Hungry birds need human helping hands

Patty Sudberry, left, and Darrell Taylor look over some of the bird feeders available at the Co-op. Bird feed of all types is a big seller at the store, especially this time of year. (T-G Photo by Mary Reeves) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Bluebirds, finches, cardinals, jays, chickadees ... all kinds of birds having to survive all kinds of winter weather -- and everyone can help. Since 1994, February has been proclaimed National Bird-Feeding Month, a reminder that this month is the leanest for our feathered friends and the hardest to survive.

"I keep my bird feeders up year round," said Pat Martin of Deason. "But I put out more in the winter."

When Pat and her husband. Dr. Gerald Martin, moved to the country, their sons were young and used to staying inside.

"I thought if I let them stay inside all the time, they'd turn into sissies," Pat said, laughing. "So I took them outside."

Once outside, she discovered her singing, cawing and chirping neighbors and began to feed them.

"I'll go out and fill the feeders and call them and they'll come," she said. "The bluebirds won't even leave the yard if they know it's us."

Feeding the crowd

Their sons have long since flown the nest, but more birds show up all the time. She's added different types of feed for the many different kinds of birds, from sunflowers and thistle seeds to mealworms.

"People think they're really gross, but they're actually very dry," she said.

She orders them 5,000 at a time and keeps them in cornmeal in the house until they "wake up a little." Those that aren't going to be bluebird breakfast right away are kept in a dormant state in the refrigerator.

"I don't have to do that that much in the winter -- they go through them pretty fast."

According to Wild Bird Centers of America, a typical backyard bird doesn't weigh as much as two nickels, and may consume 15 percent of their body weight overnight just keeping warm enough to survive. They spend most of their waking hours searching for food. With subdivisions and shopping malls crowding out the fields where they once found food, every bird feeder helps.

According to the Audubon Society, more than 100 North American bird species supplement their natural diets with birdseed, suet, fruit and nectar obtained from feeders, and the Wild Bird Center web site states that a third of Americans have bird feeders of one sort or another.

"A lot of people feed them," said Darrell Taylor of Bedford-Moore Farmer's Co-op. "We move a lot of birdseed. We've got sunflower seeds, a cardinal mix, suet cakes. It goes pretty fast, especially in winter."

Feeding birds is a good hobby, and doesn't have to be expensive. You can make your own bird feeders by spreading peanut butter on a pinecone or a stale bagel, then rolling them in bird seed. Hang the feeder high, preferably out of the reach of a cat's leap, and watch the fun begin. Of course, where there are bird feeders, there are usually other seed-loving critters as well.

"One guy told me he rigged a wire from his electric fence to his bird feeder," said Taylor. "The squirrel would run up the pole, and pow!"

The squirrels, he quickly added, were only stunned and soon ran off.

"I don't have much of a problem with squirrels," said Martin. "We're up on a hill and out in the open. It's the raccoons and possums I have to deal with."

She also doesn't have to worry much about her cat getting to them. Besides being declawed, he's "old, fat, lazy and content," she said.

Protection from predators

Keeping possible predators away is something to keep in mind when placing a bird feeder. Too close to anything a cat might use as a launch pad is inviting the local felines to a feathered buffet. Too close to windows, and you're likely to have birds breaking their necks as they fly into the clear glass.

"We had one one time and didn't know what it was," said Martin. "It was injured, so we took it inside."

The bird was a yellow-billed cuckoo, unusual enough in their cleared area, but often found in the woods. The Martins contacted a wild bird rehabilitator, but the bird died before they could get it there.

The bird feeders themselves can pose a health hazard to the birds. If they aren't cleaned often, a disease called trichomoniasis can spread between those visiting the feeder, according to the Audubon site.

"You can tell if you have a disease problem at your feeders because diseased birds are less alert and less active, they feed less and may cower on a feeder, they may be reluctant to fly, and their feathers do not appear to be in good shape," the site stated. "Birds afflicted with Trichomoniasis typically develop sores in their mouths and throats. Unable to swallow, they drop food or water contaminated with Trichomonads that other birds then consume, thus spreading the disease."

With the concern over this and other diseases, including salmonellosis, aspergillosis, and avian pox, which are easily transmitted at bird feeders and birdbaths, Audubon recommends:

* Disinfect your feeder and birdbath: To keep pathogens at bay, immerse your seed feeder or birdbath in a nine to one water-bleach solution, rinsing it thoroughly, one to two times per month (for tips on cleaning hummingbird feeders, click here). In the presence of outbreaks, disinfect twice as often.

* Empty water from your birdbath every day: Brush or wipe it clean and rinse, then refill the birdbath with fresh water.

* Discard old seed and hulls: When you clean your feeder, get rid of the old seed. Rake or sweep up any uneaten hulls on the ground. The disease-causing Trichomonad protozoan, for example, can live for up to five days in food and several hours in water.

* Avoid overcrowding: If possible, provide more than one feeder and spread them out. Crowding only expedites the spread of disease, so give the birds variety and plenty of room.

HOMEMADE SUET

Pat Martin makes her own suet, a fat-rich compound, by packing the mixture into old tuna cans, then placing them in suet holders, available at most garden centers. Her recipe is 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of cornmeal, 1 cup of peanut butter and 1 cup of lard. She mixes it with the dough hook on her blender. "It's the only thing I use the dough hook for," she joked.