had all types of feeders and bird seed out for over 2 months and can't get any birds! I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I have the feeders located at the edge of the back yard near the palmettos and pines. We don't have a single squirrel either. I would like some type of wildlife to watch. Do you have any advise?

Thanks!

Our Reply:

When I first put up a pole for hanging my bird feeders I had the same thing happen: no visitors. What I did was to make sure the feeders were hung or placed in protected locations.

The placement near the Palmettos only provides a safe hiding location for some types ground feeding birds. Your Pine trees may not be dense enough to provide cover close enough for the feeding birds to quickly move to cover.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Your birds want to feel safe while eating. There will not feel safe where a predator can easily see them and swoop down to snatch them from a perch.
   Place your feeders where your birds can fly to cover within seconds. Some of best locations are on the lower branches of a medium or large sized densely foliated tree. Another successful spot is close to some large bushes. In my case, within a foot of a large, bushy Virginia Willow.

2. Choose a quality bird feed. Do not buy the bags or boxes of bird seed where you can not see the contents. Inexpensive bird feed usually has a lot of filler, tiny red seeds mixed with the small yellow seeds (White Millet) and Sunflower seeds. This red stuff is "Red Milo" and the birds, from my experience, just don't eat it. Look at the contents before you buy, if there is more than about 1% of this red seed don't buy it. The birds won't eat it, and you will just throw it away or worse, it will accumulate under your feeder to rot and grow moldy.

3. Clean your feeders often. Make a routine of checking the feeders about once or twice a week and clean them as often as necessary - especially after prolonged rains. If the seed sits too long it will become moldy or begin to sprout, both conditions are turn-offs for your birds. Moldy and rotting bird seed can become a host for deadly bird diseases.

4. Feeder Cleaning:

5. Empty the remaining contents, and rinse the feeder under an outside water faucet.

6. Wash the feeder thoroughly with a mild dish-washing solution under hot water. My feeders can be taken apart for thorough cleaning.

7. Make sure you dry the feeder before refilling. Individually dry parts and reassemble, if you took it apart.

8. Refill and re-hang.

What Type of Feed?

What type of feed to use is dependent on where you live. I live in Central Florida and what works best for me are the following:

Premium Seed Blend which contains the following mix:

1. Black Oil Sunflower Seed, White Millet, Striped Sunflower Seed, Safflower Seed and Peanuts.

2. Black Oil Sunflower Seeds by themselves in another feeder.

3. Thistle seed in a Thistle feeder.

4. Scratch Grains ( a mix of several grains where the dominant grain is split corn). I place this on a 12x14 rubber mat under the tree. I use this for the ground feeders such as Doves, Brown Thrashers, Blue Jays and our ubiquitous squirrels.

For additional bird feeding information see our web page:

I hope I have been of some help. Thank you for visiting our website.

Regards,

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