I get excited watching the birds and the bees as they come to feed and drink in my yard. It’s a joy and privilege to see them go about their daily lives. And I know I get a fair few more visitors than my neighbors. So, what am I doing so right that the birds can’t resist swooping into my garden?
You’d be wrong to think that birds will come into your yard without a friendly welcome. Apart from needing an environment where they feel safe, they will also appreciate food and drink, just like a guest that you’d welcome into your home.
However, although I have lots of bird-friendly measures in place in my backyard, there is one that outsmarts all else. My secret to increasing the bird population in my yard is fat balls. Whenever I place these nutritious energy balls into my bird feeder, the hungry feathered fellows dart in.
But, although birds love them, there’s a furry mammal that thinks they are a tasty treat. For this reason, I don’t place the fat balls in any bird feeder; I make sure it’s squirrel-proof and suitable for small birds. There are also other methods you can use to protect your bird feeder from hungry squirrels.
Why do the birds flock to fat balls?
Fat balls are an excellent source of nutrients for wild birds, with a high-energy source of healthy fats and calories. Apart from the fat that holds everything together, fat balls also contain a mix of seeds, nuts and mealworms — all the food that birds love to eat.
Birdfy states that fat balls are crucial to birds’ diets, particularly during the winter months, when other meals are scarce, and during migration seasons. However, I witness them enjoying a fat ball feast throughout the year.
Although my garden birds enjoy pecking on fat balls all year round, Really Wild Bird Food states you must be more vigilant in the summer months, especially if the weather is particularly hot.
It warns that fat balls can get rancid in warmer weather, and it recommends clearing away any uneaten feed and replacing it once a week. I don’t have any issue with this, as the birds swoop in and munch away as soon as I put out new food.
Other easy ways to attract birds to your backyard
Putting out fat balls is one of the methods I use to attract birds to my yard, but I mix this up with several other techniques, as fat balls won’t entice the birds alone.
Beware of prey
Birds will be put off entering your yard if they spot prey about. So, if you have cats hiding under the bushes ready to ambush the little feathered creatures, they will look elsewhere for nourishment.
Natural shelter
Birds will look for shelter, therefore, if your bird food is placed in an open space, they are less likely to swoop in. Hanging a bird feeder on the branch of a tree will give them natural shelter away from predators they seek to avoid.
Easy access
It's also worth placing the bird feeder where you can access it, so that you can clean, refill and maintain it without using a ladder. What’s more, for your own benefit, place the feeder where you can see the birds. However, to avoid a collision, don’t place it too close to glass doors and windows.
A place to drink
Apart from putting out bird food, your local wildlife will pay you a visit if they can pop in for a drink. They may even fancy a bath to ruffle up their feathers on sunny days. However, they won’t be happy if you regularly move their drinking source around your yard, so once you find a resting place, don’t shift it.
Just like a bird feeder, it will need a regular clean and top up to remove algae and debris. You might even want to try this simple hack that will keep your birdbath clean and algae-free.
Bird-friendly plants
You’re much more likely to get birds visiting your yard if you’ve got a garden filled with trees and plants. So, if your yard is bare apart from a patch of lawn, the birds will fly past — although they won’t turn down a worm.
Apart from bringing life to your yard, plants will provide birds with shelter, nesting sites, and food — everything they crave. The National Audubon Society recommends growing native plants that naturally occur in your area. As an example, it suggests purple coneflowers, sunflowers, milkweed, cardinal flowers, trumpet honeysuckle, and shrubs such as buttonbush and elderberry, as well as oak and dogwood trees.
And while you're considering plants to encourage the birds, the benefits of creating a wildflower garden will encourage the pests that birds love to eat.
