We are glad to welcome back guest author Lisa Comer.  Lisa lives in Silverhill, Alabama and will become a regular guest author on Living 4 Outdoors. Lisa is a very talented writer as well an amazing amateur photographer. All the photos in her post have been hers and are excellent quality.

You don’t have to travel far to become a birdwatcher.  You don’t even have to spend money on an expensive pair of binoculars.  All you have to do is put out a bird feeder, fill it with seed, and sit back and watch. It may take a day or just a few minutes, but once the birds notice the seed, they will start to visit your yard.  Of course, you will have to make a few decisions before you can get started and there is some expense involved.  When I decided to put out a bird feeder, I found out that there are a lot of different types of feeders to choose from as well as different types of bird seed.  If you know the kind of birds that you want to attract and if they are native to the area, then that will narrow your choices.  I choose a platform feeder because I wanted the birds to have a lot of room to move around.  Also, it is easier to view birds on a platform feeder.  I like to watch Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays, so I found out that they liked to eat black oil sunflower seed and cracked / chopped corn.  Some stores have a wild bird mix that includes millet, but when I used it, the millet was always left on the feeder.  Since then I’ve stuck to purchasing a 50 lb. bag of each.  I buy my seed at the farmer’s supply store, because it is a lot cheaper than a specialty bird store.  It is usually fresher, too.

Cardinals like the sunflower seed.

Before long, other types of birds will be visiting your feeder.  I’ve found that a lot of different birds like the black oil sunflower seed.   The only drawback is that it is very messy.  The birds that remain on your feeder to eat, will crack and drop the shell on your lawn.  After a while, there will be an island of discarded shells underneath your feeder.  My feeder is in a natural area, so the shells don’t bother me.   I am well compensated by the hours of enjoyment I’ve had watching a variety of birds vie for a place on my feeder. You can see that both the Warbler and the Tufted Titmouse are attracted to the sunflower seed.

The Tufted Titmouse will pick up one seed and then fly away.  A few minutes later, it will fly back to take another seed.  If you plan to get its picture, then you better have your camera ready, because it won’t be on the feeder for long. Another thing to consider when you are trying to attract birds to your yard, is if there is a water source close by.  If you don’t want the birds to use your pet’s water bowl, you need to have a bird bath.  Luckily, I have a stream running on the back part of my yard.It may not seem like it, but keeping a bird feeder is a long term commitment.  In order to keep birds visiting your yard, your feeder must be kept full every day.  The feeder must be kept clean.  Always remove empty shells or wet seeds.  You don’t want bugs on your feeder that might be detrimental to the health of any visiting birds.  If your feeder remains empty over a period of time, the birds will find another source of food.  Since I have been maintaining a supply of seed on my feeders for the past sixteen years, I have seen a steady stream of birds in my yard.  Beautiful birds to watch while looking out of my sliding glass door, and beautiful bird songs to listen to as I walk in my back yard.