Attract more species to visit your feeders during migration season. Follow these proven tips for feeding birds in spring from fellow backyard birders.
Spring migration is an exciting time for backyard birdwatchers. You just never know which species will stop by your feeders for a visit each day. Birds & Blooms readers shared their best tips for feeding birds in spring, from bluebirds to orioles. So fill up those bird feeders, grab your binoculars and get ready to be amazed. Follow these tips to feed birds all year long.
Fill Suet Feeders
“I hang a suet cage at the edge of our yard. This attracts suet-eating spring birds like woodpeckers,” says Birds & Blooms reader Diane Gratton of Knowlton, Quebec.
Put Out Orange Slices for Orioles
Reader Cathy Sell of Imler, Pennsylvania, feeds orioles in spring with oranges. She says, “When I see Baltimore orioles around my hummingbird feeders in spring, I put out orange slices. They eat all the way down to the peels. At one point last year, I had four mating pairs visit.”
Help Ground-Feeding Birds
“When worms are scarce in early spring, I leave pieces of suet on the ground for the American robins. They feed on the suet until the weather warms up,” says reader Phyllis Schabacker of Fountain City, Wisconsin. Robins also love to feed on berry bushes.
Attract Finches with Thistle Seed
“To attract goldfinches, I use a large cheesecloth bag and fill it with thistle seed. I hang it from a wire fence in my backyard and watch the finches flock to it,” says Marguerite Debnam of Greensboro, North Carolina.
Julie Purdy of Hopewell, New York says, “It’s fun to watch goldfinches’ brown winter feathers being replaced with yellow.”
Serve Grape Jelly
Grape jelly will also attract spring birds, including orioles. “My bird feeding secret is grape jelly,” says reader Julie Oines of Beresford, South Dakota. “My friend’s father made me a special feeder to feed orioles.”
“I supply grape jelly in large quantities. My oriole feeder has a protective roof and a deep plastic dish for holding heaping servings of jelly,” says Roland Jordahl of Pelican Rapids, Michigan.
Share Live Mealworms for Bluebirds
“Mealworms are a great food source for parents to feed baby birds in spring,” says Megan Long of Red Wing, Minnesota.
“Buy live mealworms from a local bait shop and set a few on a tray feeder. The bluebird parents will snatch the mealworms up and take them to their chicks,” says Jerilyn Veltus of Nellsville, Wisconsin.
Offer Peanuts to Blue Jays
Matt Jabs of DeForest, Wisconsin, says, “I have two words for attracting and feeding spring birds: crushed peanuts.” Blue jays and woodpeckers love them. Here’s how to attract more backyard birds by feeding peanuts.
The More Feeders, the Merrier
Brian Hoblit of Laura, Ohio, puts up multiple sugar water feeders and grape jelly cups. “When the birds finally arrive, you’ll be able to feed more of them.”
