#84 Backyard Tip: Put your Xmas Tree to use

Now that the holidays are over, here is a wonderful suggestion for what you can do with your Christmas Tree.

I see so many placed out on the curb, and know that homeowners are missing out on creating a small micro-habitat for birds.

Do not discard your evergreen tree. Instead, I place mine outside near my feeding station. This now provides an additional place for the birds to hide, and find protection from the elements and predators.

photo © adrian binns

#82 Backyard Tip: Introducing Suet

Most birds have a high metabolic rate, and suet (or fat) plays an important part in their diet. Suet produces enough energy to help birds sustain higher activity levels, for longer periods between meals, during the longer, colder winter months.


While suet can be offered in a cage feeder or mesh bag, I prefer to rub the suet directly into crevices and holes on a snag (as in the photo) that I have placed near my feeding station.

Many birds enjoy suet, but I find that it is those that tend to cling to tree trunks - woodpeckers, creepers, nuthatches, wrens, titmice and chickadees - that are readily attracted to my suet, and it is not long before I have to gladly replenish the supply.

photo © adrian binns

#70 Keeping an Eye On....... Cooper's Hawk

I have watched birds scatter in all directions from my feeders as soon as one of them gives the alarm. Danger is in the air, and more often than not I find the culprit to be a Cooper's Hawk.

It is perfectly natural to have a predator such as a Cooper's stalk your feeders. Their long tails are adapted for maneuverability amongst trees and shrubs as they chase smaller birds.

While we do not like to see a finch, sparrow or dove succumb to a raptor, it is a fascinating part of nature that we may be fortunate enough to witness.

photo © adrian binns

#68 Backyard Tip: Bins in the Kitchen

Some of the most enjoyable birding occurs right in my kitchen!  My backyard feeding station is close enough to see the birds well through the window, but occasionally I want a better look at an individual in action.

It's best to keep binoculars and field guide handy, to take advantage of any unexpected sightings when you want a closer look.  A pair of handy binoculars enabled me to pick-out a Clay-colored Sparrow last autumn, amongst a group of Chipping Sparrows.

Caution: Grease and food particles build up quickly in kitchens - keep optics in a safe, dry place to protect them!

photo © adrian binns

#28 Backyard Tip: Hand Feeding Birds

Want to have a wild bird land on your hand?

Try sitting still near your feeding station, putting a little seed in your palm, and holding your arm outstretched and still. With a lot of luck and patience, there is a possible chance that a chickadee, nuthatch or titmouse may very well land in the palm of your hand, pause a moment, and snatch up a seed.

Patience and practice is key. Wintertime is the best season to try this trick, and you may experience birds in a breathtaking new light!

photo © adrian binns

#23 Backyard Tip: Baffled by Squirrels

I am often asked “What can I do about the squirrels on my feeders? They eat the seed that is for the birds and gnaw holes in the feeders.”

The best way to keep them off your feeders is to make sure that you install a baffle on the pole and keep your feeders at least 10 feet away from anything that a squirrel can jump from. This includes other structures, feeders, trees and shrubs. Note in the photo, that the bird bath that a squirrel is in is places well away from the feeder.

There are two types of baffles - round, like a saucer, and cylindrical, like a tube (shown in the photo) - and both are effective. The idea is to mount the baffle below the feeder thereby prohibiting the squirrel from gripping and climbing over it.

photo © adrian binns

#15 Backyard Tip: Window Silhouettes

Just as you and I can see through windows, birds can as well. Unfortunately, the difference is that the birds do not realize that there is a pane of glass. This sadly leads to many injured birds and fatalities, as birds fly at top speed and hit the glass head-on.

We can help our feathered friends by placing silhouette cutouts of raptors on the windows, or draping a fine netting over the glass. Both of these serve to break-up the view, and deter the birds from flying that way.

photo © adrian binns

#9 Backyard Tip: Study the Common Birds First

How well do you know a bird? Can you describe a common bird that you have seen a million times? Do you recall all the details of its plumage or field marks?

Take a moment to write down, or draw, what a Blue Jay looks like, and compare your notes to its image in a field guide and see how well you have done.

Start in your backyard and study the common birds first. Know them well. This will help in being able to identify similar looking and less common species, as well as enhance your birding skills and enjoyment of our wonderful passion.

photo © adrian binns

#8 Conservation Tip: Keep Cats Indoors

This is the only way cats should interact with birds - from behind glass! Outdoor cats pose a major threat to our bird population. Keep your cat indoors at all times.

#3 Backyard Tip: Keep your Birdbath Filled

Summer is here and we are currently in the middle of a scorching heat wave. It is hot! Not only for us but also for the birds in our backyard. We should all be helping out our feathered friends by cleaning and keeping a birdbath filled with fresh water on a daily basis. This will not only ensure that they have clean water to drink but it will also allow them to take a refreshing cool bath.

photo © adrian binns