Summer is rapidly approaching for those of us living in the northern hemisphere and you may be looking for some backyard birding ideas to help get more birds to come to you. As the seasons change, you may want to change what you are doing to get birds to your backyard.
Although backyard birding and birdwatching more generally see a large decrease in activity, with July and August usually being the least productive time of year, this doesn’t mean that you have to give up entirely for this season. If you take a few steps to make your backyard more attractive to birds, this upcoming summer could potentially
This blog is all about backyard birding ideas for summer.
1. Get a bird bath
If you are trying to increase your backyard birding numbers, this may be the most effective way, especially if there aren’t many different choices in your local area where birds can drink and bathe. Obviously, in the summer, birds are going to need more water as it gets hotter.
Get a bird bath, fill it with clean drinkable water, and the number of birds in your backyard will almost certainly increase.
For the water level, know that most birds don’t need a deep bird bath. In fact, a shallow puddle is preferable to a deep bath for the majority of species. Many people will feel the need to fill up the bath as much as possible, but birds only need a shallow level of water for drinking and bathing effectively.
Also, try to make the bird bath look more natural, as this will make birds more likely to use it. Rocks and sticks are an easy way to do this. Also, the birds will use the rocks and sticks to perch on, before drinking or bathing.
To make your bird bath easier for passing birds to notice, install a fountain in your bird bath. Having running water with your bird bath will not only make the water easier to spot visually, but easier for birds to hear. Birds have a really good sense of hearing and the sound of running water can catch a bird’s attention that didn’t notice the water visually.
Note: Bird baths need cleaning to keep birds happy. When cleaning your bird bath, it’s best to use a solution of 90% water and 10% bleach or vinegar. If the bird bath looks dirty, it’s time to clean.
2. Buy and plant new plants
Birds like vegetation for nesting, hiding and perching. If you have a sparse number of plants in your backyard, then consider planting some new plants. The best plants will need to be researched on your own, as this will vary depending on where you live.
If you’d like more hummingbirds, pick a plant species that is tubular and has brightly-colored flowers. Petunias, Hollyhocks, Bee Palms and Lupines are all possible choices.
Other options include Elderberrys, Sunflowers and Virginia Creeper.
If you have a greater number of plants, this will naturally increase the number of insects in your yards, which in turn will attract hungry birds looking for an easy meal.
As an alternative to new plants, you can also buy perching structures. These structures can give passing birds an attractive location where they can perch and from there, they will likely discover other things in your backyard that they may take an interest in.
3. Buy a bird feeder
With the summer approaching, a birds need for a feeder will likely decrease as there will be more flowering plants and insect activity, but this doesn’t mean that getting a feeder is a bad idea.
Aside from plants, a sugar-water feeder is another way to get hummingbirds to your yard, if you’d rather not have to deal with caring for a new plant. In addition, other birds, such as orioles and woodpeckers will also drink sugar-water from a feeder.
Another choice for a feeder is to buy a seed-feeder. There are lots of different styles and varieties to choose from, but I suggest getting a feeder that can’t be climbed onto by other wildlife. If you have a way to hang the feeder vertically, from the roof of your patio or from the ceiling of other outside structures, this will be ideal, as squirrels and other small animals won’t be able to get to the food. Some feeders will be labelled “squirrel proof,” but the results aren’t as reliable as simply hanging the feeder vertically, without any way for squirrels to climb onto it.
To increase the diversity of birds that visit, plan on getting multiple feeders, with different types of foods. Having different types of feeders, along with different types of food for them to eat will attract different types of birds.
4. Buy a bird house
Bird houses will naturally attract birds looking for a nest site and if they feel comfortable in your backyard, they will nest in your bird house. Bird houses will be used by smaller bird species such as wrens, woodpeckers, chickadees, sparrows, finches and thrushes.
Surprisingly, smaller birds are not the only ones who you can attract to a bird house. Duck species such as the Wood Duck, Common Goldeneye, Buffleheads and the Hooded Merganser will all use nesting boxes. Owls and Kestrals are the two birds of prey that will use bird houses for nesting. Attracting these birds will be less likely than the smaller perching birds because they are simply not as common.
Having raptor species in your yard might not be for you however, as these birds often prey on other birds. They will inevitably bring other prey items, oftentimes alive, into their nest to feed. If birds of prey are living in your backyard, then this will inevitably scare off a number of smaller birds that would visit.
If you intend on attracting ducks or birds of prey to your backyard, you will have to buy a large enough bird house to comfortably accommodate them. Thankfully, there are bird houses that are specifically for duck species or owls or other raptor species. Etsy and Amazon will give you lots of different options for larger bird houses for these birds.
5. Sit outside during sunrise or sunset
When you have purchased, installed and planted everything you want to increase your backyard birding numbers, it’s time to actually watch the birds! The overwhelming majority of birds are crepuscular, meaning that they are most active at dawn and dusk. Find a place where you can sit and view most of your backyard unobstructed.
If you don’t already own a pair of binoculars, then now would be a good time. Even if your backyard isn’t that big, a pair of binoculars is still a good idea, as you will likely want a closer look at some of the birds.
The time of day isn’t a hard and fast rule of course. There will be bird activity during other parts of the day, but if you only have a limited amount of free time, then you should move your backyard birding time to dawn and dusk.
If you want to sit in front of a feeder or the bird bath, you’ll need to try to remain still when birds show up. Movement and noise are the easiest ways in which birds will be scared away. The closer you are, the easier it is to scare birds away. If you need to move, move slowly.
Other things to keep in mind:
Wherever you decide to put your new feeders, baths etc., it’s better to keep some distance between these items and people. If your backyard borders an area with lots of human activity, such as a playground, try to put your bird-attracting items on the other side of your yard if you can. Loud human activity can scare them off.
Keep in mind that if birds aren’t immediately showing up when you put up a new feeder or bath, that doesn’t mean that you’ve put it in a bad location. Birds can be cautious or might take a while to discover what your setup has to offer.
Also, if there is particular local bird that you want to see, look up what sort of food they prefer and the type of feeder they are most likely to use and get it. Even if you have the exact type of food that a bird species likes, your chances of them showing up decreases if the feeder you have isn’t specifically designed for their feeding style.
Conclusion:
This upcoming summer is a good opportunity to try out some new backyard birding ideas for increased bird activity. Even doing just one of the things on this list will make your backyard more attractive to more birds.
Just because summer is the slow season for backyard birding and birdwatching more generally, doesn’t mean that you have to watch for migration season to see cool birds. You can start making your backyard more appealing to birds right now.
