Feeding frenzy

I don’t know about you but the bird feeding station at our house at the Audubon Center in Sharon has been ablaze with activity lately. We have two hanging feeders and a platform feeder, all of which have been full of birds.

Though there is plenty of natural food available for birds in our backyards, forests and roadsides, birds have been taking advantage of the extra energy that birdseed provides, especially with all of the snow we’ve had over the past few weeks.

Because of this, it’s important to keep your feeders full. There is nothing worse than a couple dozen birds staring longingly at an empty bird feeder!

Providing a variety of seeds is a good idea, too. Black oil sunflower is a good all-around seed to use if you have just one feeder, and you can purchase sunflower hearts if you don’t like the mess of the shells on the ground.

If you have multiple feeders, use black oil sunflower in one and a high-quality mixed seed in the other.

Some people also hang thistle seed feeders, suet baskets and even fruit pieces to attract a wider variety of birds.

Tip No. 1: Use the best quality seed you can. Like anything else, you get what you pay for and all seed is not alike. If you have a wonderful feeding station full of seed but no birds, try changing seed brands.

Using a mix of hanging feeders and ground or platform feeders is a good idea as well. Different birds will use each, and if you have squirrels, a ground feeder may keep them off of your hanging feeder — maybe!

Speaking of squirrels, there are several “squirrel-proof†feeders on the market. We sell many of them here at the Audubon Center. Squirrels are smart and persistent, as we all know, but these devices generally work pretty well.

Installing a feeder on a long post that has metal flashing around it part of the way up works well too, as long as it is far enough away from launching points from which squirrels can jump to the feeder rather than climb.

Tip No. 2: Proper maintenance of feeding stations is important, especially when feeders are extremely active.

Keeping feeders clean, inside and out, helps avoid the transfer of disease and attracts more birds.

One of the best reasons to feed birds is to enjoy them. Winter bird feeding is a great way to see a wide diversity of birds:finches, nuthatches, woodpeckers, chickadees, juncos, sparrows and many more. Lately, people in our area have been seeing some of the more infrequent winter birds — redpolls, pine siskins, white-winged crossbills among others.

Tip No. 3: Keep a field guide and binoculars near your window, and a camera too! You never know what will take advantage of your efforts. I would love to hear about your sightings, so feel free to call me at the Audubon Center and, happy birding!

Scott Heth is the director of Audubon Sharon and can be reached at sheth@audubon.org, (subject line: Nature Notes).