Early in 2022, in response to an epidemic of salmonellosis that was killing wild birds, I decided to leave my bird feeders empty because I wasn't confident I could keep them clean enough. With spring off to an early start in my part of the country, I felt there was enough in my garden to feed the birds without providing store-bought seed. Recently, however, as Thanksgiving approached, I felt it was time to supplement their diet again and I filled my feeders once more. My garden was never without birds over the course of the year but their activity has certainly increased in the past few weeks.
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| These 3 feeders sit outside my home office window where I can view the activity every time I sit down at my computer. The hazy view in the distance is the Los Angeles harbor. There are 3 more feeders in the front garden close to the street but they're not readily visible from inside the house. |
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| Closeups of birds at the feeder. Lesser goldfinches and house finches are year-round residents (along with mockingbirds, scrub jays, and hummingbirds) but the white-crowned sparrows just spend the winter here. I hadn't seen a single white-crowned sparrow until the feeders were filled and they were suddenly everywhere. |
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| Closeups of white crowned sparrows - males on the left and a female on the upper right - as well as what I believe is an immature house finch. |
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| The smaller finches hang out in the nearby Ginkgo tree until the pushy sparrows and other invaders leave space for them at the seed portals. When a hawk zooms in the direction of the feeder, the birds all dart into the safety of the strawberry trees (Arbutus 'Marina') only a few feet away. |
When the feeders were empty, the squirrels virtually disappeared, although I occasionally found evidence of their inept burials of unripe guavas and persimmons in the garden. They immediately reappeared as soon as the feeders were full again.
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| All my feeders are "squirrel resistant" but that doesn't mean the critters don't make a concerted effort to get to the seed. While some squirrels accept eating seed the birds drop to the ground, there are always others that aim higher. |
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| The largest feeder is particularly challenging for the squirrels. Resting any weight on the ring surrounding the feeder's seed portals causes them to close. |
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| The smaller side feeders are easier to circumvent, provided a squirrel hangs upside down from the top of the feeder without putting downward pressure on the wire cage surrounding the tube containing the seed. No squirrel can maintain that position for long. They inevitably fall to the ground or grab the feeder pole and slowly slide their way down. Hanging upside down from the top of the larger feeder is impossible for them. |
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| Like the birds, the more timid squirrels sometimes hang out in the tree-like Leucadendron 'Pisa' near the feeder, waiting for the aerialists in their group to give up. They also steer clear of the scrub jays that periodically seek to dominate the feeders. As in the case of the squirrels, the jay's weight also closes the seed portals. |
I've enjoyed watching the birds from my office window, and even the persistent efforts of the squirrels. I'm already running low on seed but I'll probably get enough to keep them all going for a couple more months before I let them return to foraging on their own. If you know of any squirrel resistant feeders that are especially easy to clean, please let me know.
All material © 2012-2022by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
