In any case, it is a bit early to fill feeders; the bears are surely still up and looking for freebies, and bird seed fits their bill. Moreover, right now there is all manner of seed and berry, not to mention moths and other insects, which should be plenty for our avian friends.
Still, it is not too early to get bird feeders out, cleaned and hung up. In fact, there may be a reason to do so even if feeders should remain empty for a few more weeks. I read somewhere that birds notice when feeders are put up in the fall, even if they don't have seed in them. Apparently birds plan in advance where they are going to eat when food becomes scare. This is something I am not sure I give birds credit for, but if bears can remember where feeders are, why not birds?
In any case, it is easier to put up feeders when there isn't snow and ice and sub-freezing weather with which to contend. So get going by first cleaning your feeders. If they are plastic, glass or ceramic, put them through the dishwasher cycle or wash by hand. If they are made of wood, fill a big enough bucket with water and some OxyClean and soak them for a while. I suppose dishwashing soap and warm water would also do just fine.
Then go forth and hang your feeders, making sure you can easily get to them this winter when they need refilling. Again, don't fill any just yet, but rather wait until the end of the month (or when otherwise directed by Fish and Game), when bears will have had their last supper for the season.
If you don't have feeders -- and I use the word in plural purposefully -- you really should get some. A seed feeder that will hold as much seed as possible is the first choice. Next would be a suet holder and then one that will hold peanut butter and nut mixes. These don't have to be expensive, and there are lots of plans online for making your own.
If you are going to buy seed in anticipation of the season, my advice is to start with sunflower seeds, cracked, hulled, whole or bits. Forget the other seed, which have a lot of filler birds don't care about. Sooner or later, you will realize all birds in Southcentral are spoiled and will go to feeders filled with sunflower even if it means flying to your neighbors' feeder.
Take another bit of advice. Store seed in the garage or in the house. Do not store bird seed outside, as bears love the stuff and have an uncanny ability to find it.
While on the subject, I highly recommend you consider hanging a "bird cam" to take pictures of your flying friends. This is because birds only feed during daylight hours. This limits most of us here in Alaska to what we can see on weekends or days off, as it is dark in the morning and in the early evenings. A nifty, motion-detecting, camera (which you can get from wingscapes.com and should be available locally wherever you buy seed or feeders) is the ticket. Set it up pointing at a feeder and at the end of the day, simply take out the little chip and put it into your computer and see who came to dinner.
A long answer to a short question. No, it is too early to put seed into feeders. But it is the time to put them up, empty.
Jeff Lowenfels is a member of the Garden Writers Hall of Fame. You can reach him at teamingwithmicrobes.com or by calling 274-5297 during "The
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