Gone to the birds…a new way to recycle
May 13, 2009 – 8:50 am
Mockingbirds LOVE fruit
Pouring my coffee, I heard a very loud screech out front on the porch. The source: a mockingbird. He was sampling from the grapes I had recycled to the bird feeder. This time of year, bird feeders get a number of rare visitors. It’s brooding season. That means that birds everywhere are seeking supplements to their normal diet in order to feed their nestlings.
Similar to the cravings that pregnant women get before and after delivery, brooding birds look for treats. But unlike pregnant women, birds crave the correct foods. Although the tv commercials and specialty shops will try to get you to spend big bucks on specialty seed, meal worms and other expensive snacks, there’s an easier and cheaper way to get in on the action that’s good for your wallet and your planet. Recycled food!
Let’s face it. We all know about composting but most of us don’t like to deal with the mess of fermenting food or the hassle of having to turn a large pile every day. And even if you do, chances are you can divert some of that food to the birdfeeders. Believe it or not, birds love leftover spaghetti and stale wholewheat bread. During brooding season, some will even go after a stray piece of meatball and will knock you down for bacon drippings. (Bet you know some people who will do the same.)
So here are my top three treats for spring. Add these to your feeders to entice the rare birds and help the brooders. Best of all, each of these can be offered “past prime” so you don’t waste food nor money on expensive seed.
Give the "bullies" the big pieces away from the other feeders
Fruit – oranges, raisins, grapes, cherries, blueberries- don’t waste them if they start to shrivel in your fridge. Lay them around on untreated wooden perches. Birds will snatch them and the ants that they attract. Jelly also attracts mockingbirds and orioles.
Peanut Butter – One of the best things you can offer to your kids and to the birds. High in protein and fat, birds really need both right now and, unlike suet, it won’t turn rancid in the heat. So if your kids don’t eat the crusts of their sandwiches, the birds will. I smear mine on logs that have predrilled holes. I Hang these around the yard where squirrels cannot reach. Since they have no perches, only little birds will visit. Chickadees, Timouses, Wrens, Downy Woodpeckers. (If you need one of these feeders, give me a call. I’ll show you how to make one.)
Egg shells – Birds digest differently than humans. They require grit to break down the seeds in their gullets. Eggshells serve this purpose as well as offering added calcium, magnesium and protein. Crush the shells under your feeders or sprinkle them around your tomatoes, peppers, eggplants. What doesn’t get eaten will add these same nutrients to the soil for your plants. (Calcium is also a great way to prevent tomato blossom end rot.)
Got another good tip or trick? Send them my way. I’ll share the good news.
2 Responses to “Gone to the birds…a new way to recycle”
Just read an article that said that rottening bananas attract butterflies. It said to put them in a pie tin and then into a larger tin filled with water, so that ants would not get to them.
By Pat on May 13, 2009
Thanks for info, great stuff.
By Janine Marthai on May 13, 2009