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Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v09n03)
Right in my Own Backyard - Top Ten Lists for February - by Brandt Carter
posted: Feb. 03, 2012

Right in my Own Backyard header

Top Ten Lists for February

You can keep the holiday spirit alive by moving on from New Year's to Valentine's Day with the whole month of February devoted to celebrating your birds. In 1994 Congress designated this as National Bird-Feeding Month. This year's theme is Most Wanted - America's Top Ten Backyard Birds. Whether you are 10 or 70, 5 or 50, you can join in simply by tending to the birds in your backyard. This can be the time to take your bird-feeding hobby to a new level!
So here is a list provided by the National Bird-Feeding Society of the Top Ten Birds people east of the Rockies want to see at their backyard feeders:

1. American Goldfinch
2. Chickadee (Black-capped/Carolina)
3. Dark-eyed Junco
4. Downy Woodpecker
5. House Finch
6. Northern Cardinal
7. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
8. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
9. Tufted Titmouse
10. White-breasted Nuthatch

I have had the entire Top Ten at my feeders during the course of a year. Personally, if I could I would expand the list with the Red-bellied Woodpecker and Blue Jay. But alas, their list was limited to 10.
The next Top Ten list is the Best Bird-feeding Tips compiled by experts:

1. Bird-feeding is for people who love watching birds. Place your feeders where you can see them and fill them easily.
2. Start with the basics. Black-oil sunflower in a tube feeder will attract many birds to your yard.
3. Attract more species by adding different feeders and seed, whether straight seed or mixes. Try hopper, platform, or finch feeders. Offer striped sunflower, peanuts, or safflower.
4. Don't forget to provide a variety of food and water. Suet, fruits, mealworms, nectar, and water may attract species of birds not found with traditional seeds. Heated birdbaths keep water available in the winter.
5. Align your bird-feeding with the season. Birds at your feeder may be different in winter than in summer and may even vary by the week. Provide the feeders and food best suited to your seasonal bird population.
6. Make bird-friendly additions to your yard. Food, water, and a place to raise young are important for the birds that visit your yard. February is a great month to get bird houses ready to put out. Plan the landscaping you would like to add this year be that bushes for birds, native plants, or brush piles.
7. Keep the birds safe. Reduce window collisions with decorative decals, keep birds safe from outdoor cats, and clean your feeders. Move feeders to within three feet of windows, remove hiding places for cats, and keep feeders free of debris and filled with fresh seed birds will eat.
8. Use binoculars and a backyard bird guide to learn more about your birds. Learn to identify them and learn their language-their songs.
9. Take your hobby to the next level - Explore the viewing room at Holliday Park or take a field trip to Eagle Creek or Ft. Harris State Parks. Go to a different habitat than your own backyard and see what birds you can spot.
10. Expand your bird-feeding knowledge - Contact Backyard Birds, the National Bird-Feeding Society, or Cornell Ornithology Lab anytime you have questions about bird-feeding or want assistance in enhancing your bird-feeding experience.

So celebrate! Focus on the birds and even encourage someone else to start this hobby. Young children love learning the names of birds, and all ages can welcome the company of birds that visit their feeders. It is an activity that remains with you all your life, bringing pleasure at every stage. Even after the Superbowl activities are gone, the birds will still be here!



Brandt Carter, artist, herbalist, and naturalist, owns Backyard Birds at 2374 E. 54th Street. Visit her web site www.feedbackyardbirds.com. Email your bird questions to Brandt@BroadRippleGazette.com




brandt@broadripplegazette.com
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