Good news for backyard birders!

It’s safe to resume feeding! Just be extra diligent cleaning your feeders and baths. 

If you put your feeders and baths away earlier this summer, you can get them out again! The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has just released a statement announcing it is safe to resume feeding and offering water for your backyard birds.

See Maryland Department of Resources’ website for their complete statement and guidelines.

Important: Be even more vigilent with monitoring and take your routine maintenance up a notch.

Clean your feeders once a week.

See our resource page ‘How to Clean a Bird Feeder‘ for a step-by-step guide.

Clean your bird baths every other day.

See our resource ‘Wild Birds, Summer and Water‘ for everything you need to know about maintaining a bird bath—especially during hot summer days.

Be watchful for signs of mold.

Keep an eye on your seed, too. Mold can happen quickly —especially during these humid, wet days. The first sign of mold is clumping seed. Throw it away, clean and dry your feeder thoroughly. Refill with fresh seed. Also, take a moment to remove any debris below your feeders. See our post ‘Check Feeders for Mold NOW‘ for more info.

Offering fresh, premium quality food from your clean feeders will make a difference in the health of generations of wild birds. To understand why this is so important and how you can best support your backyard birds’ health, see ‘ Quality Food and Clean Feeders Matter‘.

What happened? Research continues.

What caused the elevated amount of bird deaths this spring and summer? Known contagious viruses and other diseases were ruled out early on. The exact cause of this unusual phenomenon has still not been determined. Research and studies continue while we anxiously await more definitive answers.

Our hearts are full of gratitude for your steadfast support during these strange times. Thank you for all the kind words and encouragement. It means the world to us!
Debi, Mike and The Backyard Naturalist Team