Keep it clean

Dozens, maybe hundreds, of birds may use your feeders and baths each day. Know what that means? Disease, that's what it means; or at least the chance of disease. In my 30 or so years of feeding birds, I've actually seen diseased birds only a few times.

               But I keep my feeders clean, and so should you.

               What kind of diseases do birds get? I'll spare you the long names.  Just suffice it to say they involve parasites, mites and a few other infections.

  Can you get bird flu by feeding birds? Can you win the lottery?

               But again, too sci for here. Look, you want the jargon and such? Pull up that Google, and have at it. … OK, OK, I'll do it!

               See these:

http://www.birdfeeding.org/conservation-a-education/bird-safety-beyond-the-backyard/bird-flu-and-backyard-bird-feeding.html

and

http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/publications/fact_sheets/coping_with_diseases_at_birdfeeders.jsp

Look, when you feed up, do what your grandmother always told you: wash your hands.

               Now, if you happen to see a bird at your feeder that doesn't look quite right - missing feathers, a disfigured face, bugs on it, acting particularly lethargic - you may have a disease problem. Same if you find a dead bird without signs of injury. STOP FEEDING, at least for a couple of weeks. This takes away their gathering place for a while.

   You can help prevent disease by keeping things clean.

               When do you clean your feeders?
               Most experts recommend once every two weeks. Confession: I clean my feeders less than that - except during migration (fall/spring), when birds come and go between regions. I rinse and wipe down my bird bath about every other day.

 How do you clean your feeders?

• Take a small measure of bleach and mix it with water - a couple of cups to a gallon is good here (1:9 is the recommended ratio)
•  Wash the feeders, concentrating on the perches and feeding ports. I have a loooong bottle brush for the tube feeders.
•  Rinse them well, and let them dry.
•  Scrub and rinse your bird bath, too.

 All sorts of waste can accumulate under your feeders. So rake around the feeders or shovel up the mess.

         I have covered the basics of bird feeding as I know them.

        From here on, I'll simply make observations and maybe throw in some tips about bird guides, bird houses, homemade suet, special equipment, etc.

  Meanwhile, here's what I saw around the feeders today:

               PM, cloudy, blustery, 79 degrees, 20 minutes

               Northern Cardinal
             White-throated Sparrow
               American Goldfinch
               Mourning Dove
               Brown Thrasher
               Carolina Chickadee
               Brown-headed Nuthatch
               Carolina Wren
               House Finch

 Chipping Sparrow