PurpleChickadee's Tips for Feeder Watching
1. Get a variety of feeders and bird food. It will increase your variety of birds. I recommend at least having a tube feeder of black-oil sunflower seed, a tube feeder of mixed nuts and seeds, and a suet feeder. A sock thistle feeder is also easy to hang on a tree limb. It may take a while for birds to discover your feeders, but it will happen.
2. Get a bird bath or some other water feature that will allow birds access to drink and bathe. I don't have a solar-powered heater for my bird bath, so in the winter when it's below freezing and I can't use the outside hose, I make sure to put a fresh bowl of water out every day. Everyone has learned that that's where the water is! You can get a large, stainless steel bowl at any pet shop.
3. The National Wildlife Federation has a good program where you can make your yard a certified wildlife habitat. It's easy to do, and the requirements will ensure your yard will attract what you want to see.
4. Be patient. The longer you can sit and watch your feeders, the more chance you have of seeing that special bird or two.
5. LOOK CAREFULLY at every bird, even if you think you know what it is. When a lone female Purple Finch appeared in my yard one day, I almost dismissed it as an odd-looking White-throated Sparrow at first glance. But I picked up my binoculars to look anyway, and I'm SO glad I did!
6. Have a drink or three. Maybe that Goldfinch really IS a Pine Siskin after all.