Just because they're not freezing doesn't mean they're not hungry.
Even in a warm Southern climate, winter has a noticeable effect on birds' eating habits. Insects are less plentiful, flowers are few and far between, and with leaves down, shelter is harder to come by. The budding naturalist inside us beckons us to lend a seed or two.
That generosity also draws furry guests with sharp teeth and bushy tails, and where there are birds, squirrels will follow. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued about 100 patents for squirrel-proof bird feeders since 1928. The 20-ounce rodents, which are prevalent throughout much of North America, can jump six feet vertically, 10 feet horizontally and can contort their bodies in ways a yoga instructor would envy.
Janice Badke, a co-owner of Wild Birds Unlimited on Washington Road in Martinez, said year-round bird feeding is becoming more popular, but winter is still the traditional time for people to put out seeds and suet for birds.
"The only time they have plenty to eat is in the fall," she said. "The first freeze, you'll see a slight increase, and when you have a hard freeze you'll have a huge jump."
Mrs. Badke's store stocks approximately 65 types of bird feeders, from wooden hoppers and tube models to finch and hummingbird feeders. A special class of "squirrel-proof" feeders relies on springs, electrical charges and spinning attachments to frustrate the ravenous rodents.
"I like to say they're 'squirrel resistant,' because if you have one big enough or smart enough, they'll figure out a way to get to it," she said.
The problem is, many people who feed birds also want to be as close to them as possible, and that makes it easier for squirrels to join the buffet.
"You can keep them off the feeder, but (the feeder) might not be in a place where you want it," Mrs. Badke said. "And when people can't see the feeder, they won't take care of it."
Eugene Howard, the president of the Augusta-Aiken Audubon Society, said placing a feeder at least five feet up and 10 feet away from branches or roof tops and using a baffle will keep most squirrels and raccoons at bay.
"To date, no raccoon or squirrel will climb past the baffle; there's something about the fact that it moves and it's not solid that keeps them away," he said.
There also are some tried and true behaviors that you can turn to your advantage.
"Unlike a raccoon, squirrels won't reach into a feeder with their paw; they have to put their head in it," Mr. Howard said.
The solution? Place wire mesh over the feeding ports.
"It's amazing, even some of the bigger birds, like woodpeckers, will reach in and get what they want," he said.
Mr. Howard said what you choose to feed birds also can have an effect; safflower and thistle seeds, for instance, are not as palatable to squirrels. Both he and Mrs. Badke said to avoid birdseed mixes, which often are cut with red millet, milo, wheat and barley that usually gets picked out and scattered on the ground.
"What the yard birds like around here is the oil sun flower seeds; they have a very high fat content, and have a larger ratio of the shell to what's in there," Mr. Howard said.
"People have also bought red pepper that the squirrels supposedly don't like. I've seen them; they make a funny face while they're chomping on it," he said, laughing.
A common method employed to squirrel-proof feeders is the weight-sensitive perch, such as in the Squirrel Buster Plus, which closes off access to the seed when the perch is weighed down by anything heavier than a pair of medium-size birds. The Wild Bill electric bird feeder sports a metal base and perch that delivers a mild shock to mammals but leaves birds unaffected.
One of the more entertaining options available is a line of motorized feeders from Droll Yankees. When a squirrel climbs onto the perch, a weight-sensitive rechargeable battery spins it around, harmlessly flinging the squirrel to the ground. The Foster, R.I., company offers four models, the Flipper, Whipper, Dipper and Tipper.
Droll Yankees spokeswoman Jennifer Masiello said the line, which retails from $80 to $120, was introduced five years ago with crowded environments in mind.
"There are a plethora of tubes on the market where if you have no trees and open field, it's fine," she said. "But bird-watching is part of bird feeding."
The feeders have other features that have been refined over the years.
"The length of the feeder is exactly 21 inches, because that's just long enough that squirrels can't hang down from the top, and it's 4 inches around, because that's wide enough that they can't shimmy down it," Ms. Masiello said.
If all else fails, Mr. Howard suggested putting corn cobs on the ground to cut down on the competition. Mrs. Badke said safflower seed might cut down on the squirrel's appetite, but there's always a chance that a renegade squirrel will take a fancy to them.
"We never say never," she said.
Reach Patrick Verel at (706) 823-3332 or patrick.verel@augustachronicle.com.
No-Melt Peanut Butter Suet
2 cups lard (no substitutes)
2 cups crunchy peanut butter
4 cups "quick cook" oats
4 cups cornmeal (without bicarbonate)
2 cups white flour
2/3 cup sugar
Melt the lard and peanut butter and then stir in the remaining ingredients.
Pour mixture into square freezer containers about 1-inch thick.Store in the freezer.
The recipe makes about 8 cakes. Once thawed, the cakes will not melt. Place them on metal suet hanger and hang them up.
- Eugene Howard
On the Net:
Droll Yankees: www.drollyankees.com
Squirrel Buster Plus: www.bromebirdcare.com
Wild Birds Unlimited: www.wbu.com
Cornell University Lab of Ornithology: http://birds.cornell.edu/
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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