Summer Backyard Birding Tips

Summer is here and everything’s in bloom. The number of feeders should be reduced since the birds have an abundance of natural food. Water, while always important, plays a prominent role during this time of year. Here are some tips for backyard birding in the summer:

1)  Reduce the number of feeders in your yard, as there is ample natural food, both seeds and insects, for the birds to eat. A feeder filled with sunflower, one filled with nyjer and a suet feeder should be enough.

2)  Occassionally offer pieces of fruit, especially if orioles are present. I sometimes offer raisins in a platform feeder for catbirds and mockingbirds.

3)  If you have hummingbird feeders in your yard, be sure to change the nectar at least once a week, especially during hot weather.

4)  Keep the bird bath clean and filled with fresh water. I use a bristled vegetable brush to scrub the baths free of debris and algae.

5)  If you have the room, offer a couple of bird baths at different heights and locations. I have a two pedestal baths in the garden and one ground level bath partially under a shrub for cover and shade.

6)  With everything in bloom, the summer is a good time to survey your yard plantings. Not everything grows as well as we’d like and some plantings surprise us and grow beyond expectations. Make notes for next spring about which plants & shrubs were successful and which were not. Maybe some plants need to be moved into the sun because a tree in the yard has grown and now throws a larger shadow. Maybe the neighbor has put in a new fence affecting the number of hours of sunlight that hits your border garden. Do the plantings in your yard provide enough cover? Be aware of the changes and take action next spring.

7)  The breeding season is over for most birds in the middle of the summer. Watch for the parents and their young at your feeders and baths.

8)  With nesting season over, you can take the bird houses down. I like to leave them up all year, as they provide shelter during cold and bad weather.

9)  Watch the birds “change their wardrobe” during August. Most birds will lose their breeding plumage in August.