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Winter Birdfeeding
by Diane Heeney - 4dacres@byelectric.com

Description: Tips for feeding birds during winter.

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A great winter pastime is birdfeeding. It's inexpensive, educational, and you don't have to leave the comfort of your easy chair. Some of the best bird sightings occur on a snowy day when you can curl up with a cup of coffee and watch the "goings on" at your feeders.

Birds are not only fun to watch, they perform a real service by eating insects and consuming weed seeds.

You can begin by knowing what kind of birds are native to your area, and placing the proper feeder for optimal use. Plastic tube feeders generally attract smaller birds such as finch and siskins. This discourages some of the bird world bullies such as blue jays. Tray feeders are easy to make, and attract an array of diners. You can also use them for fruit and crumbs.

A disadvantage of trays however, is that they encourage spilled food, and wind loss of the seed.

Specialized feeders include suet, hummingbird, oriole and finch. Suet is simply beef fat. You can usually get it free from your meat market. I use commercial block suet with seeds added. It attracts fewer cats and raccoons, and doesn't go rancid as easily as the unprocessed type. It's very inexpensive at $1.00-$1.50 in discount stores. One block lasts a long time. You place it in a square wire holder. Hummingbird and oriole feeders use liquid food, hummers being attracted to red and orioles to orange.

Orange slices placed out in the spring also bring in the orioles. Ground feeders can also be hollowed out of a log for pheasants and doves, as well as other birds.

All bird seed mixtures you find in the store are not necessarily equal. Some of the cheaper seed will simply be scratched out of the feeder and wasted. Read the label and get quality product. You're throwing away money on wasted seed anyway, be selective. A universal favorite of several species is the small, black oil sunflower seed. It's affordable and widely available. Chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, jays, finches, and cardinals relish this fare.

Suet is a great attractant for woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and starlings, as well as jays. Pigeons, crows, cowbirds, grackles, blackbirds, and several species of beneficial sparrows like cracked corn. You do attract the rowdies with this however. Millet attracts several different birds, but especially doves.

It's a good idea to place your feeders away from trees and shrubs that can harbor enemies. If you don't want squirrels at your table, place your feeder at least 8-10 feet from a tree. They are notorious for seed theft. We however enjoy them, and put out enough for everyone.

Each year we grow a few striped sunflower seed heads. They can be hung anywhere, for a natural and rustic look with little effort. You can also leave millet stand in your garden.

You will enjoy your birdwatching much more if you have a good field guide and a pair of binoculars. And don't forget to start your "life list." You'll be surprised at the variety of visitors you'll attract all year long.

As I write this, eagles have been flying over my henhouse...that's not the birdfeeding I had in mind!