Bird feeding need not be tidy

A compliment directed toward an avid birder, one who is able to attract flocks of many bird species, might be to suggest a yard is a mess. Bird-feeding folks may have charms of finches, descents of woodpeckers and parties of jays coming to their feeders. Different flocks are attracted to varied natural surroundings. Woodpeckers like upright dead or loose-barked snags on large and small hardwood trees. Chickadees like shrubs close to platform feeders. Cardinals seem to prefer poorly trimmed white cedars and cracked corn spilled on bare ground. Robins and bluebirds want water, dried fruit, or suet cakes with dried mealworms. What we may call messy and poorly kept, but clean, and enough brush piles for a flock to take notice seem to be the ticket to success.