Summer is feeding time

Male American Goldfinch in summer plumage

Summer can be a rewarding season for backyard birding. Here are a few tips to entice a variety of birds.

First, it is a myth that feeding birds in the summer will make them dependent on feeders and cause them to ignore natural foods. Study show that wild birds eat no more than 25 percent of their daily intake from feeders once natural food is available. Birds that migrate fly south based on changes in the reduced summer sun.

Summer is a great time to observe feeders because …

Parents of nestlings do not need to forage far from the next to find food. The nestlings are not left alone for long periods of time and therefore they are safer from predators.

Birds being raised in the backyard give us an opportunity to watch the nestlings as they mature and learn to visit feeders.

Birds are in striking or colorful breeding plumage, making it easier to identify and enjoy.

There is a greater variety of birds in our area during the summer months; by offering food only in winter, you miss seeing many species.

Hummingbirds benefit from nectar to fuel their high metabolism. Late-breeding goldfinches benefit from Nyjer seed until natural thistle, coneflower and rudbeckia go to seed later in the summer.