Ten Birding Tips

1. Black Oil Sunflower Seed is the most popular seed. Feeding the birds this seed will give you a variety of backyard songbirds.

2. If you would like to attract the beautiful American Goldfinch, try using nyger seed. Many know this as thistle seed. This seed is oil rich and will draw finches to your feeders.

3. One of the best times to view cardinals is early morning or at dusk. Cardinals like to feed on the ground but will come to feeders that have enough room for them to perch. They prefer to nest in bushes and thickets.

4. Birdseed and suet should be stored in a dark, cool, dry space. Both can also be put in the freezer for storage too.

5. Quality birdseed gives you the most feeding value for your money because birds often toss aside less expensive "filler" seeds. Peanuts, tree nuts and sunflower seeds are quality seeds. These seeds will be eaten with little waste.

6. What about those pesky squirrels. There are squirrel proof feeders available and baffles for existing feeders. If you have enough room in your yard, you may want to set up a feeding area just for the squirrels. This can divert them away from bird feeders. You can keep the squirrel area fully stocked with dried ears of corn and wildlife mixes that are sure to please them.

7. You can extend the life of your quality birdseed such as nyger seed by mixing it with black oil sunflower seeds or seed mix.

8. If you are pressed for time on certain days to restock your bird feeders and seed blocks are an excellent idea. Just unwrap a seed block, set it outdoors and go.

9. A clean feeder is a must to keep birds healthy. You can purchase brushes and bird feeding cleaning products to keep them clean. Oriole feeders and hummingbird feeders need to be cleaned two or three times a week in hot weather before adding fresh nectar.

10. Birdhouses can give winter shelter so keep them up during this time. In very early spring you can clean out the nests and get them ready for new families.