Ron Schara: On a wing and a feeder

Bird watchers, bird feeders -- we Minnesota macho types in walleye boats and blaze orange coats -- knew exactly what those little old lady bird huggers wore: tennis shoes.

Fortunately, you don't hear much of that disparaging stuff anymore in walleye boats or deer camps.

A couple of reasons, I suspect.

First, as the wildlife habitat squeeze continues across America, all of us -- tweety bird huggers to trophy buck slayers -- have slowly realized the common ground that binds us. For example, what makes up good habitat for the ringneck pheasant is also good for the meadowlark.

The second reason is: If you enjoy wildlife, the sight of a pileated woodpecker in the next tree is just as exciting as the sight of an 8-point buck behind the tree. OK, I mighty have exaggerated a little, but you get the point.

Show me a deer hunter who can't enjoy or appreciate the company of chickadees flitting amid the popples and I'll show you a blaze orange hat with nothing under it.

In my own case, the doorway to the wonders of wildlife was opened not by a common deer or squirrel but by a rose-breasted grosbeak, a common summer resident in Minnesota. I'll never forget the first time I saw one. And I'll never forget the lesson learned.

I had spent two decades in the presence of rose-breasted grosbeaks and had never seen one until I took a birding class. It was a vivid reminder that the wonders of nature are many, but if you don't go hunting for them, you'll never know.

That goes for birds. And bucks, too.

Five things you'll want to know about bird feeding:

1What's it all about?

Winter bird feeding? Hey, little chickadees, it's not about the birds.

Really.

Oh, the free handouts will fill a hungry belly or two (birds technically don't have a stomach; they have something called a crop), but don't think the tweety birds in your backyard are really depending on your generosity.

No, winter bird feeding is something we do for ... ourselves. No apologies necessary. Watching birds eat is ... well, winter entertainment.

Don't laugh.

Over many winters, Minnesotans have learned to make their own excitement, to spice their wintry lives with whatever it takes. Watching a bobber go down a hole in the ice is about as exciting as it gets, don't you know.

Ditto for blue jays busily sorting seeds.

Believe it or not, February is National Bird Feeding Month. Since 1994, we have a new reason to celebrate winter in Minnesota. Stay tuned, we could have bird parades in Red Wing.

2 Can anybody be a bird feeder?

The answer is yes, but often not. If your backyard looks like the Siberian plains, probably not. If your backyard is 10 stories below your kitchen window, probably not.

To be a successful bird feeder, you need a backyard with three ingredients: habitat, habitat, habitat -- trees, bushes, evergreens, fields.

If you've got birds in the backyard, you've got habitat. If nothing much flies around, summer or winter, a truck load of sunflower seeds on your back porch probably won't change much.

If you can't be a winter bird feeder, you always can be a winter bird watcher. The many nature preserves around the Twin Cities make for ideal winter birding. A handy bird ID book and a good pair of binoculars (7x35 power is a good choice) is all you need.

3 What's for dinner?

If you don't know a house finch from a house dog, do not fret. A winter bird-feeding menu can be simple and low cost. Expensive feeders are not necessary, and fancy seed mixtures often are overpriced. You can start with a simple platform feeder filled with black oil sunflowers.

That's it!

Just about every resident bird species in Minnesota will be happy to snack on black oil sunflowers.

The black oil sunflower is the main course.

Of course, we bird feeding loonies usually don't stop there. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 41 million Americans will spend upwards of $2 billion a year on bird feed. And hardly a bird out there eats steak.

More goodies, such as white millet and cracked corn, often will attract other species that prefer small seeds rather than sunflowers.

Suet (beef fat) is an excellent energy source for many species, including woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees.

Safflower is a bird favorite, a white seed that squirrels don't like.

The least expensive menu is to create your own mixture at farm/garden stores that handle bird seed in bulk. Experts suggest the following mixture: 50 percent, black oil sunflowers, 35 percent white proso millet and 15 percent cracked corn.

What about peanut butter? You rich or something? Yes, birds like it.

Dried bakery goods, bread and the like will attract birds, although white bread has very little food value, the experts say.

Drinking water in winter is difficult to maintain at a bird feeder, but it'll be much appreciated.

4 Where's the feeder go?

If possible, place the feeder near evergreens or bushes as birds feel safer with escape cover nearby. You may have to experiment with location.

Multiple feeders or styles also will enhance your feeding station and attract more visitors. Some species like hanging feeders while others prefer to eat on the ground. If you provide both, you'll see both.

What about squirrels? I wish you hadn't asked. There are squirrel-proof feeders that work, sometimes. Keep feeders away from tree limbs and other squirrel launching sites. For ground-feeding stations, simply give in. Spare your blood pressure and feed the squirrels, too.

To prevent disease problems, clean the feeders regularly.

Cat owners, keep your cats inside or they'll learn to stalk bird-feeding stations for an easy meal. A Wisconsin study estimated that domestic cats kill 39 million song birds a year.

5 Does this mean no winter vacation?

Remember, our resident birds are not really depending on us for survival. If your feeding station is empty a few days, it's not the end of the world for you or the birds.

If you want to skip your vacation to the Florida Keys to please a black-capped chickadee, isn't that what makes America great?

Ron Schara • ron@mnbound.com