Preparing Bird Feeders and Bird Baths for Fall

We've hit that time of year. The summer vacations are over, the kids are back in school, the weather
begins changing. For many us, that changing weather signals a time to take some extra care of our back yards. And that includes those bird feeders and bird baths. Here are few tips and suggestions to help you in that task.

Preparing Bird Feeders

Some of you feed your backyard birds all year long while others feed them only the colder months when food is harder to find. Either way, Fall is the time of year to make some changes.

• Bird feeders need to be cleaned regularly and Fall is a good time
• Put away any feeders that will become damaged by cold
• Watch that you are feeding birds the proper food for their needs
• Move the bird feeders so that birds can find them easily in the colder months

Preparing Bird Baths

Like many of you, I have both feeders and baths in my backyard. That's truly a great way to attract more of the charming birds that I enjoy watching. But colder months require a different arrangement when it comes to bird baths.

I prefer a pedestal style bird bath for several reasons.  Not only are they easily moveable to find shade and keep my yard from having a dead spot in the grass, but they can also be brought in if you don't plan to maintain them all Winter long.

Since I live in a part of the country that has mild winters, there are only some times when the water in the bird bath will freeze. During the rest of cold months, I leave my bird baths out and available to my backyard birds. Just like all animals, they need water even during the cold months.

Take Time in Fall for Winter Preparation

Take the time now, before the days get too chilly, to clean and prepare your bird feeders and bird baths. You can have some nice outdoor time as well as help your backyard birds who winter over with you.

Have Some Fun with Window Bird Feeders

Any of us who enjoy watching our backyard birds will appreciate a window bird feeder during the winter months. Well, we won't be the only ones. The birds will appreciate it, too.

The value of helping our birds during the cold or snow covered days we know is important. But, we can do that while watching them from the comfort of our own home with window bird feeders. I'm a fan of them, yes. 3 of my windows have the feeders in place.

I will warn you from experience though. Choose the window where you want to put your feeder carefully. You still have to be able to reach it to clean it out and refill it. And I'm not talking about only once a year when you get the ladder out!

Window bird feeders as a rule aren't very large capacity. They hold only a cup or so of bird feed. If you like to feed lots of birds, then get several. But please make sure you refill them regularly. The birds will learn to find food there and will return. Until they discover there isn't any food left! So take care of them.

Just a quick reminder to take a little time to clean the window area where you will put your window bird feeder. This will help the suction cups to adhere to your glass better. Be sure to use the appropriate bird seed for the kinds of birds that are in your area, too.

Use Fall Time to Get Your Bird Feeders Ready for Winter

The end of summer is quickly approaching. The kids are getting ready to go back to school. So it's time to start considering your backyard birds.

There will be many of those birds who migrate to warmer climates, but not all of them. In fact, many of our most charming and colorful birds do not migrate. Instead, they stick it out with us. Both the Northern Cardinal and the Blue Jay, some of our most colorful backyard birds, can be seen against the white of the snow.

These delightful backyard creatures need a little help during the winter. We will tend to feed them throughout the year, so don't forget the cold months. Take some time now, or soon, to prepare your feeders for the winter birds.

Cleaning and refilling for them is something that you should do on a regular basis anyway, but especially as we head into the cold time. That's when you will be less likely to want to work outside, so you may easily forget this particular job. Get your bird feeders ready before the weather gets cold.

Then you will enjoy all those wonderful backyard birds that share the cold and snow with us.

Enjoy a Window Bird Feeder

Setting up a window bird feeder is easy and watching the birds is great fun, too. The whole family can get into the act of watching our charming little backyard birds as they enjoy the seeds that we share with them.

click on image to get my favorite window bird feeder

Simple window bird feeders are also inexpensive and the only thing you need is a window to put them on. They work with suction cups that attach to the glass. Birds don't realize they are being watched and will freely eat from your window feeders.

Be sure to keep your window bird feeders clean and refilled as well. We want to make sure that our backyard birds are safe. Cleaning is easy. Just wash with mild soap and water. Be sure to rinse well and allow to dry completely before refilling.

Since window bird feeders are so inexpensive, it may be worth you while to get two of them. One to be drying while you use the other one. Refill with appropriate bird food, like songbird seed mix and stick it back on the window. I pull off and clean my feeders just as soon as they get low on food. I scatter any left over food on the ground for those birds that enjoy eating directly from the ground.

What is in Bird Seed Mixes?

We often buy for our backyard bird feeders a mix of seeds but how often do we know what's in that mix? If you're like me, you tend to just believe that these people know what they are doing when they put this mix together. While that's true, I thought it would be interesting to find out what the seeds are that they are using.

There about 7 main seeds that go into many mixes. The highest percentage in good mixes is usually black oil sunflower seeds. These have a high fat content and an easily-broken shell. It's very attractive to songbirds, like the Northern Cardinal. Regular sunflower seeds are also included in many mixes, but the shells are harder for birds to break with their beaks.

Hulled sunflower seeds are also available and come in many of the mixes. It's just like it sounds. The sunflower seeds are de-shelled for the birds' convenience. Millet is another common seed. It's a small round seed that may be one or more of three types, red, golden and white.

Safflower is a larger seed usually white in color that is especially favored by Cardinals, but also many other songbirds. What you will also find in many mixes is cracked corn and nuts, mostly peanuts. These both are broken into small pieces to make it easier for birds to enjoy.

So next time you grab a bag of bird food, take a look at the ingredients and see what's included for your backyard birds.

Charming and Unique Bird Feeders

So you have decided to do your part to help the birds in your backyard. One of the best things you can do is to provide food for them.

Make sure you keep feeders clean and refilled regularly. You want to make sure they know that they can count on that feeder in that location. Set your feeders so that while the birds are there, they will feel safe from predators.

For some that may mean, hanging the feeder from a tree. This protects them from the predators that fly, like hawks. For others, that may mean setting your feeder on a stand, which protects them from ground-dwelling predators like snakes or cats.

Fill your feeder with the appropriate food for the birds in your backyard. Song bird food is different than hummingbird food. Attract different types of birds with different types and styles of feeders. But, keep the feeders appropriate for the food.

Here are two favorites of mine. They are both available through Amazon, so you know you're getting a safe shopping experience. Just click on your favorite to see more about it, purchase it or browse more bird feeders.

Lantern Style	Barn Look