Summer Feeding Tips

Tips for Feeding Summer Birds

To make your summer bird feeding even more enjoyable for both you and the birds…

• Keep feeders in shaded areas to minimize spoiled seed and help birds keep cool, encouraging them to feed longer and visit more frequently.
• Decrease the quantities of millet or cracked corn to attract a greater variety of birds instead of just house sparrows, European starlings and brown-headed cowbirds.
• Keep cats indoors to protect ground feeding birds and immature fledglings just out of the nest.
• Protect birds from window strikes by positioning feeders correctly and using anti-reflective techniques to make windows more visible.



Droll Yankees A-Tray

• Add a bird bath for a fresh water source that will attract not only feeding birds, but also species that need water but do not frequently visit feeders.

Summer is a great time to feed the birds, and with the right summer bird feeding techniques it is possible to enjoy dozens of beautiful bird species right in your backyard.

Make the Most of your Garden Feeders

Kennedy Wild Bird Feeders

Bird feeders offer a fun and entertaining way to observe birds up close and connect with nature. They also supplement the natural food sources available for birds in your yard or garden. Different species of birds prefer varying types of feeder foods.

Nourishment for wildlife should come primarily from natural food sources such as native plants. Feeders should only be supplied to complement birds' natural diets.

• Provide multiple feeding stations in different areas of your yard to disperse bird activity. Feed in moderation, with only a few feeders per acre.
• Clean your feeders regularly with hot water, and let them air dry completely. Also keep areas under and around the feeders clean.
• Keep seed clean and dry, and watch for hold.
• Use a seed blend designed for your feeder and the types of birds you feed. Blends that contain filler seeds and grains (milo, sorghum, and red or golden millet) are not typically eaten by birds, and will often end up on the ground.
• If you find a dead bird near the feeder that has not been killed by a predator, disinfect the feeders with a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water.
• Place bird feeders in locations that do not provide hiding places for cats and other predators. Place feeders ten to twelve feet from low shrubs or brush piles.
• Many bird species will not eat from a feeder. Some species eat only fruits or insects. Provide for these species also by planting native plants and not using pesticides in your yard or garden.
• Black oil sunflower seed is a favorite of just about every seed-eating species.
• Suet feeders are a favorite of woodpeckers and other insect-eating birds. You can make your own suet or buy blocks of suet from a wild bird store. Typically suet blocks are placed in a wire cage that hangs on the side of a tree. Do not put suet out in warm weather or it will go rancid.

We have a wide variety of feeders & wild bird food online and in store - so visit us today & serve up a delicious feast for your feathered friends.

Peter, Anne & The Team.

Spring Sale is Extended through the Summer

We've extended our spring sale through to the end of July.

All Peanuts & sunflower seeds are reduced in price & come with free delivery for orders over £50.

Economy Peanuts

25kg of Economy Peanuts are now just £39.99 - offer valid until 31st July 2014

Sunflower Hearts

25kg of Premium Sunflower Hearts are now just £38.99 - offer valid until 31st July 2014

Kennedy Wild Birds has a huge selection of wild bird food, feeders & accessories as well as dog food & cat food. We're open 6 days a week so please visit us in store or order online for next day delivery.

Bird Feeders

Sunflower bird seed is by far the most popular bird seed that attracts a large variety of wild birds. There are quite a few types and styles of Bird Feeders for sunflower seeds and most do a good job.

The Sunflower Seed Bird Feeder shown here is a wire mesh style that has internal dividers that keep the seed in the upper levels longer which results in more birds being able to feed at the same time. It also has a small tray to accommodate perching birds like Cardinals. Clinging birds like the Chickadee, Titmouse, Nuthatch and Woodpeckers like to cling to the wire mesh to feed.

Goldfinch Thistle seed bird feeders are the second most popular type of bird feeder. Thistle seed is tiny seeds that Goldfinches and others love. A good example of a thistle feeder is the yellow accented wire mesh feeder designed just for the thistle. This Finch Tube Bird Feeder has internal dividers to maintain seed in upper levels for longer use by many birds. Its tray catches fallen seed so the birds can still find and use it.

Peanut bird feeders can be added as an extra type of feeder to attract more unusual types of birds. The red Spiral Peanut Bird Feeder holds the peanuts in wire openings that are just right to allow birds to peck their treat out. This gives the opportunity to see these birds for a longer time. Red Belly Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, etc. all frequent this type of feeder. The spiral arm gives them an extra perch that they like to go around on to find their choice peanut.

These are just a few examples of all the different styles available, more Bird Feeders can be seen here. Squirrel Baffles can be added to these bird feeders to have Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders.

Feeding the Birds

By feeding the birds all year round we give them a better chance to survive the periods of natural food shortage, whenever they may occur. Providing birds with supplementary food brings them closer for us to see their exciting behaviour and wonderful colours. Attracting birds to your garden has other benefits too because they will naturally hunt for the insects and pests that are living on your plants. Don't be too tidy, leaving your perennial top growth until spring not only protects the crown but also provides areas that birds can forage for over-wintering insects. Now the weather is deteriorating and food sources are becoming rarer, the birds rely even more on garden feeding stations. Not only does this see them through severe weather and food shortages but it ensures that they will enter next years breeding season in good condition.

Put out food and water on a regular basis and in severe weather check your feeders every day. Birds require high energy (high fat) foods during the cold winter weather as they need to maintain their body reserves to survive the frosty nights. Use only good quality food and scraps. Always adjust the quantity given to the demand, and never allow uneaten food to accumulate around the feeders. Once you establish a feeding routine, try not to change it.

Kennedy Wild Bird Food - Nut Feeders

There are different mixes of bird food and the form they come in will determine whether you use a hanging feeder or scatter on bird tables or the ground. The better mixtures contain plenty of flaked maize, sunflower seeds, and peanut granules. Small seeds, such as millet, attract mostly house sparrows, dunnocks, finches, reed buntings and collared doves, while flaked maize is taken readily by blackbirds. Mixes that contain chunks or whole nuts are suitable for winter feeding only as young birds would choke on the larger pieces.

High fat or oil content is especially important in winter feeding. Black sunflower seeds have a higher oil content than striped ones, and so they are much better. Peanuts are rich in fat and are popular with tits, greenfinches, house sparrows, nuthatches, great spotted woodpeckers and siskins. Crushed or grated nuts attract robins, dunnocks and even wrens. Peanuts can be high in a natural toxin (aflatoxin) which can kill birds, so ensure you buy peanuts from a reputable source that have been aflatoxin tested. Nyjer seeds also have a high oil content but because they are so small they need a special type of seed feeder. It is worth the effort though because they attract families of goldfinches and siskins.

Another good winter food source is bird cake, suet treats and fat balls. Remove the nylon mesh bags before putting the fat ball out because they can trap and injure birds. Polyunsaturated margarines or vegetable oils are unsuitable for birds. Unlike humans, birds need high levels of saturated fat, such as raw suet and lard. They need the high energy content to keep warm in the worst of the winter weather, since their body reserves are quickly used up, particularly on cold winter nights.

Kennedy Wild Bird Food - Nut Feeders

Hygiene is as important with birds as it is with humans, so remove any mouldy or stale food from your feeding station. Many moulds are harmless, but some can cause respiratory infections in birds and stale food provides a breeding ground for salmonella bacteria. At least one type of salmonella causes death among such species as greenfinches and house sparrows. If food turns mouldy or stale on your bird table, you are probably placing out too large a quantity for the birds to eat in one day. Also try to avoid large quantities of food scattered on the ground as this may attract mice and rats which carry diseases.

Take a look at the huge range of bird feeders and bird food we have on the website. The food you put out will determine the birds you attract and also what sort of feeding station you need. Aesthetics and practicalities come into it too as you will be the one maintaining and replenishing the feeder. You can buy a feeder as a treat for yourself or put together a selection of different feeders with the appropriate food as a gift for the ornithologist in the family!

We have a huge selection of nut feeders & wild bird feed in store & online so come & visit us soon - wee look forward to seeing you.

Peter, Anne & the team.