Spring Cleaning for the Birds: Preparing Your Yard for Nesting Season

Cardinals are singing, Red-winged Blackbirds are returning, woodpeckers are drumming.. and the newly snow-free ground around the feeders is covered in a wet, mushy mess of seed shells. Spring is here and it's time to do a deep clean inside and out! Cleaning up your yard now will help you & the birds prepare for the busy nesting season ahead. 

Baltimore Oriole & Rose-breasted Grosbeak feeding on live mealworms and Safflower Cylinder

Step 1: Deep clean feeders, bird baths, and feeding stations.
Over the winter months, some of us may get a little lax when it comes to feeder upkeep. Now is a great time to take your feeders down and get a fresh start on that cleaning schedule. Many illnesses are contracted through bird-to-bird contact, or through contaminated surfaces such as feeders, baths, and feeding station surfaces. Because of this, it is extremely important to thoroughly clean and disinfect all feeders, birdbaths, and feeding equipment on a regular basis (minimum once per month). To properly disinfect your bird feeding equipment you will need to thoroughly clean with a brush to remove any visible dirt and grime. Once you are finished the initial cleaning, submerge the equipment in a 10% bleach solution for a minimum of 10 minutes, this acts as a disinfectant and also helps to loosen any grime build-up. Next, scrub again with a brush & rinse thoroughly for at least 15 seconds in warm water. For equipment that can't be submerged in the solution, a spray bottle and brush outdoors will work fine, just be sure to rinse thoroughly.

Step 2: Clean the areas around your feeding stations.
Not only is the mess of shells unsightly, but it also harbours bacteria, attracts unwanted guests, and can start to smell over time. You can clean under your feeders by sweeping with a stiff broom, raking, and vacuuming with an indoor/outdoor vacuum if necessary, and disposing of the waste in compost or with yard waste. Or, save yourself the extra yard work all together by offering No-Mess foods. Our No-Mess Seed Blends and Seed Cylinders include sunflower chips, peanut pieces, and the option of a blend with or without millet. No shells, no mess, 100% edible. 

Step 3: Inspect your feeding stations.
Harsh winter weather can be tough on feeding equipment. Thoroughly inspect your feeding station and all feeders, baths, and other feeding accessories for any loose or broken pieces that could potentially harm birds using them. Most WBU feeders come with a limited lifetime warranty, so if you find any issues with yours be sure to contact us. This is also a good time to check the height of your baffles to ensure that they are at least 5' from the ground. If you noticed over the winter that your feeding station may not be in the best spot to deter squirrels or simply for optimal viewing, consider moving it sooner rather than later to allow the birds to adjust to the change before the season gets busy. Keep in mind that pole systems should be placed a minimum of 11' from any object sturdy enough for a squirrel to jump from (tree, fence, house, etc).

Eastern Bluebird pair on a WBU Bluebird Nesting Box

Step 4: Clean out nesting boxes.
If you haven't already, be sure to clean out any existing nesting boxes in your yard. If you don't currently have any nesting boxes installed, now is a great time to get them up. There are several types of nesting boxes, many of which are suitable for nearly any backyard (chickadee, woodpecker, wren, robin nesting shelf) and some that may require a specialized habitat (bluebirds, owls). Many of our year-round resident birds are already scoping out their nesting grounds, and spring migrants will be looking for theirs as soon as they return so be sure to get your boxes ready as soon as possible to maximize your yard's potential of being their home. 

Step 5: Check your yard for garbage and hazardous materials.
Birds will use just about anything for nesting materials, including some less than desirable items such as plastic waste. Though they will make use of them when available, most garbage items are not safe for birds to ingest or use as building materials in their nests. Take a walk around your yard and inspect for any plastic debris, string, garbage, or other hazardous materials and properly dispose of any items found. It's important to do this from time to time to help keep birds safe and the environment healthy.

House Wren in a natural nesting cavity

Step 6: Don't clean up too much!
Making sure your yard is in tip-top shape for the birds this season is important, but that doesn't mean clean up everything. Creating and maintaining a bird-friendly yard includes providing natural habitat for them to live in. Consider leaving safe snags (dead trees) and stumps when possible. Snags provide homes for many species including woodpeckers, chickadees, wrens, and so many more, as well as insects who in turn feed birds. Strategically place logs and branch piles around your yard to provide safe havens and shaded areas for ground-feeders such as sparrows and cardinals, and as you prune back your gardens leave the trimmings in neat piles for the birds to use as natural nesting materials.

Interested in learning more about how to turn your yard into the ultimate nesting haven for the birds this season? Check out some of our other blogs for expert tips and tricks:

• Nesting Materials Dos and Don'ts
• Spring Brings New Life, and Baby Birds
• 5 Ways You Can Help Nesting Birds
  
  

Happy trails!

- Shayna