How To Attract Breeding Birds In The Fall - Pt 2

Now that you know what foods to offer the birds when you set out feed, what are some other ways that you can attract birds to your yard in the fall and winter? Easy, offer them a water source. Fresh, unfrozed water is sometimes harder to come by than food for birds during the winter months. So, if you can offer them water, they will always remember that they can go there.

For those that live in areas that get a lot of snow or freezing temps, it's a good idea to find a heated bird bath that will keep the water from freezing up. There are some that look like large rocks that sit on the ground with a heater built in the bottom. Others look like normal bird baths with a heater in the bottom of the bowl and a plug in at the base that will hide it from the weather. There are also heating elements that you can buy that will soak in the bird bath itself and turn on when the water starts to freeze.

Always keep in mind that offering water to your birds that will not freeze over throughout the winter will mean more to them than anything else.

So how about feeders? I mean, we haven't talked about that yet right? A specific feeder design isn't really as vital to getting birds to your yard as you might think. You can spend as much, or as little, as you want on feeders. As long as they offer the food in a way that birds can get it, they will work. Here are some of the different ways that you can offer food that will appeal to different kinds of birds:

1. Spread the feed on the ground: Some sparrows and other birds enjoy eating on or near the ground. So, you will find that throwing out a handfull or two will bring in those birds that love to feed off the ground.

2. Hanging feeders: When you purchase hanging feeders, you want to make sure that they are placed somewhere that water will not build up in the bottom and rot the food. There are plenty of different types of hanging feeders that will really be beneficial to the birds and will bring you in different types of birds. If you are trying to attract specific birds, such as finches, make sure that you purchase the feeders that are designed for them.

3. Homemade feeders: Believe it or not, but birds don't look for designer labels. Some of the very best feeders can be made right at home. In fact, one excellent design is to hollow out a coconut leaving a round hole in two sides (about an inch in diameter or so), wrap it with small wire, and suspend it from a tree. Smaller birds especially will love this one and it's a fun project to make with kids. You can also sink a post in the ground, put a platform on the top with molding around the edges to keep the seeds on with a small area at each end for water to run off, and you have another cheap, homemade bird feeder.

Remember that it doesn't matter what types of bird feeders you have in your yard - as long as you keep them filled and keep a fresh, unfrozen water source, you'll attract breeding birds all year long. Make sure that you read the first part of this blog to ensure that you are planting the right things in your yard to attract more wild birds.