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How you can attract spring migrantsTo attract spring migrants, think differently about who eats what By Anne Schmauss By Mary Schmauss By Geni Krolick
Published: April 24, 2009 No doubt about it, May is the most exciting month to watch birds in your backyard. It's the month customers call us wanting to know what orange bird is at their hummingbird feeder (Bullock's Oriole) or what bright red and yellow bird is at their fountain (Western Tanager). The phones in our New Mexico stores ring off the hook.
May is also the time when just a little effort on your part can reap huge, and colorful, rewards. Buntings, tanagers, warblers, orioles - you can attract them all. Here's how:
For starters, think differently about food. Some of our most beautiful spring migrants are fruit and insect eaters. So give them what they want. Fresh orange halves skewered meat side up on a branch or fruit feeder will attract orioles and sometimes tanagers. Just make sure your oranges are visible to birds that are flying overhead.
Mealworms will attract wrens, warblers, and other birds (including bluebirds if you live in open countryside). Place the worms in the open, near your birdbath, and since you don't want your food to crawl away, be sure to offer them in a bowl or feeder with slippery sides.
Expect the unexpected
Don't be surprised if you see some unusual eating this month. Early-arriving fruit and insect eaters may find that insects aren't plentiful and berries aren't ready. Non-seed-eating birds may eat seed. Anne has seen Indigo Buntings visit tube feeders filled with white millet and watched robins pick cranberries out of her seed-and-fruit block and then move to a tray feeder filled with sunflower chips.
Double the variety of birds you attract by adding water to your yard, and double it again by making the water move with a solar-powered or electric fountain. We've seen Western Tanagers, Lazuli and Indigo Buntings, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, orioles, and all sorts of warblers lured into view by the sound and sight of moving water - even in city backyards.
What birds want
Don't assume all birds are looking for a bird house. They're not. Many are in search of nesting sites in shrubs and trees. By planting a wide variety of native flowers, trees, shrubs, and grasses, you will provide food, cover, and nesting options that will make it more likely that birds will choose your backyard.
For those woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, and other cavity nesters that do use nest boxes, be careful to pick the right house for your area. You may be surprised to know that Western and Mountain Bluebirds require a slightly larger entrance hole than Eastern Bluebirds. Check with your local bird store to find the box that's right. And bear in mind that the best houses not only are the right size, but also have adequate ventilation and drainage, are easy to open, and are made of materials thick enough to insulate against heat and cold.
Finally, don't delay. Timing is important. If you wait till summer to put out a nest box, add a fountain to your bath, or change up your food offerings, you'll miss most of the show.
But don't worry if you do: Summer brings its own fascinations, like lots of chicks. We'll talk more about the joy of summertime birds in the next issue. |
| Anne Schmauss, Mary Schmauss, and Geni Krolick are sisters and bird experts who live in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, where they own and manage Wild Birds Unlimited stores. Their book For the Birds: A Month-by-Month Guide to Attracting Birds to Your Backyard was published in 2008 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang. In our next issue, they will give their best tips for attracting birds in July and August. |
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