Tips for Feeding Your Fine Feathered Friends for the Winter

Many of the local birds do not fly South for the winter for those birds it's a marvelous idea to provide, food , shelter and water while they try to survive winter's cold weather. It also will provide you with hours of wonderful bird watching.

Ideally, it's good to start in the Fall by loading up your bird feeders with high fat seeds. It gets the birds used to the fact that you are going to be a provider. Once you start feeding them , it's important that you continue. They become dependant on your source of food. Keep your feeders full to entice them to keep coming back. Once the birds start migration they will appreciate the foods you provide them, it will be fuel they will need during the migration.

Another good idea is to consider leaving your plants unpruned and letting them go to seed. These seeds provide food for the birds. Downed trees, old tree trunks and branches become places for bugs to hide thus providing insects for the birds as well as giving them lichen for their nests and giving them some shelter. Leave your old leaves and branches. You don't have to let your entire yard look like a wild place you can create areas where you pile the leaves and branches.

You can use your leafless trees and decorate them with suet balls, bits of fruit, like apples and oranges and pine cones covered in peanut butter and seed. If you've grown sunflowers over the summer the seeded centers are wonderful for the birds. These can be hung here and there on the branches for them to nibble on. You can also do this to your evergreens, decorate your little Christmas trees with food for the birds.When the snow falls make it a project with the children to create a bird feeder snowman. You can make corn cob lips, suet ball eyes and buttons and put those Sunflower centers on the end of branches for arms and hands. Millet makes great hair and is a real treat for birds. Sunflower centers could also be earmuffs. IF you have not Sunflower centers you can buy Black Sunflower seed.