The nugget., November 13, 2019, Page 21, Image 21

Wednesday, November 13, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
21
Put out the welcome mat for birds in winter
By Kym Pokorny
OSU Extension Service
As we begin the slide into
winter and summer9s bounty
recedes, birds welcome the
extra nutrition offered by
backyard feeders.
When putting out a ban-
quet of supplemental food,
high quality is essential, said
Dana Sanchez, a wildlife
specialist for Oregon State
University Extension Service.
Mixes with red millet, golden
millet, flax seed, rape seed
and oats are a waste because
birds will just kick those fill-
ers out of the feeder, where
they9ll fall on the ground and
attract unwanted visitors like
rats. They9ll also sprout and
grow into undesirable plants.
Put black oil sunflower
seeds top on the list because
they attract so many different
bird species, Sanchez said,
including chickadees, black-
headed grosbeaks, house
sparrows, northern flickers
and song sparrows. To enjoy
finches, offer their favored
nyjer seed, also called thistle
seed, in specialized feeders
with openings small enough
to hold the seed in and perfect
for their tiny beaks. Many
birds 3 waxwings, grosbeaks,
chickadees and robins 3 love
fruit, which can be put out on
elevated platform feeders.
For future bird feasts, plant
a native, fruit-bearing tree or
shrub. Elderberry, service-
berry, dogwood and snow-
berry are attractive options
that are well-adapted to our
region and great sources of
fall food for birds.
People enjoy watching
woodpeckers going at suet
blocks. The fat-and-seed mix-
tures are best used in fall and
winter when birds need the
extra energy to keep warm. In
warm weather suet goes bad
quickly, which is not good
for birds. So, if you want to
use suet in summer, check it
often and remove it as soon as
it starts to smell.
Cleaning all bird feed-
ers once a week is essential.
Moisture contributes to mold,
which causes diseases trans-
mitted on avian feet after
perching on feeders. Discard
any feed left in the feeder,
scrub inside and out with a
long-handled brush 3 avail-
able in different sizes and
lengths at bird shops or online
3 and follow with a rinse of
bleach solution at a ratio of
10 percent water to 1 percent
bleach. Let it dry thoroughly
before filling.
How you arrange feeders
around the yard doesn9t seem
to matter to birds. In patio
gardens or apartments,
gathering them together in
groupings is usually the only
option. A larger garden allows
for more feeders and more
areas for placement.
<You9ll notice no matter
how many ports you have,
there will be competitions,=
Sanchez said. <It9s a matter of
8Get off that perch; it9s mine.9
You9ll see a lot of movement
around.=
Regardless of how many
feeders you have and how
you9ve arranged them around
the yard, be sure to provide
shrubs and trees for shelter
from wind and predators.
<Birds at feeders are
always on the lookout for
danger,= Sanchez said.
<There are times when you
put feeders where humans
can see them, but birds won9t
use them if there9s not a shrub
nearby. Having food some-
what close to cover is a key
consideration.=
Birds need water, too.
Serve it in a shallow, flat-bot-
tomed bowl with up to one
inch of water. Place it in either
sun or shade, clean it often
and change the water daily
or at least every other day.
To reduce the chance of
rats visiting your bird sta-
tions, keep seed off the
g r o u n d , S a n c h e z s a i d .
Choosing or modifying feed-
ers to have a catch pan on the
base can prevent most spill-
age from reaching the ground.
If ground-feeding birds like
doves, quail and juncos are
a favorite, experiment with
elevating a platform feeder
a bit off the ground and keep
the area under it cleaned up.
It may or may not work. Rats
might still be able to access
the feeder and birds might
not.
Squirrels drive some peo-
ple crazy with their tenacious
3 and often successful4
attempts to steal bird food.
Others enjoy their antics and
put out peanuts especially for
them.
<I don9t mind them,=
Sanchez said. <But some
people find themselves in
conflict with squirrels. ...these
voracious little animals eat a
lot of expensive food.=
To thwart them, Sanchez
recommends using baffles,
which are half-moons of
plastic that go above a feeder.
Though some people insist it
doesn9t work, putting feeders
on a pole hanger in the middle
of the lawn can stop squirrels
from reaching the food. There
are also feeders surrounded
with cages that will fall with
the weight of a squirrel and
cover the feeder9s holes, but
stay in place for the more
lightweight birds. Check bird
shops or online for these spe-
cific feeders.
Most of all, if you9re going
to attract birds to the garden,
don9t spray chemicals or use
pelletized weed and feed or
moss killer.
Dr. Thomas R. Rheuben
General, Cosmetic, Implant
and Family Dentistry
~ Your Dentist in Sisters Since 1993 ~
We are here to help you smile with confi dence!
541-549-0109
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304 W. Adams Ave.
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