Songbird Essentials Clinger's Only is a guranteed favorite Chickadee feeder

Guest Article by Don & Lillian Stokes

Chickadees are cheerful bird feeder regulars from coast to coast. There are about six species of Chickadees regularly seen in North American north of Mexico. Looking like Little League Baseball players, they all have dark caps, bibs and white cheeks. In general, they are dark on the back, lighter underneath, and all about the same shape and size.

Each of our Chickadees has a different range, so check which ones live in your area. Here is a summary:

• Black-capped Chickadee:  Northern States and Southern Canada from coast to coast.
• Carolina Chickadee: Mostly the South – Eastern and Southern – Central States.
• Mountain Chickadee: Throughout the mountains of the West.
• Chestnut-backed Chickadee: Mostly the West Coast from Central California to Southern Alaska.
• Boreal Chickadee: Mostly in Canada from coast to coast and in Alaska.
• Mexican Chickadee: Just over the border in very limited areas of the Southwest.

In the winter most Black-capped Chickadees form into a flock of 6 – 14 birds that move about a range of 20 – 35 acres and defend it from other Chickadee flocks. A flock is comprised of pairs of Chickadees, some of which

Songbird Essentials Chickadee House

breed locally and some of which are young birds from elsewhere. Within the flock there is a stable linear dominance hierarchy, or “pecking order”. When Chickadees approach your bird feeders some birds seem to hang back and let others feed first or one bird may knock another bird off its feeding perch and take its place. These behaviors are sings of dominance and a reflection of the amazingly complex social relationships within a Chickadee flock.

Attract Chickadees with sunflower seed, their favorite, or seed mixes that contain a high percentage of sunflower. Offer the seed in tubular feeders, screen feeders or hopper feeders. Use multiple feeders to allow more Chickadee flock members to feed. I find my Chickadees love sunflower hearts and my wife likes that there is less mess in the yard, and no seeds to sprout.

Chickadees are also attracted to suet, especially in winter, when their metabolic needs are high and the high fat content of suet provides many calories.

You may also noticed that other species such as Woodpeckers, Titmice and Nuthatches may temporarily associate with the Chickadees forming a “mixed flock”. The Chickadees are the nuclear species these flocks form around. A mixed flock may benefit because there are more eyes to search for danger. By attracting Chickadees to your feeder, you can attract these other species as well. When I put out new feeders to test, the Chickadee is often the first to explore.

Chickadees live in trees, so if you do not have forest nearby, you may not have Chickadees. Create a favorable Chickadee habitat by planting trees. In addition to eating bird seed and suet, Chickadees eat tiny insects, insect larvae and wild seeds. They can acrobatically cling to branches to reach their food. I find that Chickadees readily eat live mealworms ( if they can beat the Bluebirds and Blue Jays) offered in my stake feeders.

Songbird Essentials Meal Worm feeder made from recycled milk cartons

In spring, the chickadee flock disperses. The most dominant pairs nest in the area of the winter territory, the other members nest elsewhere. Chickadees nest in trees, holds or in birdhouses. You can attract nesting Chickadees by putting up birdhouses. The entrance hole diameter can be from 1 to 1 ½ inches.

During the spring season listen for the Chickadee song. Block-capped Chickadees sing a two note whistle which sound like a “Feebee”. Other sounds they mark are “Chickadeedeedeedee”, given at disturbances or when one member is separated from the flock. The short “Tseett” note a call given between members of a flock to help keep them together. Now enjoy the Chickadee’s in your backyard.

Bobbo Bluebird shaped bird house with Chickadee sized entrance hole

Share/Bookmark

Include as many native plants as possible in your yard to provide food for the insects, and then you will be feeding the summer birds too!

In his book Bringing Nature Home, Doug Tallamy ranks the best native plants to grow, based on their ability to support butterflies, moths, and caterpillars.  The plants that feed caterpillars feed the birds! Now is the time to plan on what you will plant in you garden to attract birds this year.

Share/Bookmark

Songbird Essentials Spiral Feeder

Bird Feeders

Bird feeders attract a wide range of birds such as Bluebirds, Cardinals, Wrens and Chickadees and a lot of other species of birds. Hummingbird feeders and Oriole feeders display nectar for these birds to drink. Some bird feeders are more decorative than practical. Choose a feeder that is attractive and keeps the seed dry. Wet seed turns moldy and will make the birds sick. A tube feeder is an idea feeder to give as a gift. The birds love the spiral tube bird feeders. They can run up and down the spiral instead of flying off to another perch to go to another seed port.

Bird Baths

Birds need to frolic in shallow water to groom themselves. Bird  baths are an attractive garden ornament that will also help to attract a wide variety of birds throughout the year. You can

Fierenza Solar Bird Bath Fountain

purchase any very attractive, decorative bird baths at our website. A heating unit can be put into these to keep them from freezing during the winter months or you could purchase a heated bird bath which can be used year round.

Bird Houses

Birds love playing around a bird house, poking their noses inside the hole to see what is inside of them. There are bird houses that are made to attract a particular bird such as Bluebird Houses. For a bird house that will last for many years choose one made of cedar or recycled plastic. Cedar bird houses help to keep away insects and moths that hate the smell of cedar! Bird houses are great garden accent additions to any lawn or garden. Bird watchers enjoy receiving them as gifts.

Bird Decor Items

Bird watchers also enjoy receiving gifts with bird designs on them such as door mats, coffee mugs, ornaments, garden stakes, wind

Songbird Collage Door Mat

Gold Finch Wind Chime

Share/Bookmark

Manufactures Suggested Retail Price $ 155.94

Special Sale Price Until March 31, 2010 $ 93.99

Click Here to Order Your Effortless Birdfeeder Now!

Effortless Birdfeeder

Click Here to Order Your Effortless Birdfeeder

Share/Bookmark

Click Here to Order Now

Share/Bookmark

FRINGE TREE (Chionanthus virgirginicus)

It is impossible to resist caressing the wispy, tassle-like flowers of fringe trees which hang among the bare branches.  You’ll be able to reach them:  Fringe trees are typically only 10 to 20 feet tall. Their common name is Wintersweet.  They have an outsanding spicy fragrance. They are graceful planted in groves, which increases the chances of having both male and female trees: Males are said to flower more robustly; females produce small fruits attractive to birds. Fringe trees are old fashioned trees that deserve to be planted more often.  Give them a chance! Maybe you will attract some new bird varieties.   Need some winter cold.  Grow in sun or part shade.  Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.

Share/Bookmark

FLOWERING CRABAPPLE  (Malus)

There are more than 700 named varieties of crabapples-all prodigious bloomers that cover themselves in white, pink, or red flowers in spring.  When they bloom, bees and other pollinators make the trees fairly buzz with life. They are excellent wildlife trees.   The best crabapples for birds, are small-fruited cultivars that hold their fruit into winter such as ‘Bob White’, ‘Donald Wyman’ or ‘Red Jade’. They are beautiful small trees and most grow between 15 and 25 feet.  They do best in sunny gardens, and they are hardy and reliable.  Crabapples have stately, even dramatic structure.  They do benefit from occasional pruning.  Look for cultivars that resist blight and apple scab.  Hardy in Zones 4 to 7.

Share/Bookmark

Dogwood Blosoms

Here is a small tree that fits well under larger trees, giving your yard a mature, balanced appearance.  It is especially appealing to thrushes in the fall.  Because my yard is small and I already have several trees, and I dearly love the song of the Swainson’s Thrush.  This one is on my wish list for 2010!

FLOWERING DOGWOOD (Cornus florida)

Snow white dogwood blossoms transform the landscape, blooming after the Sassafras in spring.  Woodland edges positively spring to life when they bloom.  Flowering dogwood is a “super-attractive bird tree.”  Birds find shelter and nesting sites in its branches, and you can time the fall migration by watching the berries mature; bright red berries ripen at the peak of migration for thrushes.  The biggest challenge with dogwoods can be in deciding where to plant them—they are an understory tree which means they can be grown below taller trees.   They range from 10 to 20 feet.  They have characteristic horizontal branching if they are in high shade, but they develop a full, rounded crown if in the sun.  Good drainage and air circulation are important as healthy trees resist dogwood anthracnose.  Hardy in Zones 5 to 9.  To assure hardiness, northern gardeners are advised to buy trees propagated from northern stock.

Dogwood Trees

Share/Bookmark

Cornelian Cherry Tree

The next six flowering trees that attract birds, bees or butterflies, are listed according to their bloom time.  You will find many features that will excite you.

Cornelian cherry  (Cornus mas)

The Cornelian cherry is one of the earliest blooming woody plants.  It makes a deciduous shrub or small tree, with a graceful rounded form, 15 to 20 feet tall.  In early spring, the naked branches are dotted with clusters of fluffy yellow flowers , which are followed in late summer by bright red edible fruits.  The “cherries” are relished by songbirds and other wildlife. While too tart to eat raw by humans, the cherries make

Cornelian Cherry Berry

delicious preserves.  In the fall, the dark green foliage turns a rich burgundy purple, and the beautifully mottled exfoliating bark of mature specimens contributes o its four seasons of garden interest.  Cornelian cherry grows in sun or shade, is tolerant of most conditions, and is untroubled by pests or disease.  It is easy care in full sun to moist shade.  It is particularly effective when trained as a multitrunked small tree and underplanted with hellebores, primroses, early bulb and other early spring border beauties, such as daffodils.  C. mas  “Variegata” has white-margined foliage; “Aurea” is strongly yellow; and with gold-margined leaves, the cultivar “Elegantissima” is a stunning addition to the garden.  Hardy to Zone 4 to 7.

Cornelian Cherry In Bloom

Share/Bookmark

I want a tree that is not too big, not too small, can grow in sun or shade, tolerates wet and drought, not too fussy about soil type, its evergreen or nearly so, it has gorgeous blooms that are fragrant, it blooms when many others have finished and keeps blooming most of the summer, and has two or more season interests.   Just one last wish, I want it to be cherished by the birds as much as I cherish it.  That is a big order to fill!

And the winner is——-

Sweetbay Magnolia  (Magnolia virginiana and M. virgniana var. australis)

Gardeners love and appreciate the sweetbay magnolia’s small, cream-colored goblet-shaped flowers in early summer. When the tight seedpods mature in late summer, the bright red seeds are eagerly consumed by birds. This tree is surprisingly hardy.  The southern form (M. virginiana var. australis), is usually evergreen and can grow up to 20 feet.  The northern from (M. virginiana) often has several trunks; it is deciduous or semi-evergreen.  Sweetbay magnolia grows in sun or part shade and tolerates moist soils and drought, prefers an acid soil.  The glossy leaves have silvery undersides, and the whole tree shimmers in a breeze.  Plant them by a path where you can appreciate the sweet fragrance of the flowers as you come and go.  Height range is from 10 to 20 feet.  Hardy in Zones 5 to 9.

I purchased mine three years ago at a local farmers market. Not much growth the first year and I thought I had a failure on my hands.  I gave it more fertilizer and it is doing much better the past two years.  It is supposed to bloom in the 8 to 10 year.  Oh, how can I wait that long!

Sweetbay Magnolia

Share/Bookmark