| Squirrels, while not predatory on birds at a feeder, take | | | | daytime when not feeding, an escape cover if chased |
| large quantities of food and keep the birds from | | | | by a hawk or cat, and a safe roosting perch at night. |
| feeding. Some people enjoy them as Hulett as the | | | | These trees and shrubs are immensely important and |
| birds, but, if you want to keep them off the feeder, you | | | | require a long range program of planting for the birds. If |
| will have to place it on a pole 6 or 7 feet above the | | | | you are building a new house, or making new plans for |
| ground and far enough away from overhanging | | | | landscaping your present house, and you want to he |
| branches or the buildings, so that they cannot jump | | | | surrounded with as many species of birds the year |
| from them to the feeder. | | | | around as possible, you may find the following |
| A circular funnel-shaped metal guard, 2½ to 3 feet, in | | | | considerations helpful. |
| diameter, must be placed on the pole under the feeder | | | | Food, cover, and water are three of the essential |
| to keep the squirrel Erma climbing the pole or jumping | | | | environmental requirement. Food can be supplied by |
| from the ground to the feeder. All other devices I've | | | | winter feeding as suggested above but can more |
| tried or observed have failed. | | | | logically be provided through careful planting in the yard |
| When Jane's friends questioned her as to why they | | | | and garden. Extensive use of native trees and shrubs |
| couldn't get birds to their shelves when they put out | | | | is preferable as it is less expensive and more likely to |
| the same food in similar places, she sought my help in | | | | provide the type of food the birds of the area require. |
| trying to answer them. This time another basic principle | | | | Such shrubs and vines as bayberry, sumacs, |
| of winter feeding was evident at Jane's, but she had | | | | bittersweet, Virginia creeper, honeysuckles, dogwoods, |
| not helped in providing it or even realized its presence. I | | | | viburntuns, black alder, yews, roses, blackberries, green |
| refer, of course, to the abundance of spruce, hemlock, | | | | briers, wild grapes, slmdbush blueberries, choke-berries, |
| and pine trees in the area and the tangles of forsythia, | | | | elderberries and wild cherries are among those most |
| Virginia creeper, and Japanese honeysuckle nearby. | | | | attractive to birds in the Northeast. These species are |
| Evergreen cover and tangles of briers or dense | | | | also better able to withstand the insect and fungus |
| shrubbery give the birds a place to perch in the | | | | infestations of the region. |