My mother wrote this article for you to share her enjoyment of feeding little feathered friends in the winter! Enjoy!
***
Oh, what joy to look out into your yard on a cold winter’s day and see hungry little birds enjoying the bounty you have provided. Not only have you given them a valuable food source but you have the benefit of watching them forage through the menu of the day while listening to their songs, chirping and chatter of their delightful, private birdie conversations.
How to get started:
Well, remember that once you start to feed, it is imperative to continue feeding on a consistent basis as the birds will come to rely on you for sustenance.
The more variety of food available, the greater range of birds that will be attracted to your yard. Of course a variety of seeds are available at your supermarket.
In addition, some foods that are desirable are sunflower seeds, corn (on the cob or cracked), peanuts (crushed peanut shells are preferable, as the shells are beneficial to the digestive system – a good way to use up the holiday leftover nuts, suet (made of essential animal fats which are lacking in the winter months), squash and pumpkin seeds (when preparing your squash and pumpkin be sure to save the seeds for the birds). It is a good idea to put out apples, raisins, bananas and a little left over pie crust is a treat too.
Try discarding your holiday holly by sticking the branches into your evergreen trees , giving the birds those lovely red berries to eat, which provides a very nutritious addition to their diet. You could make very attractive holly bouquets to display in your empty planters and the birds would be attracted to a location closer to your viewing area.
WATER is a must – keep water available at all times.
Cardinals and blue jays, mourning doves and woodpeckers enjoy feeding on the ground or from a tray and their favourites to eat include the corn, peanuts, raisins, bananas, pumpkin and squash seeds, suet mixtures. Some birds, including chickadees are partial to sugar water as well as other seed combinations.
If you are using feeders, be certain to wash, bleach and thoroughly rinse regularly to assure that the birds do not contract or spread any illnesses or diseases. If you are hanging suet, make sure that the bag is crocheted or made of mesh.. Wire bags could damage the birds’ legs or eyes.
A little effort can make the cold of winter tolerable for the amazingly beautiful and interesting birds of our climate and you know your efforts will be well rewarded with a wide variety of avian wildlife.
About the Author:
Ingrid Turner is the author of Grandma’s Kitchen – Home Cooking For Everyone and Kimberly’s mother!
An animal lover for life, Ingrid passed on her passion to her daughter, Kimberly (that’s me) for all animals, big and small!
***
I hope you enjoyed today’s installment of Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…
Live Exotically,
Kimberly Edwards 
P.S. Interested in knowing which birds you are attracting and providing for when you feed them? Check out this super book to help you identify them:
Technorati Tags: bird feeding, winter bird feeding, feeding birds in winter, birds, aves, animals, North American animals, Canadian animals, European animals, winter animals
Similar Posts:
- The Triple Play of Bird Feeding in Winter
- How To Make A Homemade Bird Feeder
- The African Pygmy Hedgehog: A Delightful Ball of Thorns
- So Many Choices – Toys & Accessories for Exotic Parrots
- Roseate Terns of the Great Barrier Reef Islands
Popularity: 16% [?]
