I'm always amazed at the variety of birds I have show up at my wild bird feeders. I have a bird feeding station outside my home office window and love to see who's visiting and see the new arrivals. Its a great way to take a break from my work and be able to observe nature from my window. I'm in a suburban neighborhood and there are so many different types of birds that show up to feed here. You don't have to have a place in the country to enjoy feeding the birds and getting to know the kinds of wild birds that live in your area.
One of the reasons I get such a variety of wild birds at my feeders is that I have a variety of food and ways for birds to feed. That's why I call it a bird feeding station. Its not just one wild bird feeder, but several different kinds. I have them on shepherd's hooks or bird feeder poles to try and keep them out of reach of the squirrels and give the birds a bit of space between the feeders. I love to see the wild birds perched on the tops of the bird feeder poles, on the clothesline or the lip of the bird bath waiting their turn at the feeder of their choice.
So who eats what?
Sunflower Seeds. The most common type of feeder is a tube feeder filled with sunflower seeds or mixed seeds. These will attract the most birds; songbirds, cardinals, sparrows, chickadees, juncos, etc.
Nyjer or Thistle Seed. These are a favorite of the finches, especially goldfinches. You can use a tube feeder for these as well, but you need one made for Nyjer seed, it has a very fine mesh. You can also use a stocking type feeder, essentially a mesh bag.
Platform or Ground Feeders. Doves, juncos, towee, quail are ground feeders. They eat seed spilled from the hanging feeders off the ground. Since I have cats, I also put a raised platform out for them to feed from more safely.
Suet. Woodpeckers, Flickers and Nuthatches love suet. I only feed suet during the colder months as there doesn't seem to be much of an audience for it in the summer when bugs are plentiful. Suet cakes can be hung in suet feeders or mesh bags. The birds need to be able to cling to the feeder, often upside down, to eat.
These are just a few of the examples of what you can put in your wild bird feeder to attract a variety of birds to your yard. Once you hang your first feeder and enjoy watching your visitors, you'll want to add another kind to see who else comes to visit.
