![]() In rural areas, and suburbs along the suburban/rural interface, you never know what might show up at your bird feeders. High in oil, the tiny seeds work best in tube feeders made especially for thistle seed. ![]() The seed is typically sold as Nyjer or Niger seed. Sunflower seed will work in just about any size feeder.Īnother option for smaller birds such as goldfinches is the so-called thistle seed, a real small, thin, black seed from the African yellow daisy (Guizotia abyssinica). There are a number patented cultivars and hybrids, many of which are not available to the home gardener. They are solid black, and have a higher oil content than the striped sunflower seeds we eat as snacks.īlack oil sunflowers are grown commercially for sunflower oil production and for bird feed. The songbird species attracted to feeders are seed eaters, such as the mourning dove, several species of sparrows, tufted titmouse, goldfinch, northern cardinal, chickadee, dark-eyed junco, and the blue jay, a notorious bully and hog at the feeder.Ī field of Black Oil Sunflowers (Photo form Wikipedia Commons)Īrguably the best bird feed is the black oil sunflower seed, a.k.a. This keeps your bird feeders clean and hygienic, to help prevent the spread of disease.Īn 18-quart plastic dish tub filled with one part bleach to 10 parts of water works great for this job. Wash them in warm, soapy water, rinse and let them soak for awhile in a mild bleach solution. It’s a good idea to check out the hanging tube feeders, hopper-style feeders and suet cake feeders used last year to see if they are still serviceable. Plastic or metal trash cans are ideal for storing bags of bird feed and suet cakes. Drill a few small holes through the plywood so the tray won’t hold water. Build a tray from scrap plywood and 2x4s so you can pile up a seed blend. Blue Jay at hopper feeder (Photo by James Morgan)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |