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BIRD FEEDING
Five Basic Elements of the Stokes Super Feeding Station
When you first start out feeding birds there are certain basic types of foods and feeders that you should have in order to have the greatest success attracting birds. Here are our recommendations for the five elements that make up a good basic feeding station.
1. Sunflower seed. This can be either hulled or with the hulls. It should be in a tubular feeder, a wire mesh feeder, or a hopper feeder and hung or mounted about 5 feet high on a pole. This is the basic seed for common feeder birds such as chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, cardinals, grosbeaks, jays and others.
2. Thistle seed. Thistle seed is small and has to have special feeders with tiny holes that keep the seed from spilling out. It is sometimes called "Nyjer" seed. There are plastic tubular feeders, wooden feeders with wire mesh, and even just mesh bags that are made for thistle seed. Thistle seed is eaten mainly by finches such as goldfinches, House Finches, Purple Finches, and occasionally by chickadees.
3. Mixed seed. Mixed seed can contain a variety of seeds including small seeds such as millet, peanut hearts, and cracked corn and it should also contain some sunflower seeds. This seed should be offered in a hopper feeder or tray feeder, or on a platform close to the ground. The tray should have wire on the bottom to let rain drain through and let the seed dry. Birds that come to mixed seed include many of the doves and sparrows, as well as chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, finches, grosbeaks and woodpeckers.
4. Suet. Suet is a special type of beef fat that you can buy in preformed cakes that easily fit into wire mesh containers made for this purpose. Plain suet is very good, but there are also many suet mixtures containing seeds, nuts, berries, fruit, and even insect parts. Hang the suet 5 feet high or attach the wire mesh container to a tree. Squirrels tend not to eat pure suet, but will eat suet containing seeds so protect these cakes from squirrels. In hot weather suet might melt, but there are some cakes formulated not to melt in hot weather. Read the label. Many birds come to suet but woodpeckers especially love it.
5. Water. Not all birds eat seeds and suet, but all birds need water for drinking and bathing. If you are in an area where there is little other water in the wild, a bird bath can be one of your most successful feeding station items. Offer water in a shallow bath either hung or placed near the ground. It should have some portion no deeper than 1 inch.
It is best if you can protect the first four foods from squirrels. This can be done by hanging or pole-mounting them 10 feet away from any place from which a squirrel could jump. In addition, place baffles above feeder if hung, or below if pole-mounted.
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