Monday, July 22, 2013

What One Needs To Consider When Maintaining A Bird Feeder

By Debra Garrison


Most anyone enjoys watching birds and listening to their beautiful songs. One way to have ready access to these delights is to provide them food in a bird feeder in order to entice them to come. There are responsibilities involved with attracting them, however. You can be a responsible bird lover by following a few simple suggestions to keep them safe and well provided for.

One important point to consider is the fact that they become dependent on the food you supply. They become somewhat your pet. This is of no great significance when food supplies are plentiful. But, during the winter and other times, such as summer droughts, when food supplies are not so available, it is different. Animals in the wild normally locate food supplies that are accessible for hard times. You are their normal source.

You will need to be cautious about starting to provide for them, then stopping. This puts them under a very special hardship. You need to make sure you can continue to provide for them. If not, don't even start it. It is okay to provide supplemental food, however, to make things more pleasant for them. This will encourage them to continue to locate regular sources and not be devastated when you no longer provide for them for some reason.

Birds are heavy eaters, based on their size and weight, consuming several times their weight each day. Since they are small, though, this won't be much. Food suitable for them is very inexpensive. When squirrels and other animals raid the supply, however, soon gets quite costly, as you are constantly having to refill. You may not want to commit to this much expense.

Cats are another concern when you will have to address. You don't want to attract birds to your feeder if they are going to serve as a ready meal for area cats, either yours or your neighbor's. If you take responsibility for attracting them, you must protect them. There are measures you can take to make it difficult for predators to have the opportunity to attack them.

There are things you can do that will help to protect these creatures from these predators. You should hang the feeding station at least five feet away from anything such as trees or bushes from which a predator can climb and jump over. Hanging it on a metal pole will also prevent climbing, and a baffle underneath it offers further protection.

If you want to be a responsible caretaker, you must provide these beautiful creatures with adequate water supplies. Providing watering containers during hot summers or droughts, ensures they have plenty of water. They must be emptied and refilled periodically to keep the water cool and suitable for drinking. This is just one aspect of being a responsible wildlife lover.

Maintaining a bird feeder benefits both you and the creatures you are caring for. You get the pleasure of watching one of nature's most beautiful creatures. They have a ready food and water supply. It is a win-win situation for both.




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