Use Wild Bird Feeders in winter?

A number of birds are migratory birds that go south in winter. The Hummingbird amazingly goes to Mexico. Their migration starts in the northern climates and they may stop over at your nectar feeders for some much needed fuel on the way down. I’m in South Jersey and by now my Hummers have already left.

Still there are a number of wild birds that stay in the northern USA all year round. Wild birds are one of natures success stories in that they are direct descendents of dinosaurs from millions of years ago. They don’t really need us to survive a winter, but we can make it a little easier on them by providing extra seeds and suet in winter time. Besides, it really is nice to see them at our bird feeders. This extra food may keep them healthier, less stressed and more likely to grow their population in your area. In addition to bird food, water should also be made available. Of course, to do so requires a heated bird bath for when temperatures drop below freezing.

Some of the common Backyard Wild Birds that you can expect to see in the Northern USA are: Chickadees, Titmice, Cardinals, Nuthatches, Downey Woodpeckers, Red Belly Woodpeckers, and Goldfinches to name a few. You will be amazed to see them all when you thought none were around. Set out some bird feeders with seed and they will come! You can see great views of many different Bird Feeders at Backyard Wild Birds.

Cape May Hawk Watch

Cape May, New Jersey is a natural wild bird migratory funnel by its geography. It is bordered on the west by the Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Because of this it is a Birders choice destination to be able to see large quantities of Wild Birds as they congregate during their southern migration. This is particularly true for birds of prey and Hawks. Between September and November, Cape May Hawk Watch platform is the place to be.

They have a very large above ground deck platform just for birders to watch the Hawks as they come down. This is a great place to use your optics and cameras to obtain superb photos of over 17 species of birds of prey. The Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk and Red- tailed Hawk are some common hawks as well as the American Kestrel. Cape May Bird Observatory keeps an official hawk count during these months and the Sharp-shinned Hawk takes the honors with averaging over 26,000 a year. In addition to the Hawk Watch platform there are three nature trails on boarded paths that you can take to explore and take photos as you go. See lots of wild birds, butterflies, dragon flies, insects and nature that is preserved for viewing. There are also viewing platforms along the way that you can stop at and observe for longer periods of time. All in all, a nice place to spend the day and let nature entertain you.

Backyard Landscaping Ideas

This is one example of backyard landscaping ideas that incorporates Bird Feeder Pole Systems to feed wild birds. Start by creating what I call a Bird Island with pavers. The one above uses 22 rectangular and 20 tapered EP Henry - English Garden Wall pavers. This paver type allows each to be flush against the other for a 14.5 ft long by 10.5 ft wide continuous wall divider. Each paver also has a 1" bottom ridge to be able to make an offset multi-tier wall if desired. The landscape is completed with ornamental grasses, flowers and plants with wood chip ground cover.

The bird feeder pole on the left is a Squirrel Stopper Pro with four hanger arms and a large black cylinder squirrel baffle below to squirrel proof the bird feeders above. The pole is mounted 7-8 ft away from any object a squirrel can launch a sideways jump from. The 4 bird feeders are designed especially for different types of bird seed to attract a great variety of songbirds.

The smaller shepherd staff pole feeder on the right is for Hummingbird feeders. It includes a saucer style Hummingbird feeder (built-in ant guard) and a bottle Hummingbird feeder with an external ant guard. The saucer style Hummingbird feeder on the left has an advantage of being naturally bee and wasp resistant and easy to clean.

A bird bath completes any bird sanctuary by offering water. Water is necessary for life and will attract wild birds that don't normally visit bird feeders. A catbird is a good example.

Additional information on the birding components above can be found at Backyard Wild Birds website.

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