Attracting and feeding Birds In Winter

I decided to start with this because as I sit here the temperature outside is a balmy 34 degrees with snow falling and the wind screaming at about 30 mph. It's days like today that our feathered friends really need a helping hand. By providing the birds with a feeding station as well as fresh water and shelter from the elements, you can enjoy their beauty from your window and the warmth of your house.

During the winter months, most of the birds I see in my back yard are seed eaters. This is because there are no bugs this time of year and birds that diet consist of just bugs have long since headed south. But there are some hold overs who will eat nuts and suet like woodpeckers.

If I was to cover the entire process in one post, I would be writing for hours and you would be reading for hours. So what I'll try to do is break it up over different post so this does not become a novel.

I'll start with what food I've found to work best during the winter months. The first and main staple actually year round is black oil sunflower seed. This seed is like a steak in the bird world. I have not found a bird yet that does not like it. I offer it in several feeders. I use it as a base in my fly through feeders. I also have a lantern type feeder you can purchase for around $8 at Wal-Mart that is constantly in use. I usually go through around 5 lbs a week just in that feeder during the winter months. You can also use a cage type feeder that birds can cling to and pick them out. However you decide to feed it, you can be assured they will love it. The black oil sunflower seed has a thinner shell is easier for birds to open. The seed inside is also larger than that of the stripped sunflower seed making it more attractive. Most of all it's a high source of protein that birds need to stay warm during the winter months.

Peanuts are my next favorite. You want to feed the de-shelled unsalted variety. You can either get the dry roasted, or what I use the raw peanuts. Again almost every bird that comes to my feeders love these. They are an extremely high source of protein and along with black oil sunflower seeds are usually the first to go. You can also feed unsalted peanuts in the shell. These are not as popular, but I do feed them for blue jays and red bellied wood peckers. It's fun to watch them grab one and fly into a tree and work them open.

Next I fill tube and hopper feeders with a GOOD mixed seed blend. The seed blends usually found at department stores or drug stores are usually junk. You will find more on the ground than what is eaten. That's because most of it is fillers the birds will just not eat. I look for a blend that has white millet, black oil sunflower seed, safflower, peanut hearts, sunflower chips and even some stripped sunflower seed. Avoid the mixes with red Milo, died seed for pet birds and wheat. Go to either a bird store or hardware/feed store for this mix. The price is usually still reasonable and you'll feed more of it than wasting it.

Another specialty feed I use is Nyjer thistle seed. This is an expensive source of food, but the gold finches love it. If you see the gold finches in your yard this is definitely worth the investment. If you keep the feeder clean an filled, you will have gold finches year round. Also Pine Siskins are attracted to it. The final benefit is you will usually always have dark eyed juncos feeding under that feeder through out their winter stay.

Suet is another great choice during the winter. I've had less success with it in my yard, however they do eat it. I use both suet cages and the suet logs to feed it. The cages take the suet cakes while the log uses the suet plugs. The nice thing about suet is you can be creative and make it your self. In future post I'll try and give you some different recipes and ideas such as melting it down and putting it in ice cube trays to make little suet cakes for your feeders. Again when it comes to suet I prefer something with nuts in it. Usually a woodpecker blend works nice.

Water is the ultimate key to keeping winter birds. Most people put their bird baths away in the winters and offer no water source. Birds must have open water to drink in order to survive. This can be accomplished by either buying a heated bird bath or a bird bath heater. Either way they start at about $30 in most stores but I'm sure you can find better deals online. If your going to make the effort to feed the birds in the winter, make the effort to provide them water. By doing so you will be providing them with what they need while enjoying more birds in your yard than your neighbors.

Finally you can just be creative. Try smearing peanut butter on a pine cone or tree trunk. Add some sunflower hearts or tiny pieces of fruit to it. (most people make the mistake of cutting the fruit to big. think how small their mouths are.) If your going to use fruit bananas always have seemed to work for me. Also raisins but you need to rehydrate them first. Allow them to soak in some warm water and re-plump. Then take some scissors and cut them into smaller pieces. Don't be afraid to sit out most any slice fruit in the winter months. There is always some bird who will pick at it.

If your just getting started feeding it may take time for birds to find your feeders. Don't be discouraged if you do not see birds right away. Give it time and if the feed sits for a couple weeks with no visitors empty it and put in fresh feed. Also try moving the feeders around. I was amazed when I first started feeding birds that moving a feeder just a few feet sometimes made a huge difference. There were times I though the birds would never use my feeder. The I would move it 5 or 10 feet and it would become their favorite feeder.

Now to what birds have I attracted using these foods. First I'm in North east Ohio just west of Cleveland. I live in a suburban area with plenty of trees. What I get in my back yard may differ from yours. However using these foods you will attract birds. The birds I see on almost a daily basis in my back yard are the following. Cardinals, Chickadees, White breasted nuthatches, Red breasted Nuthatches, House finches, Gold Finches, Downy Woodpeckers, Red Bellied Woodpeckers, House Sparrows, Dark Eyed Juncos, Tufted Titmice, Pine Siskins and the occasional Coopers hawk, Carlina wren and brown creeper. Also I see the occasional odd bird just by chance.

I hope this helps getting you started in feeding birds this winter. I'll continue to add new post weekly to help you as much as I can. Also please feel free to email me your questions or tell a friend about this blog. I'll do my best to post as much useful information here as possible. Enjoy your winter birds this year.