Nothing brightens up a dreary day like seeing the bright red flash of a cardinal in the evergreen hedge or hearing a cheery “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” when you pick up the mail.
We can encourage our feathered friends to stick around for the winter or stop while they are passing through by helping out with their basic needs - shelter, water and food.
Shrubs, evergreen trees and bushes along with any perennials or grasses that were left standing in your garden, will provide food and also safe shelter from winter storms. If the winter birds can find their own food most of the time, they may need help only when there has been heavy snow or ice.
Keep in mind that if you start to feed the birds, they may expect you to continue.
There are some elaborate and expensive bird feeders available, as well as heated birdbaths, but the only feeders I have used are simple ones. They are easy to use and are fun for kids to try, too.
Ideas For Feeding Birds
- Back when we used table cloths, we would simply shake the cloth after supper and watch the sparrows congregate.
- A windowsill protected from heavy snow is a good place to sprinkle some seeds or crumbs. It’s perfect for viewing too.
- Use a flat platform, like a wooden tray, on a deck railing or mount it on a post if you can. (It will have to be brushed clear of snow and refilled if it is out in the open.)
- A plastic tube feeder suspended in a near-by tree or from the roof overhang will get lots of action from finches, sparrows and chickadees.
- A home-made or purchased hopper feeder will allow the seed to refill as the birds use it and keep the seed reserves out of the weather.
- Suet feeders are easy to make and fun to watch, especially if you have woodpeckers or nuthatches nearby.
I have had the best luck with sunflower seeds, niger seeds and blends of seed. The package will usually tell what kind of birds they will attract. To make a suet feeder, melt the suet and stir in a blend of seeds. When it cools enough, shape it into a ball and stuff it into a mesh vegetable bag (the kind onions are sold in). They work best if they can be tied to the trunk of a tree. Or let the kids stuff the suet mix into a large pine cone to hang in an evergreen tree.
Once you’ve set the stage, sit back with a bird book close at hand. Good news travels fast and before long you should have lots of visitors!
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