Feed the Birds

Feed the Birds

One of the favorite pastimes in these colder winter months is watching the birds eat at the bird feeders spread throughout my yard.

Sometimes, I enjoy watching the cardinals and nuthatches battle the squirrels from my kitchen window, as they dine at the “squirrel proof feeder.” At other times, I like to watch the chickadees and tufted titmice eat at the feeder by the pool.

Oh, and I almost forgot the American goldfinches snack from the thistle feeder outside my bathroom window, right next to the woodpeckers munching on their suet feeder.

Now, if you were to go to the local store and look for bird food to purchase, you might just be overwhelmed by the assortment that is offered. Do you buy the wild bird food? What about the black oil sunflower? And, just why is the thistle seed so small? Do birds really eat peanuts? What in the world is suet? Buying bird food can be downright confusing.

Which bird food you buy depends on what birds you want to attract to your yard. Perhaps the most popular is the wild bird food, with its various kinds of seed mixed throughout. Indeed, it is the most inexpensive of the varieties, and there is a reason for that. Much of it is made up of seeds that birds at your feeder will not eat, and they will dig through the mix in search of what they will eat, scattering the rest to the ground.

Even though the black oil sunflower is more expensive, it is highly nutritious and popular with most birds, and the best all round seed for your feeder, and your wallet. This seed will attract a wide variety of birds. More expensive yet is the thistle seed, which goldfinches love. In fact, they will sit at their specially designed thistle feeder for a great deal of time, slowly feasting until their feathers burst out. Though you do have to buy a feeder built to house their tiny feed, the money is well spent, as finches are a delight to watch. Another specifically designed feeder is the peanut feeder, which houses shelled peanuts, a treat for bluejays and woodpeckers.

And then there is suet. While my summers are spent sugar water for the hummingbirds, I spend my winter months making suet for my feathered friends. Suet is ideal for just about any bird in your yard, from cardinal to chickadee, from nuthatch to woodpecker. Suet is more of a cold weather food in our area, as it tends to melt in hot weather, and transfer to bird feathers, possibly causing injury.

Though you can buy suet blocks at home and gardening stores, it is easy to make, and enjoyable for the family. Simply combine one cup of flour, one cup of peanut butter, one cup of shortening or cooking grease, and four cups of cornmeal. After mixing together, separate into hand sized cakes and place in a suet feeder. Or, as my children often do, smear onto pine cones, and place the suet filled cones onto trees, tied with string.

So, for those cold winter days where you are trapped inside, place a bird feeder outside a window, and you are set for hours of entertainment. Enjoy!