If You Can, Help The Birds This Winter

It is becoming colder by the day. With old man
winter setting in and Jack Frost on the way, our
tiny feathered friends are going to need us more
than ever. Birds have become more and more
dependent on people feeding them. The quantity
of food is seriously limited when the winter
comes. The days are shorter and the natural food
such as insects are no longer available to the
bird groups.

During the harshest season of the year there
has to be a provision of water, food and
shelter. Some birds like woodpeckers, and other
insect eaters can still get their food under
tree bark and other sources. Unfortunately, the
smaller birds like finches and cardinals depend
on seeds, fruits and nuts. They usually have a
territory that they are used to where they are
supplemented with wild bird seed from feeders in
gardens.

A lot of birds depend on us for shelter during
the fall and winter and there has been a lot of
controversy over this. Birds have always
migrated south for the winter. The question is,
if we supplement them with shelter and food,
will this stop their normal routine of
migration? After much review and investigation
the statistics show that this is not so. Birds
may have a reason for not migrating. Perhaps
they were injured or caught in a snowstorm. They
would ultimately depend on feeding stations to
help them survive the winter.

It is very important to give thought to the
location of the shelter. Make sure this place is
secure and they are not exposed to predators. A
few trees, preferably pine trees, will keep the
birds shielded from cats and hawks that are
constantly surveying the area. Another form of
shelter can be the nesting boxes that are used
for breeding during the summer. They are perfect
for night time roosting and seed caches.

Not much consideration is given to the
availability of water to these winged creatures.
When is it is blustery cold and everything is
freezing, what then? Streams and puddles and
bird baths are frozen over. These little birds
are trying to stay warm in the extreme cold and
this problem can be solved with a little
forethought. A bird bath can be filled several
times a day to ensure that they have water. This
may seem like a lot of work, but the reward is
when you see your little feathered friends lined
up patiently around the bird bath waiting for a
drink.

When choosing a feeding station it is wise to
make sure is it at least five feet above the
ground. Feeders can be made from most anything
you have available. Empty milk cartons or even
soft drink bottles. Some people even divide them
up into specific bird seeds to attract specific
birds. Buying seeds in bulk give you the
advantage of avoiding filler seeds, which the
birds toss out. The important thing to remember
is that the feeders need to be cleaned and
maintained regularly.

More and more bird watchers are erecting winter
bird feeders. The birds are depending on us to
provide during the severe winter, and could
perish from starvation if we are not
responsible.

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If you are able to help, in anyway during winter,
it will be appreciated. Resourced from
http://www.dodsonandhorrellpetfood.co.uk

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