There's nothing more delightful than watching birds flit from one area of your garden to the next. Attracting birds to your yard is really quite simple: if you supply their three basic needs -- food, shelter and water -- you will have an avian oasis in your own backyard.
Food
As winter approaches and the natural food supply for birds dwindles, birds become dependent on bird feeders for seeds and suet. Although there is debate about whether artificial feeding disrupts the migration urge of some birds, research shows this is not a significant concern.
For birds that are not strong enough to migrate due to injury or illness or because of some undeveloped natural migration cue, your feeder may be what enables them to live through winter. Also, for birds that do not migrate, winter storms can bury their food supply.
When you add to that the natural condition of reduced time for foraging due to shorter days, winter is a real hardship for birds.
There are two ways to provide food: through bird feeders and by growing plants around your yard that offer fruits, seeds and a habitat that birds love. Black oil sunflower seed is the best seed to attract a diverse group of birds to your feeder, including chickadees, nuthatches, finches, cardinals, grosbeaks, sparrows, blackbirds and jays.
To attract insect-eating birds such as woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches, offer suet in the wintertime. Ground feeding birds like juncos, sparrows, towhees and mourning doves prefer cracked corn scattered on the ground or placed in an elevated tray.
Plants to add to your landscape include serviceberry, dogwood, fir, hawthorn, sweet gum, crabapple, pine, coralberry and fruit-bearing viburnums. Seed-producing flowers that will attract birds include aster, blanket flower, cone flower, sunflowers, black-eyed Susans, California poppies, goldenrod, marigolds, phlox, salvias and zinnias.
Things to remember about feeders:
-- It's nice if you can place the feeder so you can watch birds from a comfortable location, but also keep in mind their needs. They need an escape route, so make sure you place the feeder near shrubs or evergreen trees so they can make a quick get-away.
Woody plants with thorns, such as roses or hawthorn, are helpful to birds because they provide refuge from predators such as house cats. This can also help keep the feeders out of the rain and food dry.
-- Keep your feeders clean to prevent diseases and deter pests. Disinfect occasionally with one part chlorine bleach and nine parts lukewarm water and dry thoroughly before refilling.
-- Once you start to provide food for birds, continue throughout the cold season. It's best to provide only one type of food per feeder. Birds feeding at feeders with mixed seed discard the seeds they do not want while selecting their favorites.
-- Do not feed birds spoiled leftovers, salty snack foods or sugary cereals.
Winter Birds to Your Garden
by alex | 7:48 PM in bird feeders, food supply for birds, watch birds, watching birds |
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