Creating a habitat for birds

Martha Fisher from Wild Birds Unlimited presented a program recently for Huron County Master Gardeners, "Creating a Bird Habitat." Fisher has operated Wild Birds Unlimited in Perkins for about 25 years. She explained Norwalk is one of the only local areas with bluebirds in town. There are currently fewer birds, as about 53% of grassland birds have declined — 1 in 4 birds have gone since 1970. Due to conservation efforts, 15 million raptors and about 35 million waterfowl have increased in the last several years. Bird disease also affects bird population. Just remember, you may not like the hawks in your yards, but they are going to help keep down bird disease. There are six habitat components to consider when attracting birds; food, water, cover/shelter, places to raise young, and sustainable practices. Provide proper habitat and you can certify your yard through National Wildlife. For food, you can use natural (plants/flowers) or supplemental (seeds). In the spring, birds are weakest; help them with feeders so they don't have to forage and can pay better attention to their surroundings. There are a variety of different feeders you can use. The hopper feeder is your "normal" feeder. Birds will knock off a lot of seed in the hopper feeders. This will help feed your elevated birds as well as your ground feeding birds. Another is a tray feeder, which can hold just about anything (fruit, seeds, nuts, etc.). Cardinals love this type of feeder. They are weak legged birds, so the tray feeder is helpful. Tube feeders can range from large (good for bluejays) to small (goldfinches). Suet feeders and climbers are good for woodpeckers and titmice and also deter squirrels. As for food, different birds need different types of food throughout the year as well. You need (higher oil) seeds for the winter and higher protein seeds for summer/spring. Hot pepper seed deters deer and squirrels. Robins can eat cranberries, mealworms, and sunflower chips. Baltimore orioles love grape jelly and oranges. Keep the oriole feeders away from your other birds, and start feeding them at the end of April/beginning of May through July. Plant for your hummingbirds (salvia) August through September, when you will see hummingbirds feed. You can use 4 to 1 water/sugar ratio for hummingbirds. Change their sugar water twice a week. Depending on what you prefer, the seed can vary. Removing the shells from the seeds allows for less mess. If the seed coat comes off, then the seed won't germinate. Seed quality is important. Birds see in a fluorescent wavelength, so they see how much oil is in seed. For some seeds, you can press the seed on a paper towel to see how much oil. If your birds aren't coming to eat your seed, it's likely because your seed is old and dry. Bird baths/water are great for all birds. This is an easy way to help birds, as all birds need water, but all birds don't eat seed. Keep the baths out in the open. Make sure they are shallow with clean water. Clean about 3 times a week to deter disease. Depending on the bird, the nesting locations and sizes vary. Bluebirds nest and raise their families in the summer, so you need houses. Make sure there are available insects for your bluebird and songbirds; don't use pesticdes. Have nesting materials near the feeders. Do not use dryer lint as a nesting material; dry, natural cotton, yarn, fiber fill, or Spanish moss works well. Make sure the holes for your birdhouses face east. Birds rely on consistency and sight, so don't keep moving everything around or hiding it. Check out Bird Cast to see migration patterns and Merlin Bird ID app. Some birds, like plants, are invasive; the Eastern Starling and the House Sparrow are invasive and also murderous. Do some research and join up with a bird-watching group.