Maybe your kids would like to do birdwatching during this summer, or maybe you just want to add color to your garden. Whatever be the case, adding a birdhouse to your garden would enhance the decor instantly. But after putting up a birdhouse, how do you make sure that a bird would come to live there? Try adding a bird feeder or a birdbath. It is no secret that animals and birds are attracted to places where they can find food and water. Not only do these bird feeders provide food for the birds, they also add cheer to your garden.
Bird feeders come in different varieties. They may be made of wood, resin or ceramic and they can be very colorful. They are built in different shapes, the most favorite among them being gazebos like white gazebos, garden gazebos, hanging gazebos etc. Ceramic ones come in shapes like fairies, angels, boys and girls, birds etc. Even stained glass can be used to make bird feeders. Like birdhouses, bird feeders could also be free standing or hung from a tree. When the bird feeder is hung from a tree, make sure that you can reach it so as to fill it with bird food from time to time and also keep it clean. Different types of foods can be used like seeds, nectar etc. However, seedfeeders are the most common especially those filled with sunflower seeds. Liquid feeders offer liquid nourishment like water or nectar to birds like hummingbirds. Although the use of bird feeder is most common during winter when the birds find it difficult to find food, they can be used during any season.
In addition to bird feeders, use a birdbath also to provide water for the birds. When filling up a birdbath, make sure that the birdbath is shallow to avoid the risk of smaller birds drowning. Make sure to clean the birdbath regularly to avoid mosquitoes from breeding and fill it with fresh water. An uncleaned birdfeeder and birdbath would do more harm to the birds than good. Further, the birdbath and birdfeeder should be in a safe place away from animals like cats.
Finally, make sure that other animals like squirrels don’t become a threat to the birds because they can take away all the birdfood for hoarding. Some people suggest that traps could be fixed for the squirrels, but as an animal lover, I feel that providing a separate source of food for the squirrels, maybe one filled with nuts, would prevent the squirrels from raiding the birdfeeder.