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Just wing it: Backyard birding |
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Written by Knight Ridder
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Wednesday, 24 May 2006 |
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When Debbie Veryser first tried putting up an oriole feeder a few years ago, her family wasn’t sure if it would work.
Trust me, she assured them. They’ll come.
When the colorful birds did arrive, her son, Daniel, who’s 10 now, sat and watched and gave them the ultimate kid’s seal of approval.
It’s better than television, he said.
Veryser, 51, of Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., is among the millions of Americans, who enjoy backyard birding, a pastime that’s as easy or elaborate as you make it.
On a recent morning, a cardinal dropped by her leafy backyard for a snack at a feeder, and a sparrow took a break at her birdbath. All around her, a symphony of chirps hinted at visitors to come.
“Bird-watching is kind of like fishing,” Veryser says. “You go out and sit quietly and wait for something to happen.”
There are an estimated 46 million bird-watchers in America, and 40 million of them observe birds around their homes, according to a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service study.
That’s a huge number, but the payoffs are big, too. Backyard birders say the hobby helps them relax and reconnect with nature.
Although the stereotype of bird-watchers is of persnickety naturalists in tan vests and hiking boots, the reality is backyard birders are drawn from all ages, incomes and lifestyles.
Veryser, who’s been backyard birding for about a decade, says her five kids, who range in age from 10 to 26, have all been involved in it at one time or another. She took ornithology in college, but she doesn’t get hung up on the science of it.
“It doesn’t matter if you call a goldfinch a yellow bird, as long as you enjoy it,” she says.
That’s a key to the hobby’s mass appeal. There are no rules about how much you need to know, do or invest. If backyard birding is anything, it’s extremely flexible.
You can fill a spacious yard with multiple bird accessories and landscape your heart out with them. Or, if your mobility or yard space is limited, you can install a window feeder and enjoy the birds from indoors.
You can spend hundreds of dollars on designer birdhouses on towering poles. Or you can put a fraction of that on a simple wooden nesting box.
And while quality bird food is recommended, it’s not a budget-buster. Veryser estimates she spends about $15 a month on food.
The three basic products for beginners are bird feeders, birdbaths and birdhouses.
At Backyard Birds in Plymouth, Mich., owner Gary Phillips estimates he carries more than 250 styles of feeders. Many are customized to attract certain birds and keep others away. Several are designed to fight the war against squirrels, the object of love-hate relationships with legions of backyard birders.
No matter which feeder you prefer, the general rule of thumb is that good seed — black oil sunflower, striped sunflower, millet, and safflower, for instance — leads to good birds (and that usually means popular favorites like cardinals and goldfinches, not the sometimes pesky grackles).
Different seeds are favored by different birds, so it’s worth asking for advice at a store for bird-watchers. Bargain blends from grocery stores and hardwares can contain filler that preferred birds don’t like, but pigeons and squirrels do.
As for the robin, it’ll be happy pulling worms out of your lawn, says Phillips.
Besides seed feeders, there are suet feeders for woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and others. And there are hummingbird feeders for the rapid-winged creatures who make nectar pit stops during their long trip from Central America.
“By the time you realize this bird has gotten to your yard, it’s truly a miracle,” says Kovalcik.
Birdbaths will attract the most birds if you place them in the right spot. “A bird is at its most vulnerable time when it’s bathing,” cautions Phillips, so a bath in a wide-open space can be a dangerous undertaking. He suggests putting the bath under a tree, next to a bush or close to the house.
Birdhouses provide nesting places and can be tailored to different species, depending on factors like the size of the entrance hole.
Phillips says various designs can help protect smaller birds from bigger birds and raccoons.
“If you’re a bird guy and trying to raise a family, everybody else is trying to kill you, everybody else is trying to take your home,” he says. “It’s a tough world where you’ve got to be on your toes.”
Phillips advises taking time to explore the options in feeders, birdbaths and birdhouses _ without becoming too consumed by the number of products you have or the amount of feeding you’re doing.
“When it stops being fun, stop what you’re doing and reassess,” he says.
Carol Carlson, 53, a former nurse who works at Backyard Birds, has struck a balance that works for her. She has three birdbaths at her home, plus several feeders and a winter roosting house.
She handles the bath maintenance, while her husband, Russ, cleans and changes the feeders.
They regularly attract nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers, cardinals, blue jays and finches.
“We just both really enjoy it,” says Carlson. “You don’t know what’s out there until you put out food, water and shelter.”
AN OUTSIDE AVIARY WITH ATTITUDE
Once you get into backyard birding, it can be as entertaining as HBO. Gary Phillips of Backyard Birds in Plymouth, Mich., offers some colorful descriptions of birds you may spy.
Goldfinches: They’re beautiful but shy. “Everybody picks on the goldfinch. Everybody runs him out of the yard.”
Cardinals: Cautious and slow, they work hard to protect themselves from the predators who spot their bright red color. “They’re going to sit in the bush and they’re going to wait 35 minutes before they make their move on the feeder.”
Blue jays: Smart and aggressive, they’re nature’s cops on the beat for other birds. “When he’s in the yard eating, you know you’re safe. He is the alarm system against hawks and cats and predators of any kind.”
Hummingbirds: The littlest guy with the biggest attitude. “You basically have to do 14 things right to get a hummingbird into your yard. You do one wrong, you lose.”
Grackles. The dark bird with the iridescent head eats a mix of vegetable and animal food, sometimes other birds. “He’s Mother Nature’s population control expert. It’s like you and I eating dinner with Tony Soprano and he’s there with his boys. It’s an exciting event, but you ain’t really sure that you’re going to get to finish your dinner without getting killed.”
GET THE FACTS ABOUT BIRD FLU
Although the mere thought of bird flu is scary, the facts are reassuring for backyard birders. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Web site states clearly that “it is safe to watch and feed wild birds, especially in North America, where the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus has not been detected.”
Even though the flu isn’t here, it’s a good idea to follow common-sense rules about safety and hygiene. For instance, it’s important to watch any wild animals, including birds, from a distance, because it will keep you protected and them from being bothered. And don’t touch dead birds with your bare hands.
In countries where the H5N1 virus has become established, there’ve been
recommendations not to feed or provide water for wild birds, according to Teresa Telecky, program director for wildlife trade for the Humane Society of the U.S./Humane Society International.
Telecky stresses that educating the public on bird flu is crucial, “because educated people don’t panic.”
Here are some Web sites that offer information on avian influenza:
www.pandemicflu.gov
www.cdc.org
www.birds.cornell.edu/birdflu
5 THINGS TO GET YOU STARTED
If you’re a newcomer to backyard birding, here is some beginners gear, recommended by Rosann Kovalcik of Wild Birds Unlimited in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., (whose price estimates are based on her store).
Quality seed. Blends of seeds such as black oil sunflower, millet and safflower really make a difference in drawing desirable birds. A 20-lb. bag usually costs $11.
A seed feeder. These can range from small and inexpensive to elaborate gazebos on poles that double as yard art. But $4.99 will get you a starter feeder and $25 one with a lifetime guarantee.
A birdbath. They’re typically made of plastic, metal, ceramic or concrete. For a small starter bath, expect to pay $20- $30.
A finch feeder. You can fill them with thistle to draw goldfinches. They start at around $4.99 filled with seed. | Only registered users can write comments.
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