Most people think of
stocking their feeders in the winter when nature’s bounty is scarce, but many
birds begin caching seeds in fall to store for the winter ahead. Here are a few
tips for making your backyard attractive to birds this fall:
Set
up suet feeders: Suet (beef fat) helps birds keep up the fat
reserves that they need to stay warm. If summer weather is still holding on in
your area be sure to pick up “no melt” suet cakes or use one part peanut butter
to five parts cornmeal which you can spread on tree bark or pine cones.
Place
feeders the right distance from windows: Feeder location is
very important; approximately one billion birds die in the U.S. each year from
window collisions. The best way to prevent fatal collisions is to place your
feeder within 3 feet or more than 30 feet from windows. Placing feeders within
3 feet of windows ensures that birds do not have much room to gain speed,
reducing the number of fatal collisions.
Hummingbird
feeders: Hummingbirds need to double their body mass in order
to store enough energy for migration. This fall keep your nectar feeders
stocked with sugar water (four parts water to one part white sugar boiled for
1-2 minutes) and be sure to place them in the shade and clean them
regularly.
