Feeding birds in winter can help them survive, relax watcher
Published 1:00 am, Thursday, February 23, 2006
And inviting them to the landscape with food, water and shelter is one of the pleasures of the season.
Veteran bird watcher David Lovett of Charlotte. N.C., learned their value years ago. In this peaceful setting, with nature at play, he feel stress melt away.
"In our society, so much is going on, so much draining your energy. When you sit down and start looking outside and seeing the natural things, it causes you to relax," says Lovett.
And no garden, he believes, is complete without a bird feeder.
Lovett is not content, though, just to watch birds from a cozy haven indoors. Once he took up birding a decade ago, he schooled himself on this vast subject and now is field trip coordinator for Mecklenburg Audubon Society .
Judy Walker, president of the Mecklenburg Audubon Society, says the benefits go both ways: for us and for them.
"Most people do it because they enjoy it and it's fascinating to watch the birds. From the bird viewpoint, probably most of the time down here, it is not a necessity. But when we have ice storms, snowstorms, it probably does help a lot of birds survive.
"It does help maintain healthy populations in general, but a lot of people do it to enjoy watching the behavior of the birds. There is a psychological plus, a feeling that helps calm people down."
At this time of year, the natural food - berries, seeds and nuts - in fields and forests is still available for birds. That's why some people may wonder why birds aren't at their well-stocked feeders in early winter.
But as winter progresses and the birds' grocery gets bare, Walker says birds benefit from help by humans, especially from February to April. She feeds birds year-round because it attracts 20 to 30 kinds of birds at any one time (not counting hawks and owls that just fly by) and because she enjoys seeing young birds arrive in spring.
"The great majority are what we call resident birds. Some are probably here all year, but some not. The gold finches that we have in the summer are not the same ones we have in the winter. It's the same with the robins."
Cardinals, bluebirds, woodpeckers and chickadees are among those that tend to stay here year-round.
Over the years, Walker has enjoyed quietly watching the antics of birds.
She remembers the persistence of a house wren trying to put a wide stick through a small hole of the birdhouse where the wren intended to build a nest.
Alas, the hole was too small. The tenacious bird finally gave up and went for other sticks, but Walker enjoyed the 10 minutes spent watching the effort. HOW TO ATTRACT BIRDS IN WINTER Feeders
Mesh feeders that birds can cling to and without perches appeal to many types of birds of varying sizes. If you choose a feeder with perches, remember that the smaller the perch, the smaller the bird it will serve.
Some birds, including song sparrows, doves and thrashers, feed on the ground or an open platform feeder. Food
The most versatile is the sunflower seed. Black-oil sunflower seeds are smaller and fit in more kinds of feeders. Ground-feeding birds like millet. Woodpeckers like shelled peanuts. Suet cakes appeal to wrens, chickadees and woodpeckers and provide protein energy. Water
This is very enticing and hard for birds to find in dry weather and when temperatures are below freezing. Pay attention to your birdbaths in cold weather to make sure the water doesn't stay frozen. Birds need water for drinking and bathing. They like to stay clean. Shelter
A brush pile near the feeders is attractive because it's a place for birds to hide should a predator hawk show up. Large evergreens such as magnolias, hollies and cypresses also provide shelter from stormy weather. Although birds have good natural insulation, they don't want to stand in cold rain, snow and wind.
Don't expect overnight success. If you only feed in winter, birds may be a bit slow to find you. They will eventually.
Expect to want to know more about these pretty creatures. An identification book, focused on birds of your U.S. region, will help you know the birds by name and their lifestyles. For example: "The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Eastern Edition." (Knopf. $19.95)
Expect to see squirrels advance on the bird food. Set the feeders at least 6 feet from trees or shrubbery because squirrels are strong leapers. Baffles also help, by preventing squirrels from climbing the bird feeder pole. A feeder that holds an ear of corn and is set well away from the bird feeder is also a diversion for squirrels.